Education for Sustainable Peace

in the Information Age

Presentation by Jean Bernard

Curriculum Innovations, Peace Education and

Poverty Alleviation in Sub-Saharan Africa

Seventh international project seminar

Geneva, Switzerland

30 March 2009

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This cartoon is…

a. funny

b. sad

c. both funny and sad

d. none of the above

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What education for what future?

!The future is unpredictable

!Schools undermine creativity

!Education systems must be restructured

“We have to be careful that we use the gift (of the human

imagination) wisely…and the only way we’ll do it is by seeing

our creative capacities for the richness they are, and seeing

our children for the hope that they are. Our task is to educate

their whole being so that they can face this future. We may

not see the future, but they will..our job is to help them make

something of it.”

Sir Ken Robinson, 2006

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html

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The problem of terminology

Peace Quality Relevance Inclusion Sustainable development The world of work Violence prevention Life skills

TVET ICT Values education Human rights Child rights Democratic citizenship Health HIV/AIDS prevention Active

learning Classroom based assessment Competency based curriculum Standards Traditional knowledge

Multicultural classrooms Mother tongue instruction Convergent pedagogies e-Learning Differentiated instruction

Multiple intelligences Child-friendly schools Gender responsive Critical thinking Creativity Learning to learn

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Defining terms

• Peace education

• Learning to live together

• Competencies for life and work

Peace

LTLT

Competencies

for Life and

Work

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Making connections

Ibn Rushd 1126-1198

Sophists, 5th Century BC

• Peace

• LTLT

• Life and Work Skills

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Thinking Peace

" Pax Romana

" Active peace

" Plural peace(s)

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Diverse Perspectives

" Cognito, ergo sum

" Collectivist ubuntu philosophy

René Descartes 1596-1650

Archbishop Desmond Tutu

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Peace in Action

“Be the change that you

want to see in the world.”

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Peace is…

The view from Cold Spring Elementary School

Peace Learning Center,

Indianapolis, Indiana USA

http://www.youtube.com/PeaceLearningCenter

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Peace education is…

" Thinking peace

" Building peace

Peace education has many divergent meanings…

• For some, a matter of changing mindsets to promote

understand, respect and tolerance;

•For others, a matter of cultivating a set of skills…to acquire a

non-violent disposition and the skills for resolving conflicts;

•For still others, a matter of promoting human rights,

environmentalism, disarmament and cultures of peace

The Hague Appeal for Peace Conference , (1999))

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Building Peace -- Why?

" War and poverty

" Violence and human rights

" All forms of violence are preventable

If through our wisdom we could secure

elementary human needs there would be no

need for weapons of war.

Mahatma Ghandi

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Building Peace -- How?

" Peace is multi-layered andmulti-dimensional

– Individual

– Family

– School

– Workplace

– Community

– Nation

– World

3. CULTURAL

HERITAGE

1. NON-VIOLENCE

2. HUMAN

RIGHTS

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The Big Questions

" What are the roots of conflict?

" What are the causes of poverty?

" How can poverty alleviation be achieved?

" Can sustainable peace (the ultimate goal) be

achieved through poverty alleviation? How?

" What are the implications of all of the above for

curriculum development in your countries?

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Learning to Live Together

" The Dolors Report andthe four pillars ofeducationhttp://www.unesco.org/delors/index.html

" LTLT programmes.Activities and resources

" ESD: the fifth pillar?

UNESCO Associated Schools Network

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Education and globalization

" Already globalized or stillglobalizing?

" What does it all mean?

" What does it imply foreducation?

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Education for the World of Work

" What will life and work be like in the informationage?

" A new hierarchy of skills and competencies?

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Common spaces, common goals

Communication

Creativity

LTLT

Peace Work

Life Skills

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Not as it is, but as it should be

“Learning to live and work together in peace” requires going beyond

training young people as workers and passive consumers in ways that

empower them to transform their world into a better place.

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Challenges

" Clarifiying meanings andinterconnections

– Concepts

– Objectives

– Strategies

" Taking charge

– Imagining

– Experimenting

– Refining

" Sharing

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ReferencesBigelow, Bill and Bob Peterson (eds). 2002. Rethinking Globalization: Teaching for Justice in An Unjust

World. Milwaukee, Wisconson: Rethinking Schools, Ltd.

Birgit Brock-Utne. “Peace Research with a Diversity Perspective: A Look to Africa.” International Journalof Peace Studies. Vol. 9, No. 2. www.gmu.edu/academic/ijps/vol9_2/Brock-Utne_92IJPS.pdf

Delors et al. 1996. Learning: The Treasure Within. Report of the International Commission onEducation for the Twenty-First Century. Paris: UNESCO.

Draman, Rasheed. 2003. Poverty and Conflict in Africa: Explaining a Complex Relationship. Paperprepared to the Experts Group Meeting on Africa-Canada Parliamentary Strengthening Program,Addis Ababa, May 19-23, 2003. www.parlcent.ca/povertyreduction/seminar1_e.pdf

Robinson, Ken. 2006. ‘Do Schools Kill Creativity?” Technology, Entertainment, Design (TED) Talk.http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html

Robinson, Ken. 2001. Out of Our Minds: Learning to Be Creative. New York: John Wiley & Sons.http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html

Shaeffer, Sheldon. Beyond ‘Learning to Live Together’: The Key to Education for SustainableDevelopment. http://www.unescobkk.org

Sinclair, Margaret. 2004. Learning to Live Together: Building Skills, Values and Attitudes for theTwenty-First Century. Paris: UNESCO/IBE.

Tutu, Desmond. 1999. No Future Without Forgiveness. New York: Doubleday.