We will achieve a statement
of principles on key aspects of peace education which will provide guidance
towards a vision and action to improve peace education. We will address
peace education recommendations and issues identified by
(1) the U.N. Culture of Peace Program,
(2) the Hague Appeal for Peace Global Peace Education Campaign,
(3) the Report of Canada on Education for Peace, Human Rights, Democracy,
International Understanding and Tolerance, and
(4) other key issues identified by conference participants.
We also expect a
mechanism to emerge to ensure that the recommendations from this conference
will be acted upon and not "gather dust". Participants will benefit
from networking opportunities, and the opportunity to gather valuable
information that will help in their day-to-day peace education practice.
CONFERENCE GOALS & OBJECTIVES:
1. Create a forum for
networking and idea sharing among stakeholders by providing leading-edge
sessions on a wide variety of peace education issues.
2. Address holistic peace education at the individual, family, community and
world levels, as they are interrelated and can support each other.
3. Encourage collaboration of existing structure, and filling in gaps or needs
where they exist. It is imagined that linking these organizations can
provide quite a lobby and collective for economies and efficiencies of all
sorts.
4. Provide the venues for these multidisciplinary groups to facilitate
communication, networking, trading information, etc.
5. Put peace education on the Canadian agenda, with the goal of getting it
integrated into Canadian curricula of all schools (including higher
learning) before the end of this Decade.
6. Encourage many, many Peace Education leaders
CONFERENCE FORMAT:
Planning Committee
Members have indicated the importance of structuring the agenda and process to
ensure the desired outcomes are achieved. We must focus on some key issues in
peace education in order to move peace education in Canada forward (rather than trying to cover everything and
achieving nothing). Accordingly, the following format has been adopted:
The TRADE FAIR will be the means for folks to get a handle on what is
happening in peace education (programs, curricula, materials, etc.) If you have
a unique message that you would like to convey to participants, please consider
having a booth at the Trade Fair (see registration form).
The conference will
focus on a short list of ideas and issues key to the future of peace education.
(future conferences can then go into more detail by priority area) The TOWN HALL
format, with a two hour time period each, is the preferred method to achieve
our goal of maximizing participant input. We will invite Background/discussion
papers to be submitted on the key peace education issues in advance of the
conference and they will be posted on the web site at http://www.peace.ca . We will also invite some
discussion on these on CPIdiscussion email listserver prior to the conference
to help further focus (see below).
TOWN HALL SESSIONS:
We are in the process
of shortlisting the ideas. Key Peace Education Issues proposed to be covered in
Town Hall Sessions include:
- cross Canada/provincial roundup from the provincial Ministries of Education
and Government of Canada on the status and future of peace
education
- cross Canada inventory of existing formal and informal peace education
programs
- a history of peace education in Canada
- best case examples in peace education (eg. League of Peaceful Schools, Safe
and Caring Schools Programs, etc.)
- peace education defined (what is peace education?)
- should we teach our children 'how to think' or 'what to think'?: the academic
mode vs. the ideological mode and current criticisms of peace education (peace
studies and military studies)
- the Interconnectedness of peace education (including peace education at the
world level, community level, family level, individual level; before
conflict, during conflict, post conflict; etc. - "the web" or
"conceptual map")
- the U.N. Culture of Peace Program recommends the transformation of
institutions to promote a Culture of Peace: how does this apply to our
Educational Institutions and the Education System?
- the Hague Appeal for Peace Global Peace Education Campaign recommends the
integration of peace education into all curricula: how does this apply in Canada?
- responses to the Report of Canada on Education for Peace, Human Rights,
Democracy, International Understanding and Tolerance (reference
http://www.peace.ca/education_for_peace.htm
)
- resources for teachers of peace education (there could probably be more than
one panel session on this, by major types of resources such as
curricula, books/ information resources, training for trainers,
funding/financial resources, human resources, innovations, etc.)
- peace psychology
- leadership in peace education
- education in building peace at the world level
- education in building peace at the regional level
- education in building peace at the national level
- education in building peace at the community level
- education in building peace at the family level
- education in building peace at the individual level (including relationship
building, managing conflict, etc.)
- education in building peace at K - 9 level
- education in building peace at high school
- education in building peace at post secondary level
- education in building peace in informal and other settings (including NGO
delivery, adult learners, business setting, etc.)
- media as positive and negative peace educators
- business' role in peace education
- sports' role in peace education
- Praxis: helping learners put peace education to good use
- vision for peace education
- action necessary
GUEST PRESENTERS:
We are in the process
of inviting Key Peace Educators to join in our presentations. Watch here for further
developments. However, this is not your typical conference where you come and
listen to keynote speakers. Everyone will be a presenter and you will be
invited to share your experiences throughout the panel sessions.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND:
Typical participants
that should be attracted to the Conference include: peace educators of every
stripe (eg. university, college, high school, K-9, formal, informal, etc.)
involved in peace education at the world level, community level, family level
and individual level; Canadian federal government (there are several
departments, such as DFAIT, CIDA, foreign diplomats, DND, justice, corrections,
health, social services); Canadian provincial and municipal governments
(teacher education, education systems development, CMEC, police services,
victims services, safe and caring communities, safe and caring schools;
responding to real community needs as identified by the community); research
institutions; agencies involved with the UN (including Canadian Commission for
UNESCO, UNAC, etc.); private research and education services;
businesses (e.g.. international businesses vis international affairs, employee
relations, public relations, conflict resolution/ADR); non-government
organizations (e.g.. CARE, Red Cross, religions, foreign NGOs; teaching
leadership, fund-raising, etc.); individuals (e.g.. target hardening courses);
and others who generally wish to build peace in our communities and world.
OPTIONAL PRE- AND POST-CONFERENCE ACTIVITIES:
Depending upon
interest, we plan to hold the following Optional Workshops Prior to the
Conference (November 7 - 8, 2002):
- Workshop for Teachers of Peace Education
- Peace Psychology
- Leadership and Peace
- Teaching Johan Galtung's Conflict Transformation Model
- Conceptual Mapping of the Peace, Conflict and Violence Problem to assist the
peace education process
Optional
Post-conference Workshop (November 11, 2002):
It is anticipated
that the conference will result in a call to action. If some people's travel
plans permit them to stay a bit longer (and we urge you to stay if you can), we
will workshop the ideas raised at the conference, including scoping out a
potential "Peace Education Action Committee".
REGISTRATION:
Facilities are
limited to 350 participants, so please book early. Since space at the Conference is limited, registration must be on a
first-come, first-served basis. To register, follow the link to http://www.peace.ca/registration.htm
CPIDISCUSSION EMAIL LISTSERVER SUBSCRIBE:
A CPIdiscussion email listserver has been set up to facilitate communications
with respect to peace education. Plans for the First Annual Conference on Peace
Education will be discussed continuously on the listserve. If anyone would like
to participate in the Canadian Peace Institute/Initiative ("CPI")
discussion and developments, then from the email account they wish to have on
the listserve, send an empty letter to CPIdiscussion-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
. Once sent, then Yahoo will send a welcome letter, and ask that you confirm
that you wish to join the listserve. The confirmation is simply to hit the
reply button and send the welcome letter right back to Yahoo. If you change
your mind and decide not to join after all, then simply do not reply, or you
can send an empty letter to CPIdiscussion-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
. For more information, visit the CPIdiscussion webpage at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CPIdiscussion
. If you have any problems, contact the list moderator Bob Stewart at stewartr@peace.ca . You can also read past
correspondence on the CPIdiscussion site, once registered.
Join us on
CPIdiscussion email listserver for the next round of discussion:
1. Starting with the preliminary list of key peace education issues above, and
adding as you feel necessary, and priorizing, "What is your short list of
ideas and issues key to the future of peace education that should be the
subject of Town Hall discussions?" Please summarize the key issue in a few
words, and then explain your choices.
2. "What will attract officials from the Ministries of Education and how
can we ensure they are involved in the conference?"
3. "How can we ensure those of us involved in peace education outside the
university and elementary and secondary school systems are fully and suitably
involved in the conference?"
For more information,
you may visit our website at http://www.peace.ca/firstannualconferenceonpeaceed.htm
. You may contact the conference coordinator Robert (Bob) Stewart by e-mail at stewartr@peace.ca or visit the Canadian
Centres for Teaching Peace website at http://www.peace.ca
.
A Justice Site
jeannecurran@habermas.org
THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON PEACE EDUCATION IN CANADA