Educating for Peace [1 ed.] 9781443848831, 9781443848053

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Educating for Peace

Educating for Peace

Edited by

Lokanath Mishra

Educating for Peace, Edited by Lokanath Mishra This book first published 2013 Cambridge Scholars Publishing 12 Back Chapman Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 2XX, UK British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Copyright © 2013 by Lokanath Mishra and contributors All rights for this book reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. ISBN (10): 1-4438-4805-0, ISBN (13): 978-1-4438-4805-3

CONTENTS Foreword ................................................................................................... vii Preface ........................................................................................................ ix About the Editor ......................................................................................... xi Contributors .............................................................................................. xiii Chapter One ................................................................................................. 1 Educating All for a Peaceful Society Dr. Lokanath Mishra Chapter Two .............................................................................................. 31 Preparing Children for Peace Professor S.K. Swain and Dr. Lokanath Mishra Chapter Three ............................................................................................ 39 Peace Education in a Non-formal Way Dr. Lokanath Mishra Chapter Four .............................................................................................. 51 Education for Peace and Non-violence Dr. Lokanath Mishra Chapter Five .............................................................................................. 63 Conceptualization of Peace Education Dr. Soti Shivendra Chandra Chapter Six ................................................................................................ 69 The What, Why and How of a Culture of Peace Dr. Ajaya Atri Chapter Seven............................................................................................ 73 Peace Education: The Need of the Hour Mayadhar Sahu and Kulamani Sahoo

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Chapter Eight ............................................................................................. 87 Peace Education for Creating Violence-Free Schools Anita Behera Chapter Nine.............................................................................................. 95 The Role of Value Education for World Peace Dr. Shuddhatm Prakash Jain Chapter Ten ............................................................................................. 103 World Peace Grows by Following the Noble Eight Fold Path of Buddhism Dr. Deepa Gupta Chapter Eleven ........................................................................................ 109 Inculcating Peace through the Hands of Science: A New Pedagogical Approach Geeta Sharma Chapter Twelve ....................................................................................... 121 Human Rights Awareness among the People of Agra City: A Comparative Study Dr. Anjana Agarwal Chapter Thirteen ...................................................................................... 133 Youth Violence and the Demand for Peace Education Vikramjit Singh and Pradeep Kumar Mishra Chapter Fourteen ..................................................................................... 143 Education for Peace in Secondary Schools Dr. Lokanath Mishra Chapter Fifteen ........................................................................................ 155 Education for Peace: A Global Debate Professor S.K. Swain and Dr. Lokanath Mishra Chapter Sixteen ....................................................................................... 173 Peace Education: Policies and Practices Ashis Upadhya

FOREWORD

Peace that is Shanti in Indian terms is not a situation of perplexity or the status quo. It is rather a state full of dynamism and continuity to lead human beings to step forward to the pathway to progress in an atmosphere surcharged with cooperation and harmony. The state of peace expects for joint efforts in the larger interest of humanity, work for the welfare of those down-trodden, less privileged and poor for their upliftment, and to accord them equality and justice. Peace is in itself possible in reality if people are treated equally in day-to-day practices and provided with equal opportunities to rise in at all levels and in all walks of life, socio-economic spheres in particular. For continuous and joint efforts are inevitable and necessary. Further for the creation of a concete and sustainable ground for peace and its continuity, the role of the community of teachers is very important. Teachers and Professors can undoubtedly contribute tremendously towards this end. Therefore, the effort of Dr. Lokanath Mishra, which he has made through this timely volume entitled Educating for Peace, is appreciable. Along with Dr. Mishra other contributors, sixteen in number, have also through their respective chapters ventured to reach the spirit in the root of the title. I wish the endeavour of Dr. Lokanath Mishra, the Editor, a grand success.

Professor Dr. Ravindra Kumar, Meerut (India), April 2013

PREFACE

This humble piece of work has seen the light of day thanks to the blessing of the goddess MAA MANGALA. I bow my head to her for her mercy. Truly, we are all crippled in this world. Some are crippled physically, some vitally, some mentally, some intellectually, some spiritually, and many are crippled in all parts of their body. In this sense, haves and havenots everywhere, though both having enough and lacking resources, are suffering from physical, vital, mental, intellectual and spiritual ailments due to ignorance about themselves. Though being handicapped, we are all exploiting each other’s weaknesses by committing violence on others or on our own selves through ending our lives or being mentally sick. We see everywhere that some are mad in their pursuit of money, some of fame, some of physical beauty, some of fasting, some of killing others, and some of killing themselves—we find a long list of madness. Thus, the world has more or less become a lunatic asylum, and it is all because of the present education as well as the education of the past of the whole world, which has taken the form of mis-education for a privileged few and non-education for many, which seems to some extent inhuman. Today’s peace education is not in any way peace education in the sense of creating learners—the human is both teacher and student, even though very few have access to it. The current peace education means human rights education, tolerance education, pacifist education, and education for non-violence. It means that the present peace education, as value education, is done through indoctrination and regimentation. Knowledge about these values is dictated to the learners by peace educators, positive attitudes towards these values are inculcated in their minds and they are trained in how to practice the skills of these values. They use dialogue and discussion to teach these values of peace, considering pedagogy as the methodology, even though it is a totally negative education of peace. Hence, the whole world today needs a better type of peace education which would be beneficial to all. Indeed, true education is peace education, and peace is the product of true education. Hence, the ultimate aim of real education is to attain or to bring peace to individuals, which would be reflected in their surroundings or in the local to global society through these peaceful individuals. Therefore, the product of true education, i.e. peace, is used with education to give more emphasis for

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naming it as peace education. Thus, true peace education is people-making education, and should be for all, barring none. I am extremely beholden to my wife, Mrs Reeta Mishra, and all the family members who have been a pillar of strength during my work. The editor is highly indebted to his research guide Prof. Santanu Kumar Swain, Faculty of Education BHU, Dr Ravindra Kumar, Ex-vice chancellor of CCS University Merrut, Prof. Ages Mashi, Head and Dean Jamia Millia Islammia, New Delhi, Prof K. C. Kapoor, vice-chancellor of Rajeev Gandhi Central University, Arunachal Pradesh, and Prof. Nina Venkata Rao, Dr B. C. Das, assistant professor, Vanasthali University, for providing the guidance for developing the book. I look forward to suggestions from all the readers for further improving the subject content as well as presentation of the book.

ABOUT THE EDITOR

Dr. L. Mishra is the Principal of Vivek College of Education, Bijnor, India. He specializes in Teacher Education, Peace Education, Qualitative Research Methods, and Teaching of Mathematics. His interest in qualitative research on Adult Education for tribes culminated in a Ph.D thesis at the Utkal University of Orissa, India in 2007. Dr. Mishra has published a number of local and international papers and has spoken at various international conferences within India and abroad on issues relating to teacher education, peace education, curriculum, research methods, and research supervision. Dr. Mishra is an editorial board member of The Journal of Education, Scientific Academic Publishing (USA) and chief editor of the International Journal of Education and Research (IJER). Dr. Mishra is currently researching peace education and teacher education. He is receiving a senior fellowship from the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR). One of his books, Peace Club: a Handbook of Practicum, is published by Lambert Academic Publishing (LAP), Germany.

CONTRIBUTORS

Dr. Lokanath Mishra is presently working as Principal at Vivek College of Education, Bijnor. He has represented India in several international seminars and conferences on education. He has published a number of papers and books on different aspects of education, especially on peace education. His book Peace Club: A Handbook of Practicum is published in Germany. Prof. S. K Swain, faculty of Education Banarus Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi. He has a brilliant professional career with D. litt Degree in Education and exposed to the functionality of various International Educational institutions such as UNESCO, IIEP, IBE, WORLDBANK and University of Leeds UK. He has contributed substantially to the field of education as a professor, research supervisor, curriculum planner and strategic professional leader. Dr. Soti Shivendra Chandra Retd. Principal S. S. (PG) College, Shahjahanpur, Dean, Faculty of Education, M. J. P. Rohilkhand University, Bareilly, Ex-Member of Academic Council, O. S. D., and ExDirector of the Institute of Distance Education, Meerut Director, Education, D. A. V. College, Kharkhauda. Dr. Ajay Kumar Attri Assistant Professor (Education), ICDEOL, Himachal Pradesh University Summerhill, Shimla (H. P.). Email: [email protected]. He has published a number of papers on different aspects of education. Mr. Mayadhar Sahu and Kulamani Sahoo, lecturer in education and M. Phil scholar, Ravenshaw University, Cuttack, Odisha. Anita Behera, teacher educator DIET, Dolipur, Jajpur, Odisha. Email: [email protected]. Dr Shuddhatm Prakash Jain, assistant professor, Institute of Education & Research Mangalayatan University, Aligarh.

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Dr. Deepa Gupta, lecturer (M. Phil. education), C. S. J. M. University, Kanpur. Geeta Sharma, assistant professor, Hindu college of education. Vikramjit Singh is currently serving as assistant professor in Mathematics Education in the Regional Institute of Education (NCERT), Bhubaneswar. He has submitted his Ph.D thesis on Peace and Conflict Resolution to the Utkal University. Besides this, Mr. Singh has around twelve research publications and has participated and presented papers at various seminars and conferences. Pradeep Kumar Mishra has a mixed record of academic distinction, ranging from matriculation to a pre-Ph.D in education. He has been bestowed with a gold medal at graduation level. Besides this, he has published research and conceptual papers in reputed international and national journals. He has worked as a JPF. Dr.Anjana Agarwal, assistant professor, Dau Dayal Mahila P.G. College, Firozabad, U. P. Ashish Upadhyay, assistant professor, BNS DAV teacher training college, Giridih, Jharkhand. Born in 1980, he is a post graduate in Botany and Education who started his career as an assistant teacher of biology in a middle school in the Ranchi district. Following this, he completed a M. Ed. in 2010. He specializes in the field of teacher education and environmental education. He is now working as an assistant professor in BNS DAV teacher training college, Giridih, since 2010.

CHAPTER ONE EDUCATING ALL FOR A PEACEFUL SOCIETY DR. LOKANATH MISHRA

Recent incidents of bomb blasts in various parts of India, killing many innocent people, have shaken the whole idea of peaceful coexistence. The incidents of school children shooting their friends also throw light on the absence of individual peace and also a lack of trust in the elders to create a peaceful solution to problems. What could be the cause of violence in society? Is it simply because we have not been fair to all sections of society? Has education become a business? Are the elders so busy that they do not listen to children? Whatever the cause, it is certain that we have failed as educators and as an education system, as peace is disturbed both at the macro and micro levels. There are many concerns that we need to consider to establish internal as well as external peace, especially during the last few decades, as the prevailing system of education in the world will not necessarily lead us towards a safe and peaceful future. It is important to note that the culture of violence and terrorism is generated and supported by those preoccupied with their biases and hate-based values; our education system is playing a complementary, if not causal role in sustaining intolerance and extremism. In the cultural context, it is said that today’s so-called modernity and urbanity is leading us towards a society deprived of peace-generating social values. The values handed down from one generation to another through the modern, structured education systems are based on curriculums approved by the interests of nation states. Today, we as human beings and particularly our children are exposed to much violence. In some cases it is real, such as when communities are at war. In some cases it is found on television, where conflict resolution often means the victory of the strong. Humanity faces a challenge of unprecedented proportions through such things as the continued development of weapons of mass destruction, conflicts between states and ethnic groups, the spread of racism, gender inequality, community

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violence, the huge and widening gap between the rich and the poor throughout the global economy, the rapid spread of HIV/AIDS in developing countries, and massive violations of human rights. Here, the Global Campaign for Peace Education is open to the initiatives of individuals and groups throughout the world. Groups carry out the work of the campaign in each country, with each community, school and individual committed to its goals. Those active in the campaign share sample curricula; they write letters, circulate petitions and organize forums, working groups and delegations which meet with governments and education officials and write articles for publications. They use every technique they can think of to build support for peace education. To be equipped to tackle these interwoven problems, the coming generation deserves a radically different education. People need the skills and knowledge to create and maintain peace. Peace requires a holistic approach. Peace education includes the study of human rights, development, the environment, human security, disarmament, reconciliation, conflict prevention/resolution, gender studies, non-violence and international relations. Peace education encourages people to think critically and to take constructive action. This will help move us from a culture of violence to one of peace. The lethality and easy accessibility of domestic guns as well as weapons of mass destruction, the exploding rates of drug abuse, teen suicide and homicide, continued racism, hatred of refugees, alienation of those who are different, and the epidemic of gun and machete violence make it urgent that we integrate the subject of peace into all education. Violence is either preventable or inevitable, and war is unacceptable. We want to universalize peace education in all schools and to also bring it into the non-formal community sector. Public policies must promote peace education for all children As Mahatma Gandhi stated: “If we are to reach real peace in the world we must begin with the children.” We must all become educators who will, in turn, learn the basic philosophy and pedagogical underpinnings of educating towards a more hopeful world. Peace education is defined as the pedagogical efforts to create a better world.

What is Peace Education? “Peace is being quiet inside." "Peace is having good feelings inside." "Peace is when people get along and don't argue or fight." "Peace is having positive thoughts about myself and others." "Peace begins within each one of us." "Peace is more than the absence of war." "Peace is living

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in harmony and not fighting with others." "Peace is a calm and relaxed state of mind." "Peace consists of positive thoughts, pure feelings, and good wishes." "To stay peaceful requires strength and compassion." "World peace grows through non-violence, acceptance, fairness and communication." "Peace is the main characteristic of a civilized society." From the point of view of not only children but also adolescents and adults, peace is not just the absence of war; it is the practice of love. In a peaceful society people would work together to resolve conflicts, develop morally, treat each other with justice, satisfy basic needs, and respect each other. In essence, they would live in unity. Our aim is not to achieve a perfect world. What we do want is much more unity and peace throughout the world. Peace can take place within the individual. Some believe this inner peace can be strengthened through our relationship with the divine. Inner peace involves peace of mind and the absence of fear. Outer peace is peace in society. Our impression is that in India there is, in general, a greater stress on inner peace than in the West, where there is more emphasis on outer peace. East and West must come together, as the world needs both. This is known as holistic inner-outer peace. It has both spiritual and material dimensions. The sacred texts of the world's great religions can help us better understand holistic inner-outer peace. Peace education would not exist unless people throughout the world, such as Maria Montessori, believed that world peace were attainable through a multifaceted effort, starting with the education of children and youths. Peace education is strengthened through the willpower and the efforts of those who actively promote it, for they are aware of the terrible consequences if they do not. In “The Promise of World Peace,” the Universal House of Justice declares: "Whether peace is to be reached only after unimaginable horrors precipitated by humanity's stubborn clinging to old patterns of behaviour, or is to be embraced now by an act of consultative will, is the choice before all who inhabit the earth." In other words, the horrors and suffering within our society and worldwide can be reduced if we have the strong will to act. In the words of the Indian thinker and philosopher Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan: "We must will peace with our whole body and soul, our feelings and instincts, our flesh and its affections." Peace teaches love, non-violence, compassion and reverence for the environment and all of life. The processes of peace education include empowering people with the skills of conflict resolution and with the knowledge to help create a more safe and sustainable world. Peace education involves care, compassion and concern for oneself, for others

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and for the earth. A number of strategies to achieve peace exist, including peace through strength, pacifism, peace with justice and institution building, peace through sustainability, and peace education. These are not mutually exclusive, but in some cases complement each other. Peace education is more effective when it is adapted according to the social and cultural context and the needs of a society. It is enriched by that society's cultural and spiritual values along with universal human values.

A definition of peace education Peace education is a holistic, participatory process that includes teaching for and about human rights, non-violent responses to conflict, social and economic justice, gender equality, environmental sustainability, disarmament and human security. The methodology of peace education encourages reflection, critical thinking, co-operation and responsible action. It promotes multiculturalism and is based on values of dignity, equality and respect. Peace education is intended to prepare students for democratic participation in schools and society. Peace education, a worldwide movement, is a diverse and continually changing field, responding to developments in the world and, to some extent, the advancing knowledge and insights of peace research. Today, children are exposed to so much violence. In some cases it is real, such as when their communities are at war. It some cases it is found on television, where conflict resolution often means the victory of the strong. The primary purposes of peace education are the development of peace-making capacities. In the context of present conditions, Professor Betty Reardon suggests that the purpose of the new phase should be the development of capacities of cultural inventions, knowing that these capacities must be developed within the context of an age characterized by traumatic change and the lack of normative direction in social and political policies. It is not an easy time to educate for a culture of peace, but it is an opportune one. Peace education could be defined in many ways. There is no universally accepted definition as such, but some good definitions are considered below. R. D. Laing (1978) stated that peace education is an attempt to respond to the problems of conflict and violence on scales ranging from the national to the global. It is about exploring ways of creating more just and sustainable societies. In the words of Fran Schmidt and Alice Friedman (1998), peace education is holistic, and embraces the physical, emotional, intellectual and social growth of children within a framework deeply rooted in

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traditional human values. It is based on a philosophy that teaches love, compassion, trust, fairness, co-operation and reverence for the human family and all life on our beautiful planet. Peace education is skill building. It empowers children to join in creative and non-destructive ways to settle conflicts and to live in harmony with themselves and others. This world peace building is the task of every human being and the challenge of the human family. According to Betty Reardon, peace education is the transmission of knowledge and understanding the obstacles to and possibilities of achieving and maintaining peace, training in skills for interpreting the knowledge and development of reflective and participatory capacities in applying the knowledge to overcoming problems and achieving possibilities. For David Hicks, peace education is activities that develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to explore concepts of peace, inquire into the obstacles to peace to resolve conflicts in a just and nonviolent way, and identify the ways of constructing a sustainable alternative future. Galtang considered peace studies as evolving from a focus on research, building both knowledge with an emphasis on skills and insight into the roots of violence, which must be balanced with work on devising ways to overcome, reduce and prevent violence. According to Gandhi, there is no way to peace. Peace is the way peace education is defined as the pedagogical efforts to create a better world by teaching love, non-violence, compassion and reverence for all life. For Dale Hudson, peace education can be defined as education that actualizes children’s potentialities in helping them learn how to make peace with themselves and with others to live in harmony and unity with humankind and nature. The basic concepts embedded in the above definitions are that peace education is a remedial measure to protect children from falling into the ways of violence in society. It aims at the total development of the child, and it tries to inculcate higher human and social values in their minds. In essence, it attempts to develop a set of behavioural skills necessary for peaceful living and peace building from which the whole of humanity will benefit.

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Peace education—an essential component of quality basic education Peace education is an integral part of the UNICEF vision of quality basic education. The 1990 World Declaration on Education for All (the Jomtien Declaration) clearly states that basic learning needs comprise not only essential tools such as literacy and numeracy, but also the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values required to live and work with dignity and to participate in development. It further states that the satisfaction of those needs implies a responsibility to promote social justice, acceptance of differences and peace (Inter-Agency Commission, WCEFA 1990). Since 1990, a number of UNICEF documents have confirmed this vision of basic education as a process that encompasses the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values needed to live peacefully in an interdependent world. “The Future Global Agenda for Children—Imperatives for the Twenty-First Century” makes a commitment to: “… ensure that education and learning processes help to form both human capital for economic growth and social capital for tolerance, respect for others and the right of each individual to participate with equality within family, community and economic life … and to challenge the culture of violence that threatens to destroy family and community life in so many countries.” Article 29 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) states: “… The education of the child shall be directed to … The preparation of the child for responsible life in a free society, in the spirit of understanding, peace, tolerance, equality of sexes, and friendship among all peoples ….” The 1990 World Declaration on Education for All says that: Every person—child, youth and adult—shall be able to benefit from educational opportunities designed to meet their basic learning needs. These needs comprise both essential learning tools (such as literacy, oral expression, numeracy, and problem solving) and the basic learning content (such as knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes) required by human beings to be able to survive, to develop their full capacities, to live and work in dignity, to participate fully in development, to improve the quality of their lives, to make informed decisions, and to continue learning … The satisfaction of these needs empowers individuals in any society and confers upon them a responsibility to … further the cause of social justice … to be tolerant towards social political and religious systems which differ from their own, ensuring that commonly accepted humanistic values and human rights are upheld, and to work for international peace and solidarity in an interdependent world.

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The UNICEF “Anti-War Agenda,” set out in “The State of the World’s Children 1996,” declares that: “… Disputes may be inevitable, but violence is not. To prevent continued cycles of conflict, education must seek to promote peace and tolerance, not fuel hatred and suspicion.” The Education Section Program Division’s paper, tabled at the Executive Board, June 1999 session, also asserts that: “UNICEF is committed to ensuring access to basic education of good quality—where children can acquire the essential learning tools needed to gain the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes critical to their own lives, the well-being of their families and their constructive participation in society.” Peace education, then, is best thought of not as a distinct “subject” in the curriculum, nor as an initiative separate from basic education, but as a process to be mainstreamed into all quality educational experiences. The term “education” in this context refers to any process—whether in schools, or in informal or non-formal educational contexts—that develops in children or adults the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values leading to behaviour change. The term “peace” does not merely imply the absence of overt violence (sometimes referred to as “negative peace”). It also encompasses the presence of social, economic and political justice, which are essential to the notion of “positive peace” (Hicks 1985). “Structural violence” is a term used to refer to injustices such as poverty, discrimination and unequal access to opportunities, which are at the root of much conflict. Structural violence is perhaps the most basic obstacle to peace. The Convention on the Rights of the Child, like other major human rights treaties, calls for the elimination of all forms of both overt and structural violence, and the creation of a society based on the principles of justice and peace. Peace education must address the prevention and resolution of all forms of conflict and violence, whether overt or structural, from the interpersonal level to the societal and global level. It is significant that the framers of the CRC viewed the promotion of understanding, peace and tolerance through education as a fundamental right of all children, not an optional extra-curricular activity.

The Need for Peace Education Something magical is happening in classrooms across the country. It is an effort to make the study of peace a formal part of school. Let's back up a bit. Learning in its purest form takes place everywhere, not only within the confines of places called pre-, middle-, junior high and high schools. There may be some real learning taking place in schools. It's entirely likely that

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some students will remember something from their thirteen years of formal compulsory education. Somewhere along the way, though, the real joy of learning disappears and a dark cloud of academic violence sets in. Many students, teachers, administrators, policy-makers and average people are unaware that academic violence even exists, at least in the form I mean. There is a conventional way to explain academic violence—the bad stuff that takes place on school grounds during school hours. Many people are acutely aware of this horrific violence that takes place at school—the bullying, the cliques, the teasing and, in the most egregious cases, school shootings. But unravelling the layers of school violence is a complex task. The aforementioned examples of academic violence fit into two categories: hot and cold violence. The teasing, the glares and the unspoken school rules of behaviour which delineate groups are a form of cold violence. They're beneath the surface, so commonplace that most people wouldn't even identify them as such, but they are certainly there and the saying "sticks and stones can break my bones but words will never hurt me" is one of the biggest lies ever told. Words, looks and unwritten rules are some of the most damaging acts of violence that one can endure, and cold violence sometimes leads to hot violence. Hot violence is much like it sounds—it elicits a visceral response and is an active dynamic. People actively engage in hot violence, and it's the stuff that makes the front page of the newspaper. Peace education is a movement to humanize education, to integrate meaningful learning experiences, foster communication and personal reflection, self-actualization and realization of talents and gifts and how they can be used to make the world a better place. Peace education treats students as active participants in their learning and challenges them to look at their participation in the world as something connected to their daily learning experience. It promotes an interconnected view of the world and gives students tangible skills in conflict resolution and managing the everyday problems they encounter. It also teaches students to look at problems in a radical way, in the Greek sense of getting to the root. Peace education is an interim movement because it is not the end result—there is no finality in peace education. In a sense, it is working within the educational system to transform it. Formal education is not entirely bad. There are good teachers and benefits to playing along and going through school, grade by grade. Components like computer resources, school dances, student councils, physical education and drivers' training are all listed as potentially good by-products of formal education. Peace education seeks to shed gentle light on those elements that need

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reconfiguring and gives support to those who are brave enough and willing to try. It is a big responsibility to take on the task of educating for justice and peace. Teachers have an inherently powerful job. We have the privilege of standing at the front of a class and guiding students through lesson plans that we have prepared. Certainly, teachers have personal beliefs that they feel strongly about. Some teachers adamantly support military recruitment on campus because they feel that it gives students an opportunity to do something respectable with their lives, opportunities they might not otherwise have had. Other teachers are vehemently against military recruitment on campus. If they have a platform to teach a class on nonviolence and peace-making, critics could rightly assert that the teachers would use this platform to squash dissent and proselytize. This is a legitimate concern. Teaching peace is not about having a ready-made soapbox to promote progressive social issues. It's not about pitting lefty progressives against right-wing conservatives, and it's certainly not about telling students what they should think. Students get enough of this in their other classes. Teaching peace is about helping students to find their voices, to listen to themselves and to each other, to trust and to learn more about themselves. Teaching peace is a privilege, the opportunity to facilitate intense discussions, to practice listening skills, to hear people with opposing views and be able to listen with an open heart. Teaching peace is about the process of facilitating a fair and balanced discussion, ensuring that all voices are heard and respected. Certainly, some of the topics covered in a class on non-violence will be controversial because they are by and large not reported in the mainstream media, and they challenge the conventional way we look at the world. Teaching peace is not about bashing the United States for centuries of foreign policy decisions that have created vast disparities between the haves and have-nots in the world. It’s not about further delineating the good guys from the bad guys. It's about finding accountability and stability through discussion. It's about drawing the connections between each other, realizing that we share common space and are interconnected as well as interdependent. There is no blame, only mutual causality. Teaching peace is ultimately about addressing why our schools, homes, communities and countries are increasingly violent, why we live in a world where husbands kill their pregnant wives for insurance money, where parents abuse children, where priests abuse altar boys, where the good guy winning over the bad guy means killing them, where postal workers set up their workplaces, where heart disease and cancer wreck families who sit down to dinner eating genetically modified foods and

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argue throughout the meal from start to finish, or don’t sit down together at all. Teaching peace is not for the faint of heart. It's not for people who are afraid to be challenged. Once you say you want to teach peace or support teaching about non-violence, you will be challenged. But teaching peace is as much about dealing with those challenges as it is about teaching the material in class. Some revolutionary steps need to be taken for the practical implementation of peace education: x

x x x

x

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x x

The curriculum being taught in schools, especially at primary level, must be geared towards making children responsible citizens through positive and peace-loving thinking. The symbolic representation of words transferred to kids through elementary books needs to be changed from “G for gun” to “G for good.” School structure must be based on equality and social justice, free from discrimination on the basis of class, caste or gender. Cultural activities are one of the most effective means of peace education. They channel the creative energy of youth from unhealthy activities to productive relationships. Respect for human rights is a very important dimension of peaceful human existence, and invariably peace is a human right. In this context, it is recommended that human rights education be introduced as a compulsory subject in secondary schools worldwide. In conflict-prone regions (like Pakistan-India or the Balkans), youth exchange programs should be promoted and sustained to give students and youth exposure to pluralism, tolerance and respect for one another. Teachers should be given sufficient freedom to move out of the rut of the curriculum. In most of the countries (especially in the developing world), teachers are not enjoying their due rights and facilities. Special resources or funds must be allocated to promote the concept of peace education. However, we should not forget that peace education is not just something written in books—it’s a concept, an awareness, a love to safeguard our world and the future of our kids. It’s not far off, just hidden in the dust of hatred and intolerance.

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Ways of Integrating Peace into the Curriculum Peace remains hidden in the education literature, rather than practiced. —Stomfay-Stitz

To develop children's peaceful-living competencies, a school can work in a number of ways, as in the following seven major levels: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7)

Subject context Subject perspectives Teaching methods Co-curricular activities Staff development Classroom management School management

The approaches take the following model. Integration of peace education into the curriculum through: *Subject content *Subject perspectives *Teaching methods *Total Curriculum Co-curricular activities *Classroom management *School management *Staff development *Model of integration of peace values into school curriculum.

Subject Content Since this handbook is for primary and secondary level teachers, for convenience's sake six subjects are broadly discussed here: Language Studies, Social Science, Religion, Science, Physical Education and Arts. Language includes listening, speech, reading, writing, second language and secondary literature. Social Sciences may include geography, history and civics. Religion may be Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam or Christianity. In certain countries they have values or moral education in place of religion. The meditations and quotations given here are generally acceptable to all religions, however you can use the similar activities or quotations most appropriate to your religion. Science may include environmental studies, mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology and botany. Physical Education includes games and exercises. Arts includes drawing, dancing and music.

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Integration of Peace into Formal Subjects 1. Identify peace values in the lesson Here, the word “peace value” is used rather loosely to mean all the concepts, values, principles, attitudes, skills and practices related to peaceful living. The guide for doing it takes the following four steps: To begin with, it is useful to understand the difference of the words we use here. Here is a basic clarification. An attitude is a person's positive or negative evaluation about a particular object, behaviour, person or group of people, and ideas such as smoking is a bad habit, or reading is a good habit. A human value is an intrinsic positive human quality that enriches lives, such as love, kindness or courage. A concept is a class of information (e.g. facts, images, attitudes etc.) that we group together on the basis of commonalities, such as motherhood or compassion (note: values are also concepts in this sense). An instruction is an informed guide to action, such as “do not stay somewhere that makes you angry.” A principle is a basic general truth that guides right action, such as hate is not caused by heat, or frustration leads to anger. An aspiration is a noble wish, for example “may all beings be happy!” An ideal is a wishful standard of perfection that people have as a goal to attain through a world without borders.

Peace education in school curriculums Peace is the most anxious concern at the school stage. The world is generally hungry for peace because of the terrible nature of the weapons made by nations in which billions are spent on researching the tools of war. Governments hardly think it worthwhile to spend even a meagre amount on peace research. Educational institutions are more suitable places in which peace education should be earnestly studied and discussed, and languages, mathematics, social studies and general sciences can be utilized for this purpose. For this, a totally new approach in the curriculum will have to be taken in relation to the following aspects:

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(i) A ppeace scheme should be in ncorporated in into the curriculum of varioous disciplinees, such as artss, sciences andd commerce. (ii) Wheen administraative reforms and achieveements of history are taugght, and peacee was enjoyed in the countrry, the peace initiatives i mayy also be preseented. (iii) Ideaas of peace shhould be intro oduced even inn mathematiccs lessons in thhe form of proofit and loss. (iv) Lesssons that helpp to develop a destructivee mentality should s be avoiided. (v) Wheen the resultss of war are presented in class, more emphasis shouuld be given to t the misery y and destructtion of human n life and propperty caused by b the war. (vi) The need and importance i of o peace for individuals, families, sociieties and counntries should be b presented.

Curricu ulum for peace educaations e The curricuulum for peacce educations is based on what peace education stands for, which is a peaceful way y of living aand thinking, and the essential quualities to be developed arre: (i) Toleraance (ii) Initiaative (iii) Self-reliancee and (iv) Kinndness. These qualities shoould be the fou undations for a peacefu ful society. Fig. 1.1.

PEACEFU UL WAY OF LIVING L

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If equality, social justice, the absence of exploitation and production for use are essential to build a peaceful society, Gandhian and Marxist Philosophies should be understood very explicitly by the younger generation. Karl Marx provided a philosophy which has helped millions of once exploited people to build a peaceful life, and these people today provide leadership to the world in fighting for world peace. The curriculum for peace education may focus on Gandhian and Marxist philosophies and examine them in light of other philosophers. Education for peace draws materials from the Gandhian System of education as reflected in institutions running on this philosophy. Education for peace may also use materials from the education programs of Russia, the nations of developed nationalism and other developing socialist countries. The broad outline of such a curriculum will include: (i) An interdisciplinary exercise in analyzing the present social order, which is primarily based on justice, inequality and exploitation (ii) The concept that peace education should be the foundation for a happy life. The curriculum for peace education for different stages may be discussed under the following headings along with corresponding experiences: 1. Primary School Stories, poems and dramas based on moral and spiritual values should form the curriculum for peace education stories from different religions, regions, cultures and countries based on the universal brotherhood of humans. Experiences: x Role-play and lectures on peace and peace efforts read in assemblies. x Common prayers on social, religious and cultural celebration. x Albums of peace lovers, places and events maintained. 2.

Middle School (a) The lives and peace initiatives of Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru, Vinoba Bhave, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, Jesus Christ and Lord Buddha should form an integral part of the curriculum.

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(b) The roles of religions like Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Buddhism in world peace should be discussed. Experiences: o School Assembly o Common Prayers o Lectures by social and political leaders o Excursions, clubs, penfriends o Inter-school literacy and sports activities 3. Higher School This level should incorporate: - The concept of peace, its need and importance, areas of peace, the means to achieve peace for individuals, families and society, and peace initiatives taken up by UNO, UNESCO, YMCA, YWCA, Red Cross, the Scouts and the Guides. - Policies, treaties and awards for world peace - The role of different philosophers in world peace - The consequences of war and violence. Experiences: - School parliament, school assembly, students, debates, symposia, etc. - Celebrations of social, religions, national and international functions. - State and national level meetings. The method to be adopted at these various stages of school education may be both direct and indirect, and appropriate to the stage of personality development of the learners. 4. Higher educational institutions There are two channels for organizing peace education in the institutions of higher learning, consisting of colleges and universities. They are: (i) Academic topics (ii) Administration and Extension. Presently, in India, under the UGC, an M. Phil and a Ph.D in Peace Studies are being introduced in Madurai Kamraj University, Jammu University, Jamia Millia Islamia and others.

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The non-formal sector of peace education Peace education has to be given to each and every individual in any country, but all people cannot be covered by formal sectors alone, and greater numbers of people can be covered by the non-formal system of education.

Areas for peace education in the non-formal sector (1) The concept of pacifism. This suggests a belief in peace and a hatred of war. The fundamental belief of the pacifist is in the desire of human life, and is the aim of creating more peace and to keep man peaceful. (2) The power of peace. The non-violence (Satyagraha) of Gandhi and the movement of Binobha Bhava were based on the power of peace. (3) The concept of the universality of mankind. (4) Economic self-sufficiency and decentralization of production. (5) Civic education as a complement to peace education. (6) Democratic decentralization of power.

Modus operandi (1) Hold public meetings to explain the increasing relevance of nonviolence and communal harmony. (2) Peace volunteers can be identified in every locality and a peace centre can be organized through teaching. (3) Peace Brigades and peace rallies can be organized, and non-violent methods applied to solve tensions in the society. Here are the criteria which should be taken into consideration in developing a curriculum and plan of peace education: (i) Educational purposes that are to be attained (ii) The educational experience that can be provided to attain these purposes (iii) The effective organization of these educational experiences and the determination of the process by which and whether these purposes are being attained. (iv) Promoting human rights for the groups.

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Fig. 1.2.

Peace educatio on in schoools Peace educaation in schools must be hu uman-action orriented. It sho ould build practical oriientation ratheer than indoorr study. Classrroom study is no doubt important, bbut only actioon makes a lo ong-lasting im mpact. As Gan ndhi said: “Our actionn must be a co-ordinated c work of our hand, head and a heart (peace).” Let us teachh our youth thhe principles of peace in oour classroomss, not the principles off war. Only a peace-orienteed education ssystem and cu urriculum can help naations overcom me mutual fear and distrusst and bridgee the gap, rather than ccreate it, for innternational un nderstanding aand peace. Peace educaation already exists as a su ubject matter in school currriculums. For examplee, in history, Ashoka’s repentance on thhe consequencces of the Kalinga Waar consists of the acceptaance of Budddhism to pracctice and propagate thhe message off non-violencee, and the prepparation of hiss own son and daughteer for the miission of peace to spread the messagee of Lord Buddha andd his teachingss on non-violence. This leadds to:

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(i) The attainment of inner peace. Such dramatization with the active involvement of children will help the teacher in realizing the objectives of role-playing in the maintenance of peace. (ii) The objective of preparing communication channels to spread the message of peace in the world. For this activity we can make use of movies, television programs and music.

To teach the lesson of peace If possible, take students to hospitals to visit innocent people who are the victims of violence to encourage: -

The importance of peace in human life. The psychological preparation to resist violence. The fight against the elements causing disturbances in the society through non-violent means.

What is needed is to make our students know that peace is not just to be understood but also to be inculcated and practiced in life. We must prepare them for peace. We have a great responsibility to produce the heralds of the peace mission and prepare them to move towards a better, peaceful and free human society. The future belongs to peace science and peace education.

Peace education through peaceful action For this purpose, education encourages a number of peace activities: (i) Peace makers (ii) Peace tours (iii) Peace rallies (iv) Peace exhibitions (v) Celebration of peace festivals (vi) Observance of peace, etc.

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Role of the teacher in peace education x In peace education, the role of the teacher is more important than anything else. It must be realized that teachers occupy a holy position and are models of the society. Hence, Professor Reardon, director of the peace education program at the Teacher Training College, Columbia University, clearly stated that: “no single profession has a greater responsibility and opportunity for the achievement of a culture of peace than that of the teacher.” 1. As a teacher, your ability to identify peace values in different forms, as explained above, is important. Many lessons contain peace values in different forms. Sometimes they are given directly, but sometimes they lie hidden or are given indirectly. In some lessons you may not find any. However, on close scrutiny you may realize that a certain peace value could be brought into the context as a complement to enrich the lesson. Of course, there may be lessons completely lacking in any peace value and with none incorporated, but even then you need not be disappointed because in all cases you can adopt peace education approaches, such as using imagination, positive feelings and emotions and interesting learning activities in relation to the lesson objectives. However, the stress on peace values should be in line with the lesson objectives as well as within the time constraints. Therefore, teachers have to find brief but effective methods of putting across values in the formal lessons. Peace education introduces a holistic attitude to subject contents and methods of teaching and learning, including classroom management. Peace is said to be both the end and the process. Below, we present a brief guide to adopting peace education into the process of teaching and learning in the classroom. 2. Infuse peace concepts, attitudes, values and principles appropriate and relevant to the lessons. Once you identify a value in a lesson or bring in a complimentary value it has to be done in a manner so that it is characterized in children. For this purpose, a teacher needs to analyze and identify the three basic components of a value: the cognitive or knowledge component, the affective component (feelings, emotions and attitudes), and the behavioural component (skills and practices). To illustrate this, let us analyze the value co-operation and identify the components. Cognitive affective behavioural skills in practice and exercises and the ability to analyze values are necessary. A teacher has to

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provide the knowledge base and build the concept in the first instance. Secondly, they have to awaken the feelings related to the value by recalling good experiences, telling stories, etc. and develop positive attitudes towards the value. Finally, behavioural skills are built through practice. In the pages above we discussed how this is done. Say, for example, that there is a lesson about a traditional village. In developing the lesson, you can bring in the value of co-operative living and discuss various social co-operation practices that exist in the traditional village. 3. Bring in positive feelings and emotions to make the lesson lively, interesting and appealing. For example, awaken the senses of curiosity, wonder, awe, beauty and joy into the process of teaching and learning. 4. Present the lesson from a humanistic and peaceful perspective. An example: The French Revolution. Explain the socioeconomic background to the revolution from a human perspective. Help children to understand that people tend to be aggressive under the deprivation of basic needs. Discuss how people experience poverty materially, socially and psychologically. How does deprivation lead to pervasive behaviour? Help students to look at the issue with compassion. Can we justify taking violent means to change society? What are the non-violent ways we can use to bring about justice, equality, liberty and human rights? In the case of teaching history, as discussed above, avoid arousing hatred in students against the oppressors, invaders and villains. Rather, broaden the vision to understand the socioeconomic and political conditions that lead to the emergence of such personalities. 5. Guide to self-development Every lesson may have certain clues that inspire the self-development of the learner. Teachers can highlight and make use of them. Providing vision, insight, action guides, exercises in consciousness expansion and helping to understand one's potentials could facilitate self-development. Discovering one's own identity forms the ground for self-development. Lessons on the biographies of great personalities can especially provide rich sources of inspiration of character-building, being a part of selfdevelopment.

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6. Help children build a peaceful vision Adolescents are naturally inclined to have a good vision or philosophy of life and society that will help to guide their actions. This inclination arises from their newly attained capacity for abstract thinking in the process of growth. In their enthusiasm to lay the foundation for a successful future life, they search for a good philosophy. A good school curriculum should recognize this intellectual need of the youth and provide such a lifeguiding philosophy. In this respect, a teacher has to investigate the possibility of including such a vision in the formal lesson. The youth want to inquire: (1) What is the purpose of life? (2) How is it possible to live a happy life? (3) How is it possible to build a successful life? (4) What is true love? (5) What are the natures of inner drives such as sex? What is really needed here is not an answer from an outside authority, but encouragement and guidance to inquiry and freedom. Imposing adults' views set limitations in their thinking and therefore such efforts are harmful. An open atmosphere to raise questions, doubts and express views is necessary for this purpose 7. Awaken students' spirit of creativity and imagination. The traditional teacher-dominant approach in the classroom suppresses the children’s spirit of creativity and freedom, and promotes single-track thinking in line with the teacher's ideas. On the other hand, child-centred learning promotes an open atmosphere for creative and divergent thinking. Upon inquiry, alternative perspectives and the free generation of ideas are encouraged through various activities. 8. Awaken the spirituality, wisdom and intuition deep within. Spirituality is the pure essence of human beings that seeks to fulfil itself through communion with the creative energy in the universe. All religions originate from the spirituality in man. This essence, in its attempt to get in touch with the creative energy, motivates people to reach the highest consciousness and even go beyond it. All human values arise from spirituality. In fact, human values are different forms of expression of the spirituality within us. Wisdom is the intelligence of spirituality. In other words, it can be explained as the perception of spirituality. The awakening of wisdom is the highest attainment in human development. It is also described as enlightenment, the highest aspiration of life and education.

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9. Make learning joyful Learning in the classroom should be necessary, happy and joyful, as it helps to develop positive attitudes to learning, and such learning is easily retained in the memory. In addition, it helps emotional development in children and also builds a happy classroom climate. To make learning joyful: (a) Present the lesson in clear language, and in an easy-to-understand sequence. (b) Have a thought provoking and catchy introduction. (c) Maintain the room’s attention by using examples, humour and stories. (e) Use questions for problem-solving and make good use of audiovisual aids. (f) Make children participate in learning through involving them in interesting and challenging learning activities. (g) Use aesthetic activities like singing and listening to recorded songs and programs. (h) Use role-play, simulations and instant drama. (i) Use creative and interesting exercises in place of monotonous and dry traditional exercises and assignments. 10. Build a friendly, co-operative climate in the classroom. A conducive social climate emerges in the classroom through good interaction between teacher and pupil, and pupil and pupil. Mutual respect, courtesy and kindness contribute immensely to climate-building. A cooperative relationship also helps to create a positive social climate in that it discourages individualistic and self-centred behaviour in the classroom. Mutual appreciation helps to elicit the best in students. Organizing events such as birthday celebrations, parties, singing, short excursions and other socializing activities are also effective in climate-building. As the second part of our exercise we are going to analyze a few core curricular subjects in light of peace education and find ways of presenting them in the classroom.

Subject Perspective Level Art x Art can be used to build peace visions and attitudes in children. Its strength lies in the affective component it inherits. Art is a very powerful medium of peace, which can be explored endlessly. Here are a few examples:

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x Select topics in the arts, such as drawing, drama, singing, ballet and other creative activities, that focus on concepts related to peacebuilding and self-development, e.g. my dream of a peaceful world, or how hatred can be caused by love. x Through the art class the school can organize art exhibitions, street drama, and produce posters, radio programs and multicultural performances with a view to propagating peace messages in the community. Language Language as a subject offers exciting possibilities of using a variety of creative activities in learning it. Integrating such activities makes learning language lively and interesting. Among the creative activities are: roleplay, militant drama, stimulation, fantasy/imagination trips, creative writing (e.g. writing letters to imaginary people), co-operative story writing, and writing books (e.g. my life story or my family). Such activities increase participation, bringing the affective domain into learning. Appreciation and enjoyment of literature help the emotional development of children. Literature is also creative and stimulates imagination, and stories are a very effective tool in language teaching. Many children's stories convey deep human messages through symbolic means. Such messages could be discovered in appreciation sessions. The capabilities of language as a subject can be extensively explored in inculcating peace values in children. History History, when viewed as the evolution of civilization and the story of human progress through time, is an interesting subject and can be presented either through a narrow or broad perspective. A narrow perspective presents events in isolation and on a single track, often biased ethically, religiously or nationally, and overlooks the other sides of the stories. Such learning leads to closed thinking and biased views. By contrast, the broad perspective presents events in relation to the social, political, ideological and economic forces and the background prevailing during the particular period concerned. It encourages understanding history from alternative views and brings into light new perspectives. History is an interpretation of the series of recorded events in the past in an attempt to enlighten our present issues. The right approach to teaching history can build peace through the opportunities it provides to understand and appreciate other cultures, religions and to realize the strengths as well as weaknesses of people. It

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helps us to understand the nature of the oppressions, exploitations, invasions and destruction committed by our ancestors against humanity. For instance, how destructive a war can be and how power can blind men. Reading history, which is mostly the story of human greed and aggression, provides insight into the human psyche and the need to change it to ensure the survival and advancement of humankind. It turns our attention inward to see how the old psyche is still in operation with its roots in the primitive and medieval mentality, seeking security in ethnic centeredness, religious fundamentalism, and the pursuit of power. Religious education Religion as a subject in the school curriculum can distinctively contribute to peace building. Every religion has peace as its central value. However, there is a growing criticism that the present popular form of religious education is narrow, divisive and fundamental. Realizing the inappropriateness of such an approach in today's world, many countries are increasingly adopting a broader perspective that attempts to unify mankind through inter-religious understanding. A good religious teacher adopts the broad perspective approach in ways such as those given below: x Adopt a child-centred approach to teaching religion. Begin with children's experience of living. Identify the spiritual needs of children in their respective development stage and cater to them in your lesson. Encourage religious inquiry, discussion and selfdiscovery in place of dominating by lecturing and patronizing methods. x Refrain from looking down on other faiths. Instead, develop friendships and tolerant and respectful attitudes towards them. Use creative methods to promote religious living practices. Highlight the need for the right action in moral situations under the temptation of the self. Use stories to deliver the country’s religious message. Discuss in-depth human issues such as the purpose of living, the nature of suffering, death and ignorance. In such a discussion, bring in the perspective of the other world faiths in such a manner that helps to broaden the vision. Use meditation constantly in your lesson to awaken spirituality. Mathematics Mathematics in traditional curricula is presented as an isolated subject that has no relation with the social reality. However, this subject could be related to peace education in several ways that will surely make it more meaningful to students. Mathematics can use more concrete activities,

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assignments and exercises related to reality to raise awareness of national and global issues affecting mankind. For instance, secondary level mathematics can include calculations of percentages and ratios of population growth, infant mortality, adult literacy, unemployment, life expectancy etc. Obviously, engagement in such calculations will broaden children's social views. Teachers can design many interesting and meaningful exercises based on figures of population growth, education, health and economic development. For assignments and exercises, students can engage in statistical surveys using such calculations. Mathematics also provides an opportunity for cultural understanding through studying different mathematical systems in the world and the contributions made by different cultures. Basics in astronomical mathematics can provide insights into the ways the universe operates. Social studies The purpose of social studies is to broaden the children's views of human society to qualify them as good citizens. The subject is developed through a multidisciplinary approach, consisting of geography, history, anthropology, sociology, economics and political science. However, the richness of these disciplines is rarely seen in the curricula of social studies syllabi in many developing countries. Many of them are overloaded with geography or history, ignoring issues coming under other disciplines. In the academic world today there is a tendency to ignore the human touch in social sciences, and some critics call this the dehumanization of social science. It is clear that many social scientists treat people as objects, members of groups and mere sources of information, and this purposeful negligence is considered an academic discipline! Another danger arising from the present form of social science is the fragmented views they produce on complex social issues. Curriculum developers have to be aware of these dehumanizing trends in science, including social studies. The importance of social studies lies on the ground it forms to discuss issues affecting the world. Many important themes like democracy, citizenship, human rights, children’s rights, social justice and problems of underdevelopment could be discussed on these grounds, and students would therefore come to know major current issues of their society and the world, such as international conflicts, environmental problems and the advancements of science. Various projects can be designed under this subject related to peace building. For example: (1) Weekly presentation of global news in morning assembly (2) Publishing a handwritten or printed magazine / wallpaper on current issues related to the subject.

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(3) Visiting historical / archaeological / geographical sites. (4) Organizing exhibitions on world heritage and other important themes. (5) Conducting community surveys / studies on themes related to developmental issues. (6) Organizing school and public seminars / lectures / discussions on current social issues. (7) Organizing campaigns to raise awareness on issues affecting the people and the environment (8) Viewing videos and films on related issues. Science education As with other subjects in the school curriculum, science also takes a narrow view of the world in its preference for fragmentation, as the tradition insists. Leaving aside the subject content here, let us focus on the hidden curriculum of science education in schools. The hidden curriculum is communicated to students primarily through the manner of presentation of the subject and the teacher's general attitudes exhibited in teaching. It has been observed that the following types of attitudes about science are suggested to learners. Science is pure knowledge that has nothing to do with human or social issues. It has little or no relation to other subjects. Science is the only true knowledge. It is fixed and therefore no one can do anything about it. Science does not recognize human values or inner knowledge. Learning science is mostly accumulation of the given subject matter. If anything is found to be immeasurable then it should be ignored.

Time for change—quality education for peace Four critical elements are needed to shore up education’s role in peace building and conflict prevention: x Inclusion/access—Primary schools must be free and close to home, and must do all they can to attract all children in a community. x Safety/protection—Schools must be safe from attacks and perceived as places where intellectual curiosity and respect for universal human rights are fostered. x Relevance—Schools must use a non-biased curriculum and relevant educational materials. x Accountability—Schools should be managed at the local level to ensure relevance but should also be managed transparently and fairly.

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x The opinions of children, parents and the community must be taken into consideration. This type of education may cost more and may be more difficult to implement, but the benefits of quality education for children and entire societies justify it being a priority at every stage before, during and after a conflict. The curriculum has to enable our youth to produce the positive energy of peace which can be re-introduced through peace education. Our youth have to cultivate the values of being broad minded, unselfish, nonjingoistic, outgoing, tolerant and so on. Through discussion, mediation and negotiation they become partners in dialogue and move on the path of reconciliation, with the ability to forgive wrongs committed by others for the sake of peace and non-violence. The strong conviction should be “we are meant to live in peace and violence is anti-human.” Mother Teresa once said: “If there is no peace and love in the world, it is because we have failed to recognize that we belong to each other.” Her words are truly prophetic. We need to make our children grow with an inclusive mentality so that they might avoid the danger of excluding others. To this end, themes of universal brotherhood and sisterhood are to be taught.

References Aguilar, P. & Richmond, M. 1998. “Emergency Educational Response in the Rwandan Crisis.” In G. Retamal & R. Aedo-Richmond. (Eds.). Education as a Humanitarian Response, 19–14. London: Cassell. Anderson, M. B. 1996. “Do no harm. Supporting Local Capacities for Peace Through Aid.” Local Capacities for Peace Project. Cambridge, MA. Bellamy, C. 1999. “The State of the World's Children.” UNICEF. Bush. K. 1998. “Somalia: when Two Anarchies Meet.” In Wirick, G. & Miller, R. (Eds.), Canada and Missions for Peace. Ottawa: International Development Research Center. Center for Peace Education, Manipur University, Canchipur (Leaflet) 2000. Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade & Canadian International Development Agency (1998). Peace in progress: Canada's Peace Building Initiative. Ottawa: Author. Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. 1998. Towards a Canadian Government-NGO Partnership on War-Affected Children. Ottawa: Author.

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Dealers, Jacques, Learning: The Treasures Within. UNESCO publishing 1996. ECCP: People Building Peace, Netherlands, 1999. Faure, Edgar, et al. 1972. Learning to Be: The World of Education Today and Tomorrow Sterling Publishers, New Delhi. Hamburg, D. A. 1994. Education for Conflict Resolution. New York: Carnegie Corporation. Hay, R. J. 1998. “Alligators and Swamps. A Discussion Paper on Canada's Role in Dealing with the Situation of Children in Armed Conflict.” Ottawa: Human Rights Research and Education Center, University of Ottawa. International Bureau of Education. 1998. “Learning to Live Together through the Teaching of History and Geography.” Innovation 95. International Bureau of Education. 1996. “Education, Emergencies and the Long-Term.” Innovation 87. Newsletter of Hague Appeal for Peace, Vol 2. (2) Sept. 1999. Pillai, K. S. Relevance of Peace Education, Associated Publishers, Ambala Cantt, 1991. Prasad, S. N. & Shukla, S (Eds.). 1995. Democracy Education and Peace. The Associated publishers, Ambala Cant. Prades, S. N. & Shukla, S. (Eds.). Gandhi Nonviolence and Peace. The Associated publisher, Ambala Cant. Prasad, S. N & Shukla, S (Eds.). 1996. Disarmament Education and Peace. Ambala Cantt. Landers, C. 1998. “Listen to me: Protecting the Development of Young Children in Armed Conflict.” (Working Paper Series). New York: UNICEF. Office of Emergency Programs. Pigozzi, M. J. 1996. Education in Emergencies and for Reconstruction. UNICEF. Poulton, R. E. & Youssouf, I. 1998. A Piece of Timbuktu. Geneva: United Nations. Retamal, G. & Devadoss, M. 1998. “Education in a Nation with Chronic Crisis: The Case of Somalia.” In G. Retamal & R. Aedo-Richmond (Eds.), Education as a Humanitarian Response, 74–93. London: Cassell. Retamal, G. & Devadoss, M. 1996. “Education for Emergencies and Reconstruction: UNESCO's role.” Innovation 87. Tawil, S. (Ed.). 1997. “Educational Destruction and Reconstruction in Disrupted Societies” (workshop report). Geneva: International Bureau of Education.

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Teale, P. & Hampson, F. O. 1998. Peacebuilding Census. Ottawa: Canadian Peacebuilding Coordinating Committee. United Nations Research Institute for Social Development. 1998. “WarTorn Societies Project. Improving External Assistance to war-Torn Societies: The Bossey Statement.” Geneva: Author. United Nations Research Institute for Social Development. 1998. “WarTorn Societies Project.” Geneva: Author.

CHAPTER TWO PREPARING CHILDREN FOR PEACE PROFESSOR S.K. SWAIN AND DR. LOKANATH MISHRA

Early education for peace is not so much teaching children about peace as it is enabling them to be peaceful. Becoming peaceful begins with the experiences of early childhood. Early childhood caregivers and service providers, parents and educators, GOs and NGOs must recognize their shared responsibility to provide appropriate programs and activities to make children’s early years positive and conducive in nurturing peaceful individuals. We must be keenly aware of and sensitive to our role in advocating and providing young children with the climate and experiences to grow into adolescence and maturity free from injustice, violence and fear. Only then can we expect that our children will have the desire, the skill and ability to build and live in a peaceful world. Thus, early childhood education for peace is, first of all, good education. It consists primarily in providing high-quality experiences and activities that ensure wholesome growth and development. It is during these early formative years that children develop their first concepts, values and attitudes, principles and skills to become lifelong learners. It is also during this period that they build their own value-systems towards peace and nonviolence. Children learn the foundation blocks of peace: basic trust, a positive self-image, self-esteem and confidence, initiative and creativity. They develop the ability to relate to others, to express themselves, to communicate, to listen, and to settle conflicts and quarrels amicably. They begin to value peace and harmony, empathy and compassion, friendship and forgiveness. Peace-making concepts, attitudes and skills can be nurtured in very young children, beginning in infancy. Nurturing selfesteem, developing social relationships and building autonomy and selfdiscipline are the foundations of peace education. Self-esteem is necessary for anyone to care for others. No child can be compassionate towards others unless they are secure about their own self-worth. Self-esteem is

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needed in dealing with others, to be tolerant of others’ opinions and differences, whether racial, religious, social, economic or political. Selfesteem begins with the development of trust in the individual’s, and their significant others, acceptance of feelings and inadequacies, and in learning how to deal with the emotions of fear, anger and jealousy positively, communicating in verbal and non-verbal language, listening patiently and actively, and acquiring autonomy and responsibility. This is achieved through identification with primary care providers, who through modelling, affirmation, provision of choices, guidance towards selfdiscipline, encouragement and support surround the child with the positive climate of warm family relationships and networks.

Ten Steps for Peace Education As the world struggles with the increasing fear of war and terrorism, the Alliance for Childhood offers the following brief guide for parents and teachers who seek to nurture the values of compassion and good will in their children’s lives. It is easy to teach children about war. It is much more challenging to teach them how to create peace. These first steps on a path to peace require only small deeds, but will leave profound impressions. (1) Make room for peace at home Outer peace begins with inner peace. Children and adults need special places that give them a sense of privacy and peace, and that can serve as a quiet refuge in times when hurt or angry feelings might lead to violent words or actions. It could be a room or just a corner, decorated simply and lovingly, where any family member can go for quiet reflection or prayer, or to work through turbulent feelings. Art and writing materials can be placed there to help express what lies within. (2) Find peace in nature Go outside. Take children for a walk or let them explore nature in their own way. The beauty of nature is a great balm to the soul. Children often seek out their own secret outdoor spaces, even if it’s only a corner of the backyard. Respect children’s need for the private exploration and inner reflection that nature inspires.

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(3) Make time for creative play Young children need plenty of time for unstructured, creative play. Makebelieve social play reduces aggression and increases empathy in children. Children use play to work through feelings of fear and sadness, to find comfort, and to explore the world and develop relationships. Choose children’s toys carefully, avoiding those that encourage or glorify violence. Teachers resisting unhealthy children’s entertainment (www.truceteachers.org) can prepare an annual guide to help parents make wise choices about toys. (4) Engage children’s hands and hearts Children need direct experience of giving. They love to make things, small and large—their own cards, tree ornaments, cookies or bread—for neighbours, family, friends or those in need. They can also learn to enjoy sorting through their own things and giving away treasured possessions to others in need. (5) Establish a “family foundation” Create a homemade bank for donations—a miniature family foundation. Family and friends can put money in the bank. Children can be introduced to the concept of tithe when they receive gifts, earnings, or allowances. Choose a charity together—one that has personal meaning for the children especially—to give to. Charities like the Heifer Project (www.heifer.org) are much loved by children who relate to the practical deed of giving livestock to needy families. When there is news of a flood, fire or other disaster, the family can respond with a donation from the bank. As the children mature, talk to them more frankly about the needs of the world and ways to help. (6) Support peace education at school Urge your school to establish or strengthen peace-education and conflictresolution programs. Contact Educators for Social Responsibility (www.esrnational.org) or the National Peace Foundation (www.national peace.org) for ideas, like how to create “peaceful places” in schools, where students can go to negotiate and mediate conflicts and resolve disputes non-violently. Older students can study a conflict-ridden area of the world, looking at it from two or more perspectives. Resources for this kind of

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study can be found through the Karuna Center for Peacebuilding (www.karunacenter.org), Facing History and Ourselves (www.facing history.org), and the Public Conversations Project (www.public conversations.org). (7) Face local needs Help children become comfortable with the people in your community who need help—the elderly, the disabled and the poor. Starting in middle school, students benefit enormously from working in hospitals, soup kitchens, animal shelters and the like. Make sure there is someone there to mentor the young person when such experiences become emotionally painful or confusing. Community service can be especially effective for young people who are growing up in socially and economically pressured neighbourhoods where they feel undervalued. (8) Make a difference in the world Help young people find active ways to collaborate with other children globally through organizations like Jane Goodall’s Roots and Shoots (www.janegoodall.org), Craig Kielburger’s Free the Children (www.freethechildren.org), or Peace Jam, in which students work directly with Nobel Peace Laureates (www.peacejam.org). (9) Celebrate peace Link children with others around the world through the U.N. Celebration of Peace Day, September 21 (http://cyberschoolbus.un.org/peaceday/ 2004/index.asp). The World Peace Prayer Society (www.worldpeace.org) encourages children and communities to plant a peace pole or host a ceremony of flags from countries around the world. Encourage children to create their own peace prayers, poems and works of art. Make every day a peaceful day. (10) Share inspiring words of peace from different cultures Children love to hear the inspiring words of Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr. and other champions of peace, justice and non-violence. Teach children the “golden rule,” common to most religions and philosophies: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” the basis of social respect and cooperation (www.teachingvalues.com/goldenrule.html). Also see

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peace CENTER (www.salsa.net/peace/prayer14.html) for a list of twelve peace prayers from different world religions by individuals. Oh God, lead us from the unreal to the Real. Oh God, lead us from darkness to light. Oh God, lead us from death to immortality. Shanti, Shanti, Shanti unto all. Oh Lord God almighty, may there be peace in celestial regions. May there be peace on earth. May the waters be appeasing. May herbs be wholesome, and may trees and plants bring peace to all. May all beneficent beings bring peace to us. May thy Vedic Law propagate peace all through the world. May all things be a source of peace to us. And may thy peace itself, bestow peace on all, and may that peace come to me also.

Ten ways to promote peace in the classroom While you’re setting up your classroom for the new school year, you’ll be planning lessons for language, maths, history and geography. But one thing we sometimes forget to plan for is peace education. Promoting peace was a large part of Dr. Montessori’s career, and one of her most famous quotes is: “Averting war is the work of politicians; establishing peace is the work of education.” She thought it was extremely important in her day; today it may be more important than ever. Here are ten ways to include peace in your curriculum: (1) Start by defining the word “peace” with your students. You can ask the children what they think it means; their answers will probably be very enlightening. They are often surprised to realize that peace can be found many places. It doesn’t just refer to “world peace.” They can have a hand in creating a peaceful environment wherever they are. Peace may look a little different to everyone. To me, it doesn’t mean the absence of conflict. That would be an idealized world in which none of us live. Rather, it’s learning how to deal with conflict in a way that doesn’t put the rights, wants or needs of one person over the other. It is learning conflict resolution skills that stress respect for the individual and the group. (2) Declare your classroom a “peace zone.” Do not tolerate any kind of bullying. Lay down ground rules at the beginning of the year that are posted for everyone to see. Have all the children agree to the ground rules (even signing the list of rules) and hold them accountable.

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(3) Teach conflict resolution skills. One way (that children enjoy very much) is through role-playing. Choose a time when everyone is together and there are no unresolved conflicts. Role-play different situations that you notice amongst the children. Talk about peaceful ways to resolve conflict. You can define and discuss a compromise, taking turns and utilising listening skills. One conflict technique that children love is to have one object in the classroom or home that is always used when children are resolving conflict. Children face each other (or sit in a circle) and whoever is holding the object gets to talk. No one can interrupt, and once the object is passed on the next person gets to talk exclusively. I have seen this work wonders in tension-filled situations. (4) If you have an annual event, like a poetry recitation, a musical or other performance, choose “Peace” as the theme every so often. Challenge the children to find stories, poems and songs about peace. They may also want to draw or paint pictures of “peace” and what it means to them. Again, much insight can be gained by looking into their responses. (5) Peace education can vary by age; older children will naturally be able to get into the history of peace and conflict by studying different countries and cultures. They can participate at a higher level by researching and writing about peace and peace education. (6) Have children participate in the care of their environment, showing respect for materials, pets, plants and other children. (7) When studying geography, history and other cultures, emphasize respect for the diversity of traditions and customs found around the world. (8) Consider having your school named an international peace site. The World Citizen organization heads up that project, and they have information about peace education as well. (9) Be a good example. Don’t argue with parents, your spouse, or other teachers in front of children. Speak respectfully about other people. Don’t gossip. Show kindness. It can be easy to forget that children are watching your every move, and learn more about what you do than what you say. (10) Establish special holidays and rituals for your school or home. These can include joyful celebrations as well as sad occasions (like the loss of a pet). Everyone can share in the planning, decorating, and celebrating.

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We must teach children to be peaceful. To be peaceful, children’s basic needs must first be met, and their self-esteem developed. They must feel valued to be able to have trust and confidence in themselves and others. They must be aware of their feelings, doubts, fears and insecurities. This can happen only when they know they are loved and accepted. We can best prepare our children for peace by being peaceful ourselves. Children mirror the problem solving and conflict resolution techniques they see adults practice. If adults discipline children violently, or interact violently in front of them, they will adopt violence as a natural part of their world as their normal behaviour. If their environment is unpredictable and discipline inconsistent, they may soon view the world as governed by sheer power, brute force or mere chance. Peace education is in fact wholesome and holistic education, which takes into consideration the whole child, body and soul, mind, heart and will. It aims to develop the total human person’s powers and potentials: cognitive, affective, volitional and behavioural. Children must be taught to think clearly, critically and creatively; to love and care deeply, to choose wisely, and to act responsibly. Modern educational programs are in a hurry to adopt the latest technologies to introduce children to a world of new information and knowledge, but neglect the education of emotions. Thus, children discover many facts about the universe, and acquire skills to cope with the speed of the information and communication revolution, but are unable to handle their own feelings and emotions, or to resolve their conflicts positively, to relate to others, or to work or play peacefully with children from different backgrounds. We have trained their minds and limbs to be quick and accurate, but we have not educated their hearts. We have taught them to think and to reason, but not to value or to love, to give and to receive, to care and to share, to forgive and be forgiven. We have not been able to teach them how to be peaceful, first with themselves, and then with others. Thus, peace education is essentially valued education. If we want our children to think clearly, critically and creatively, we must teach them how to love truth and value freedom and creativity. If we want them to be fair, sincere and honest they must be able to value justice; if we want them to be peaceful, we must teach them to value peace, tolerance of other’s differences, acceptance of other’s opinions, and respect for life and the environment. Learning to live in a diverse society is an essential task of peace making. If we want our children to be peaceful, they must be able to experience peace within themselves, following which they can experience peace with others. They must be able to recognize and handle their feelings, clarify their values and be helped in modifying them when

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change is needed. We must teach them how to live for something or someone beyond themselves. Indeed, “the heart of education is the education of the heart.” Values can be integrated into every aspect of children’s education, in each and every subject of the school curriculum, in their work and play activities, in the learning atmosphere of the whole school, the library, classrooms, playground, and especially by the warmth of the human climate and the trusting and caring relationships that exist therein. A good example is the Futures School and the Wise Cultures Classroom, with values clarification and advocacy integrated into each subject. Schools can become zones of peace, and a peace zone declaration can be adopted, especially for children. Yes, children can be helped to be peaceful and become peacemakers and peace builders. They are not born with preconceived ideas of alienation or marginalization, with feelings of superiority or inferiority, with discrimination, bias or prejudice, with hatred, revenge or violence. They learn these through interaction with adults, the media, their environment and their culture. Can children themselves be involved in peace education and movements that will influence the world? Of course they can! An excellent example is the Children and Peace Movement in the Philippines, and I am sure you have other cases to share.” All children need are wise and caring adults who believe in their infinite worth and dignity, and who love and care enough to commit themselves to safeguarding their rights, among them the human right to peace, and to develop their capacity and ability to help build a new world order, a culture of peace and non-violence, as the necessary and sustained environment for them to grow into free and responsible, happy and wise people who are able to learn to love and to live together with others in peace and harmony. This is the dream we can offer our children. Let us believe in the dream and we can help our children make the dream come true!

References www.allianceforchildhood.org http://www.worldprayers.org

CHAPTER THREE PEACE EDUCATION IN A NON-FORMAL WAY DR. LOKANATH MISHRA

We live at a time when violence is escalating on an international level, not just between nations but also within them. The victims of violence are men, women and children of all colours, creeds and, of course, ages. This is also a time when racial, religious, class and cultural intolerance is escalating into widespread hatred and bigotry. Violence between groups of people is increasingly found in neighbourhoods, schools and within families. How do we raise healthy, strong children in a time like this? What do we need to do to give children the tools to find their way and to transform the world they are inheriting? Those are the questions of teachers and parents who care about peace education. In sum, as the foregoing discussion maintains, peace education can find expression through specific movements to transform problems and issues of peacelessness, conflicts and violence. However, it is also suggested that an integrated or holistic framework of peace education, which links the broad range of issues, has the advantage of not only drawing on the strengths of specific movements, but can reflect the realities of the inter-relatedness of different problems of peacelessness. An integrated multidimensional framework of peace education is most relevant in catalyzing critical empowerment for both individual and societal transformation, so that the analyses of root causes or proposed solutions are not partial or superficial. The experience of peace education in the Philippines, especially in the Mindanao context, at both the formal and informal levels, reflects this principle of integration in proposing a framework that interconnects issues of militarization, structural violence, human rights, environmental care, cultural solidarity and personal peace.

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Practicing peace education As peace education is practiced via multiple specific dimensions as well as in integrated frameworks worldwide, lessons are being learned in terms of what might be considered appropriate and effective methodologies and procedures. There needs to be sensitivity to specific local or indigenous social and cultural conditions in the implementation of peace education programs, especially in hearing peoples’ voices regarding their priorities for peace building and in drawing on the wisdom and strengths of indigenous conflict resolution strategies. Nevertheless, increasing exchanges and sharing among peace educators and those involved in other complementary empowerment movements show that some common pedagogical principles tend to be salient in educating for peace in its multiple dimensions, regardless of whether it is in formal or non-formal education modes. Four such principles can be discerned, as discussed below.

Holism Holism constitutes a first essential pedagogical principle, as noted earlier. An holistic framework always tries to clarify possible interrelationships between and among different problems of peacelessness, conflict and violence in terms of root causes and resolutions. Holism also applies in not isolating various levels and modes of peace education as being more superior or inferior. All modes and levels are equally valuable (e.g. formal, non-formal, children to adults, social, economic and cultural groups) and most importantly, complement, sustain and support each other. For instance, formal peace education is strengthened by linking students’ understanding of the concrete realities and practices of peacelessness and peace building in the community and informal sectors. Alternatively, nonformal peace education is facilitated if students in schools are empowered to show solidarity for societal transformation, while in the longer term the present children and youths graduate from formal institutions to assume positions of influence in society with attitudes, knowledge and skills supportive of peace building. Peace education also cannot be limited to the very marginalized and oppressed; by reaching out to the non-poor, advantaged, governing and elite sectors of society, it may be possible to develop allies for transformation and reveal points of potential influence.

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Values Secondly, peace education emphasizes the crucial role of value formation through its pedagogical processes. Recognizing that all knowledge is never free of values, the peace educator constantly encourages learners to surface the innermost values that shape their understanding of realities and their actions in the world. Clearly, peace education needs to be very explicit about its preferred values, such as compassion, justice, equality, gender equality, caring for life, sharing, reconciliation, integrity, hope and active non-violence. Commitment to non-violence needs to be active, not passive, so that we are indeed moving to transform a culture of violence. Hope is vital, otherwise we can begin to feel overwhelmed by a sense of helplessness or powerlessness as we confront the massive problems of peacelessness and violence. A strong indicator of peaceful pedagogy is that it stirs hopefulness, a faith that ordinary people can exercise patience, commitment and courage in transforming their realities. In this regard, the interest and support of Asia-Pacific governments in the emphasis of value education in peace education under UNESCO auspices suggests a creative strategy for building a culture of peace in the region (Pombejr 1966). .

Dialogue A third important pedagogical principle of peace education rests on the value and strategy of dialogue. It would be a contradiction if educating for peace became an exercise in “banking,” as teachers assume the role of authoritarian “experts” and learners become passive imbibers of peace knowledge. A dialogical strategy cultivates a more horizontal teacherlearner relationship, through which both biologically educate and learn from each other. The realities and voices of learners yield essential inputs into the learning process, and collaborative analysis between and among teachers and learners creates opportunities for critical reflection leading to a self-reliant political position in relation to transformation. Among peace educators and peace builders, the processes of dialogue are crucial for building stronger consensual positions on the whys, whats and hows of transforming towards a culture of peace. Dialogue is also very necessary in the efforts of peace educators to influence official and powerful private agencies and institutions. As experiences in the Philippines and other Southern or Northern contexts demonstrate, creating and sustaining dialogue with state, political and bureaucratic representatives is never an easy task. For example, Filipino NGOs and POs involved in moving the government to agree to a social reform agenda in 1993 recently had to

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publicly critique the slow pace of implementation of reforms whilst still being willing to engage in critical dialogue with government agencies about the directions of societal transformation. At the global level, similar concerns have been raised about the sincerity of international agencies (e.g. the World Bank, IMF) in implementing the outcomes of dialogue between them and NGOs/POs, as in the consultative working committees. The success of formal peace educators in integrating peace and development education in the Filipino higher education system may be partly attributed to their patient lobbying of government departments and authorities.

Empowerment A fourth vital principle of practicing peace education is critical empowerment. While dialogical, participatory and non-banking pedagogies and methodologies are crucial, they are not sufficient. Thus, if peace education is not able or willing to try to move minds, hearts and spirits into personal and social action for peace building, it will remain emasculated, a largely “academic” exercise even in the non-formal context. It may also be co-opted by forces interested in preserving the status quo. In short, educating for peace is educating for critical empowerment through which we develop a critical consciousness that actively seeks to transform the realities of a culture of war and violence into a culture of peace and non-violence. While the informal community sector is often seen as the “natural” site for critical empowerment, the formal education institutions should also provoke learners towards transformation. In the Philippines, for example, schools and universities link formal curriculums in peace education to advocacy activities and projects, such as the “bury war toys” campaign, peace marches and vigils for a culture of peace and a gun-free society, lobbying congress to pass peace-oriented legislation, declaring schools and neighbouring communities as peace zones, peace fairs and public exhibitions of children’s paintings for peace, and petitions to government in solidarity with grassroots actions for justice and human rights. More generally, the global experiences of peace educators indicate that these pedagogical principles are more effectively fulfilled when creative and participatory teaching-learning strategies are used. This mode optimizes co-operative opportunities for learners to first voice their realities, experiences, understanding, biases, commitments, hopes, despairs and dreams, which are then facilitated by the teachers to critically engage with a range of alternative paradigms or perspectives on the issues under

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consideration. The learning processes thus simultaneously reveal personal commitments and a state of awareness while offering possibilities for dialogue within a “learning community” and critical analysis, leading to self-reliant choices about peaceful transformation. Exemplars of such participatory teaching-learning strategies include popular theatre and other role-playing or simulation techniques, webcasting and brainstorming methods, song and dance compositions, poetry and story writing, poster drawing, mural painting, participatory action research projects, dialogical lectures, media and textual content analysis, co-operative games, political and social advocacy projects (e.g. petitions, letter writing campaigns, rallies, vigils, caravans, non-violent civil disobedience, peace zone declaration), field exposures, peace museums, peace fairs and exhibits, peace conferences and forums, and opening classrooms to learn about peoples’ and policymakers’ perspectives. Clearly, such participatory strategies in peace education need to be relevant to specific social and cultural conditions, but increasingly the global evidence is that they work across many different regions and cultures. Quite often, the constraints against their use seems to be less in cultural differences, as in some mainstream norms about “good” teaching practices in the dominant modernized educational systems that virtually all countries have adopted into their societal fabric. Apart from the requirement of educating for peace in pedagogically consistent ways, there are of course the basic challenges of educating the peace educators, or peace promoters. In this regard, there are some differences in the needs and outcomes for peace educators/promoters in formal and informal contexts. In peace education work in informal environments, there is already an advantage in that grassroots NGO and PO organizers and workers often already have values, skills and the critical awareness appropriate for empowering community citizens. As the many examples illustrate, critically empowered action for transformation is the hallmark of peace-oriented NGOs and POs. This is not to imply that all NGO or PO organizers necessarily understand alternative paradigms of development, human rights, intercultural relationships and other cultures of peace issues, but that the realities of their communitybased responsibilities provide a rich and direct source of concerns for the “training” to proceed in a deep and immediately relevant way. Furthermore, given the specific focus of many current non-formal peace educators (e.g. development, human rights, disarmament), an essential aspect of their formation will be a need to see the interconnectedness of the multiple dimensions of a holistic peace education framework.

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In the case of formal peace educators, however, the challenges are great, in that, firstly, those already teaching will need an adequate in-service education that challenges unskilled people and empowers them to rethink established knowledge, understanding, skills and teaching strategies. At the same time, the new generation of teachers will also need appropriate education to prepare them for the tasks of integrating peace education into their curricula and pedagogies. Worldwide, there is a consensus that rather than confining peace education to a separate subject, the infusion or integration of peace perspectives across the whole curriculum (including extracurricular activities like sports and student clubs) are the preferred strategy. In both cases, there are two vital supporting pillars of such education/training of formal peace educators/promoters: the provision of the relevant curriculum and teaching resources (e.g. texts, supplies, audiovisuals), and most importantly the understanding and support of school administrators, without which peace educators will be constrained, discouraged and, as experience shows, even repressed. Depending on the level at which the formal peace educators or promoters are working, the requirements for teacher education will place demands on different agencies. Thus, for school-based teaching, the colleges and faculties of education will need to be committed to integrating peace education into their undergraduate curriculum. At tertiary levels, peace education will need to be infused in graduate studies and research programs so that future professors or lecturers can integrate a culture of peace perspectives into their own teaching. In this regard, tertiary institutions are responsible for producing many of the highly credentialed citizens likely to play significant leadership and implementation roles in society (including political positions). The constructive role which can be played by encouraging extra-curriculum activities (e.g. outreach immersion programs among marginalized communities, UNESCO Associated Schools projects, human rights groups etc.) must also be fostered. Thus, peace education, if generalized and systematic, can enhance the capacity of colleges and universities to increase the pool of future societal leaders committed to transformation and peace building. But, in general, whether at school-based or tertiary levels, the expansion of programs for the formation of peace educators/promoters inevitably needs to overcome some institutional barriers, such as mainstream norms of what is regarded as “good” teaching, purposes of schooling, the “academic” expectations of stakeholders (e.g. government, parents, administrators, even teachers), threats perceived by powerful groups to the status quo from the explicit transformative values and principles of peace education, a lack of

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institutional resources to support adequate reorientation, established school organizations which sustain a culture of violence, the marginalization that the teaching profession already faces in many contexts (e.g. human rights violations, or lack of professional autonomy), and current state and elite expectations that formal education must closely fit the goals of growthcentred globalization that, as noted earlier, tends to nurture a culture of violence. Yet, notwithstanding such obstacles, peace educators in diverse regions have been willing and able to engage critically with governments and official agencies. Drawing on allies within bureaucratic and political circles, they have gained official support to create some spaces for building a culture of peace within mainstream educational systems. In contrast to strictly oppositional politics, many NGOs and POs see the value of not assuming governments to be monolithic in preserving the status quo, and to critical work (albeit without co-optation) with official institutions to pursue the goals of peace building and transformation.

Conclusion This essay on the broad but increasingly coherent concept of peace education has hopefully not simply projected signals of complexity, challenges and barriers to quick progress. To be cognizant of obstacles, uncertainties and problems as we embark on a journey of building a culture of peace is constructive, in that we can prepare, as the Daoist sages advise, to either go around or wear down the hardest rocks. The tasks and responsibilities of the educational dimension in all aspects of peace building are vital so that people can be critically empowered to participate in civil society and the transformation to overcome the hurdles of violence and peacelessness. Given the powerful forces that “nourish” the culture of war and violence, it is not surprising that building a culture of peace will be a slow and uneven journey. If enough peace educators/advocates continue to struggle, often invisibly or at times unrecognized, and sufficient manifestations of local, national or global successes and small steps forward are witnessed or experienced, the education and transformation of a culture towards peace constitutes a challenge worth accepting and a responsibility inspired by the vision of a millennium of well-being for all humanity and creation.

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Rethinking Schools. 1991. Rethinking Columbus. Milwaukee: Rethinking Schools. Shore, Ira & Freire, Paulo. 1987. A Pedagogy for Liberation. South Hedland: Bergin & Garvey. Shiva, Vandana. 1986. Ecology Movements in India. Alternatives 11 (2): 255–276. Sleeter, Christine & Grant, James. 1993. Multicultural Education for Empowerment. New York: SUNY. Starkey, Hugh (Ed.). 1991. The Challenge of Human Rights Education. London: Council of Europe. Steiner, Miriam (Ed.). 1995. Developing the Global Teacher: Theory to Practice in Teacher Education. Stoke-on-Trent: Trentham Books. Steiner, Miriam. 1992. World Studies 8–13. Evaluating Active Learning. Manchester: World Studies 8-13. Ten Days for World Development. 1993. Development on Trial: Education and Action Guide, February 12–22. Toronto: Ten Days for World Development. Thich, Nhat Hanh. 1991. Peace is Every Step. New York: Bantam. Thomas, Richard. 1993. Racial Unity. Ottawa: Association for Baha’i Studies. Timberlake, Lloyd. 1987. Only One Earth. New York: Sterling. Toh Swee-Hin (S. H. Toh). 1997. Education for Peace Towards a Millennium of Well-Being Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Paper for the Working Document of the International Conference on Culture of Peace and Governance , Maputo, Mozambique http://www.peace.ca/educationforpeace.htm

CHAPTER FOUR EDUCATION FOR PEACE AND NON-VIOLENCE DR. LOKANATH MISHRA

Education for peace is the best vehicle to ensure that the next generation has the skills, the knowledge and the motivation to create a truly peaceful society. Now is the time to look towards the next generation and to empower them with the ability to live in peace with their neighbours. Until now, we have not taught our children and ourselves about what is necessary to survive in times of conflict. Our children must be provided with the skills and knowledge to live in peace and to create mutual respect and understanding that will enable them to transform their lives into existences of co-operation, prosperity and freedom. The NCF 2005 is planning to form a focus on implementing programs in schools with a centre for curriculum development, training and research in peace education. When the NCERT launched its peace education program the overriding goal was to impact upon the formal educational systems in India to adopt a philosophy of peace education in all schools. The basic idea was to develop models of peace education and to train teachers to reach a critical mass of schools involved in the program and create a “spill-over” effect with a wide-reaching impact. After years of working in this way, we have reached the conclusion that we have not yet achieved our overriding goal.

Aims of Peace Education - To understand the nature and origins of violence and its effects on both victim and perpetrator - To create frameworks for achieving peace and creative societies - To sharpen awareness about the existence of non-peaceful relationships between people, and within and between nations - To investigate the causes of conflicts and violence embedded within perceptions, values and attitudes of individuals as well as within social and political structures of society

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- To encourage the search for non-violent skills - To equip children and adults with personal conflict-resolution skills. Peace in education can be achieved particularly by involving the decisionmakers and leaders of opinion. The broad objectives of non-violence education (NVE) include: x Promotion of non-violent values and attitudes (autonomy, responsibility, co-operation, creativity and solidarity) x Learning to live together, respecting differences and similarities x Developing a co-operative learning based on dialogue and intercultural understanding x Adopting non-violent solutions to conflicts through mediations and conflict-resolving strategies x Targeting the children and young people, particularly in the school educational process, to integrate peace and non-violence in theory and practice x Integrating non-violence in every aspect of teaching and learning processes, including curriculum development activities, teacher training and management of the educational institutions. Over the years the United Nations, particularly UNESCO, have developed a number of standard-setting instruments, declarations and action plans widely accepted by the international communities which provide the basic framework for promoting the concept of education for a culture of peace worldwide. The United Nations General Assembly declared 2000 to be the International Year for a Culture of Peace, and 2001 to 2010 as the International Decade for the Promotion of Non-violence and Peace for the Children of the World.

Strategies and Activities Sankalp professes peace and non-violence to be holistic concepts and practices that reject aggression and violence to achieve a peaceful society. The emphasis is on peaceful and constructive co-existence, and the resolution of conflict and conflict-ridden situations. The historical contributions of two of the best-known proponents of the theory and practice of non-violence, Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, provide some powerful strategies and advantages of non-violence that are sought to be propagated and disseminated by the organization.

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The organization’s activities in peace and human rights education have focused on a set of integrated activities which include: x Establishing and facilitating networks of organizations, both nongovernmental and governmental, to promote exchange of information, experiences and good practices on education for a culture of peace and non-violence. x Involving the educational institutions in partnership with the parents, local self-government and grassroots organizations to promote human rights education. x Orientation courses for the students. x Capacity-building and training for teachers, teacher educators and educational administrations. x Integrating principles and strategies of non-violence and the culture of peace into all subject areas and disciplines in the curriculum by taking into account the local realities and traditions within the cultural diversity and international framework, and promotion of advocacy of the principles and practices of non-violence and culture. A school of non-violence is not a regular school, merely a school of thought. Educating children as well as all people, not only in India but also the whole world, in a culture of peace and nonviolence will be the aim of the school. One may ask whether this kind of education happened in the past? The answer is yes. Adi Shankara, Ramanuja, Madhawa, Mahaveer, Jesus Christ, Prophet Mohammed, Guru Nanak, Lord Buddha and others were great teachers of this school of non-violence. From ages past, the methodology has changed from time to time, but essentially it is the same old wine in new bottles. That is why we talk of the new millennium despite the sun never changing its path. Gandhi was a great teacher of this peace education with non-violence as the central focus. Did he teach an abstract subject? No. Day in and day out, in every one of his actions, he experimented with and experienced the relevance of non-violence and communicated the results to his fellow humans. His lifestyle became a school in the education of non-violence and peace. My vision of a “school of non-violence” has three implications:

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1. Understanding life in its right perspectives The Chinese writer Lin Yutang wrote a book named The Importance of Understanding. I think most violence occurs due to a lack of understanding. If we analyze violence in a family or an office, or for that matter in a nation governed centrally, the violence may be from one person with power who might not have understood their own ambition. I would like to rewrite the dictum “war begins in the mind" as “war begins in the stomach." If the stomach can condition our brain, our last resort is our heart. Vinobaji used to tell people who became irritated about social evils that their irritation should not enter into the brain as it may lead to disastrous activities, but be sent instead to the heart where it may lead to constructive change. I will say that all the atrocities carried on in the past or at present, for example the killing of the religious saints, the killing of Mahatma Gandhi, or the recent killing of the Christian priest Rev. Stains, are the result of disorders in the brain. The same people, whichever religion they may belong to, condemn these barbarous acts. Did I say “barbarous?” I should say inhuman, which any person on this earth should protest against. Natural calamities like earthquakes, whirlwinds, floods etc. warn people on the earth that they should break the barriers of their images of different identities as soon as possible, be they religious, racial, caste and the like, and come together without hatred in the bottom of their hearts for the simple reason that when natural calamities happen they harm everyone irrespective of their identities. I wish to mention here that Gandhi linked the 1934 earthquake in Bihar to the sin of unsociability. Should not one understand life in its fullness, holistically? From this, the need for a school of non-violence arises. In our “Youth for Peace” projects in schools, interaction with the school students reveals that they are merely the revised edition of the trend of thought that prevails on that particular day, repeating whatever system of thought comes from their parents, newspapers or friends. This warping of one's own self in a particular kind of thought enables clever people to make lobbies for their own products or ideas. The only way to get out of this habit is to find one's own truth. Thousands of youths are being brainwashed into certain ideas like nationalism and patriotism, with an interpretation of hating their neighbouring countries; also, think of the thousands induced into sacrifice during the freedom movement. Are both the same? No. The former school of thought becomes successful with one’s tendency to copy the prominent

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idea of the moment, whereas the latter depends upon one’s seeking truth within. So one has to understand one's own body, psyche, the relationship between the body and mind, the functioning of life’s system and the role one has to play in bringing about peace and harmony in life. This is what I call the school of non-violence. 2. The aspect of appreciation It need not be dealt with separately, because wherever there is real understanding, there is appreciation. But I would give great emphasis to this aspect of appreciation because when people fail to form the right understanding, they are fooled even without an awareness of their being fools, and go on appreciating follies. So if they fail in the first step, let them be stopped at least in the second. With that aim, let me elaborate what I mean by appreciation. Life is full of diversity, and it cannot be understood in full unless you have the sense of appreciating this. Wonder becomes a wonder only if appreciated at least within oneself. I will elaborate it with an example. Do our children, our teachers or the vice-chancellors appreciate the present education system? None appreciate it. I heard at one meeting a vice-chancellor confess to the audience that he had been instrumental in producing thousands of “mentally retarded" students from the educational institutions under his control. But where to stop? A few days back we conducted the “Youth for Peace" program for the VI Std. students. They were sitting on chairs in a hall. I made a suggestion that they could sit together on the floor. Immediately, they pushed away the chairs and sat on the floor. I wanted to ask them whether they would remove their shoes. Certainly, they would welcome it. I did not want to disturb the school routine too much. We should realize that the students are always under certain pressure either from the school authority or from their parents. Under pressure, one cannot have the freedom to be educated, i.e. to learn to observe, wonder, share and be joyful. And is there a motive for education? Of course. One has to face life’s challenges in the right way. A boy of twenty came to our office seeking a job. His hair was not combed, and he was not neat and tidy. I gave him soap and a comb and asked him to freshen himself. He did. After half an hour of work, he said he had stomach pain and returned home. Two days later he came again with uncombed hair. Again he was helped with combing, washing etc. He seemed not to have eaten. I gave him money

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and asked him to eat in the nearest hotel. He left in the evening and came back after two days, of course with his hair uncombed. I lost my patience but before I started shouting at him he started telling me about the painful incidents that happened in his house. His father quarrelled, and beat his mother to unconsciousness. He did first aid and then came to the office. His sister was studying in the X1 Std. but had not gone to school that day. He said how this quarrelling has been going on for many years, as far back as he could remember. His father was a government employee, earning a handsome salary. A few years ago, I was watching TV with my son. In the news, the parliamentary session was being shown, and our politicians were throwing microphones and chairs at one another. After seeing the behaviour of the older people in our parliament, my son with a sad face asked me “why is our country like this?” I didn't answer him but his sad face has haunted me ever since. The house as well as the nation is in the same condition. Challenges like the above have to be met in the right way by our youth. Does our present education help them in this regard? Lessons taught are completely unrelated to the present and future prosperity, and the system of inculcating skills is unconnected with gaining wisdom, trying to convert humans into robots, finally ending in a business transaction of mutual exploitation. For show only, one or two classes for value education or moral education or leadership training etc. are taken. We are cheating ourselves. The one and only aim of education must be to enable students to appreciate their own qualities and at the same time those in others. If the chief ministers of all states were taught to appreciate the beauty of the rivers, and of the rice and wheat crops, they would spontaneously realize the importance of linking the rivers and providing water for the needy states. I see people going crazy by taking up minor issues like a quarrel in a village, becoming politicized and taking it to the President of India through a petition or telegram! Appreciation starts with people revering life in its totality. 3. The action-reaction factor Nowadays, there is no action at all, but only “reaction.” As science and technology develop, everyone tries to lead a life not on one's own but as a response to the development around them. One of my friends conducts a driving school. He does not need a cell phone, but has one nonetheless. When asked about this, he replied: "when the cell phone is in the market

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how can I live without it?" His "minimum needs" include a cell phone. I hope I am making myself clear by saying that we are all "reactionaries," or in the words of J. Krishnamurti we are all second-hand human beings. We are all victims of the consumerist pattern of life and already we are in chains. Will a second freedom movement free us? Even the revolutions for the uplift of the poor are planned as a reaction, comparing the lifestyles of the haves and have-nots. All such experiments end in violence. Any competition results in a reaction that will obviously end in violence. So can there be action? Is there an action which emerges from one's heart spontaneously, not out of any response to previous experience and without any sense of possession? It is very difficult because from childhood one is taught to live in terms of reaction. Let me explain with another incident. I happened to be in my native village when the incident occurred. That day dawned with one of the youth in the village committing suicide. The reason? On Christmas Eve, a few youths drank and danced on the roadside where the local political party flagpoles were planted. In a drunken state they pushed each other onto the poles and one of them broke. In the morning, the respective “disciples” of the political party caught hold of the youths, beat them like dogs and drove them throughout the streets of the village, compelling them to shout a slogan pleading for pardon. Shameful! That night, one of the punished youths committed suicide. This is what I learnt from the villagers. What was the result? Youths belonging to other parties, castes and religions joined hands and carried the body across the main road, blocking traffic. Since that is the only road connecting two towns which are 25 km apart, traffic stopped completely. Those vehicles which tried to pass through were destroyed by the youths. It went on for hours. Around midday, an RDO came and tried to pacify the crowd on behalf of the collector. It did not help. At last, the collector of that district came and assured proper action would be taken against the culprits. A part of the crowd demanded immediate action, but the collector did not yield and there was a lathi charge. The crowd at last melted away. Are these acts of the youth and the police actions or reactions? Another experience—in one of our sessions in a school, during a three hour program for the VI Std. children, we were completely exhausted by their naughty behaviour. Most of them did not allow us to say what we wanted to say, yelling, jumping and quarrelling with each other. However, we were patient, telling them stories and acting them out etc. Suddenly,

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there was pin-drop silence when a lady teacher entered the classroom with a stick in her hand. Was the teacher's act an action or reaction? I would call it reaction in both cases. Recessions always lead to violence and destruction. So what is the action? I would explain it with the Satyagraha launched by Gandhi. He said that Satyagraha is conceived from the inner voice of his relative truth. Of course, it is a reaction in response to an action that has already happened, but also out of one's own realization of the “truth within,” which makes it a complete action leading to peace and harmony. Therefore, the purpose of the school of non-violence should enable one to act but not to react. The best example can be given from Gandhi's Satyagraha movement. Satyagraha, when interpreted, might have different implications, but according to GandhI it means "sticking stubbornly to one's own truth of the moment." Whatever one realizes as truth for the moment must be put into action, even risking one's own life. This can only be possible with the two following steps: understanding and appreciation of the situation. To educate people in these three aspects necessary for "action," Gandhi provided very relevant programs which even now can be followed by everyone. To guarantee the right understanding, Gandhi evolved eleven vratas (vows) for every individual, and for appreciation he gave the concept of constructive work to the people to consummate the above two aspects, demonstrating that Satyagraha is interrelated and interdependent. Without practicing one, the other is not possible. Together, they lead to a holistic view of life, making the man into a Mahatma. One could ask if there is no system for the school of non-violence at all? There can't be a system that systematically brings about violence, but anyone with great care and attention may evolve a system which is time- and contextoriented in an appropriate way, and this depends upon one's vision of the above three aspects

The development of text books in peace The textbooks used in Indian schools have come under great criticism for their failure to assist in the creation of a culture of peace and for preserving a culture of hatred. The issue of educational reform has been highlighted within the framework of the road map for peace and requires significant revisions in the text books of Indian schools. The books will be produced in three phases: (1) trial editions, (2) feedback from the field, and (3) first final edition.

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Content and approaches of the proposed text books Most citizens of conflict-affected populations long for peace but are also affected by the sentiments of hatred and revenge for past events, activated by their leaders during conflict. It is essential to intervene with life skillsbased peace education that helps children and adults understand how conflicts arise and work towards peaceful, non-violent solutions to the underlying problems. Democratization and democratic values will be central in the development of the text books. Affirmation of self and others—valuing ourselves and others creates motivation and commitment to resolve conflict nonviolently. Co-operation—the recognition that we exist in this world together and that we will survive or be destroyed together is central to finding solutions that benefit both sides. Communication skills—listening skills and clear, assertive statements are essential to the non-violent resolution of problems with others. Problem solving—learning practical techniques as well as having appropriate attitudes and approaches to conflict are crucial to resolving our disputes. Armed with these tools, individuals can live the principles of non-violent conflict management, and also teach or assist others to find peaceful reconciliation to situations of conflict wherever they might occur.

Key skills, methods and content Peace education skills; identifying bias; problem solving; sharing and cooperation; shared decision-making; analysis and critical thinking; enhancing the self-esteem of oneself and others; creative self-expression; ability to imagine life beyond the present and work towards a vision; understanding the links between personal, local and global communication through careful observation; honest talk and sensitive listening; positive emotional expression; recognizing and expressing feelings in ways that are not aggressive or destructive; conflict resolution strategies; empathy; nonviolent action in relation to problems both personal and societal; ability to act on ideas; self-reflection; independent research.

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Process and methodology for use in peace education Active learning/participative methods; experiential learning; partnerships in learning with pupil participation; dialogue; self-expression; storytelling and response to stories; project work focused on identifying questions and researching answers; encouragement of the use of source material; exchange with children from other cultures using their own mediums; creative teaching and learning; whole school approach including all staff and links with the wider community.

Content of theory-based peace education This might include: the role of value systems in religious and secular world views; the historical and present-day struggles for justice and equality in race and gender; the ethics of science and technology; understanding the causes of violence and war and other local, national and international disputes; the theory of conflict resolution; visions of the future; political and social change; the economics of war and oppression; human rights and citizenship; violence, war and peacemaking in the media; non-violence in literature and the arts.

Content of practical expressions of peace-making for use in peace education Models of peace-making; peace history (local, national and international); the role of the United Nations and non-governmental organizations; how community groups affect peaceful change; vocations for social change; the role of personal and community health and nutrition in a healthy society; understanding other cultures through language, customs and stories; parenting and child care; bullying and anti-bullying methods; peer mediation and conflict resolution skills for children in the classroom.

The role of violence and conflict in peace education We recognize that violence as a tool for achieving change is both widely used and feared. It comes in different forms and the fear of violence can be as damaging as the violence itself. Violence is embedded in our society not only as a method to solve conflicts but in sport, entertainment and literature. Conflict is not the same as violence. Conflict is inevitable in human affairs but violence is not, and conflict can be a positive and creative force for change if approached as a challenge, offering people the

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chance to be inventive and creative, and to develop in ways they might not have thought of. Dealing with conflict creatively is a vital part of peace education.

CHAPTER FIVE CONCEPTUALIZATION OF PEACE EDUCATION DR. SOTI SHIVENDRA CHANDRA

Education makes students polite and courteous (Vidya Dadati Viniyam). It prepares students for life. The Education Commission 1964–66 began its reports with the words: The destiny of India is now being shaped in her classroom. This, we believe, is no mere rhetoric. In a world based on science and technology, it is education that determines the level of prosperity, welfare and security of the people. On the quality and number of persons coming out of our schools and colleges will depend our success in the great enterprise of national reconstruction whose principal objective is to raise the standard of living of our people.

Peace education is an integral element of the Indian education system. Through peace education students imbibe values which make life worth living. Hence, children should be imparted peace education so that they may learn how to put their vital energies to proper use. Gandhi acknowledged the true worth of children by saying that: “if we are to teach real peace in the world, we shall have to begin with children,” and Maria Montessori also applauded the process of education by saying: “all education is for peace.”

Peace—the lifeblood of Indian culture and philosophy India has been committed to the promotion of peace values from time immemorial. Invoking our deities at the time of prayer, we seek their blessings for a peaceful environment. The Shanti Mantras are scattered all over our four VEDAS—The Rigveda, The Samaveda, The Yajurveda and The Atharvaveda. The Vedas have geared people towards a peaceful life in the past and they have relevance even today. The keynote of Vedic thought is conveyed by the statement: “May all the beings see me as a friend and may I see all the beings as my friends.”

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Peace messages from the Vedas “May all the learned men be friendly to us; may the holy words (of the sagacious) with their pure thoughts be the source of universal peace and happiness. May the liberal ones and those who have taken the vow of serving all living beings are the promoters of general welfare and may all the heavenly objects together with creatures which dwell on earth and in waters be helpful to our noble undertakings.” The Rigveda, VII-35-11 “Let the rich satisfy the powerless poor who are in need of means of subsistence and let him think over the long pathway (of the worldly ups and downs). Riches are rolling like two wheels of the chariot now it comes to one man and then it goes to another.” The Rigveda, X-115-5 “May there be peace in the heavenly region, may there be peace in the environment, may peace reign on the earth, may the waters be soothing and may the medicinal herbs be healing; may the plants be source of peace to all; may all the enlightened persons bring peace to us, may the Vedas spread peace throughout, may all other objects give us peace and may peace even bring peace to all and may that peace come to me (ever). Om, Peace, Peace, Peace. The Yajurveda, 36-17 “May the earth of peace, may the atmosphere be peace, may the medicinal herbs be peaceful, may all my shining objects be peaceful for me, may all the enlightened persons be peaceful for me, my all the peaceful actions are peaceful by means of peace. By the peace may we alleviate that which is terrific here, that which is cruel here, that which is seen here. Let all this be calmed and made auspicious. Let all be gracious unto us.” The Atharvaveda.

Thus, all the Vedas are replete with messages of peace around the globe. Maulana Wahiduddin Khan writes that leading a peace-loving life has always been a source of great spiritual solace for him: “Peaceful revolution is the outcome of peaceful thinking. Peaceful minds make for a peaceful world. Man was born in peace. Man must die in peace. Peace— man’s birthright—is God’s greatest blessing for human beings.” Apart from the above, the Yogic Ways, the messages from religious seers and institutions like Satya Sri Sai Baba, Devi Mata Amritanandamayi, Rajyoga Shiksha Avam Shodh Sansthan and Prajapita Brahamkumari Ishwariya Vishwa Vidyalaya etc. talk of a variety peaceful ways and means.

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Definition of peace education by Western thinkers Defining peace education, R. D. Laing says: “Peace Education is an attempt to respond to problems of conflict and violence on scales ranging from the global and national to the local and personal. It is about exploring ways of creating more just and sustainable futures.” To Fran Schmidt and Alice Friedman: “Peace education is holistic. It embraces the physical, emotional, intellectual and social growth of children within a framework deeply rooted in traditional human values. It is based on a philosophy that teaches love, compassion, trust, fairness, cooperation and reverence for the human family and all life on our beautiful planet.” Peace education can withstand the challenge of guarding students against the foul designs of those who want to spoil their lives. It prevents them from getting violent. It inculcates such values which promote peace and harmony. There is a dire need to switch over to our own culture, ways and means. Let us preserve the legacy of M. K. Gandhi, the Father of the Nation, who gave us the weapons of truth, love and non-violence (Ahimla), Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore for gifting the Shanti Niketan to ten children in a peaceful environment, Ishwarchand Vidyasagar for his humility, the greatness of Dr. Radhakrishnan in honouring the teachers with “Teachers’ Day,” P. T. Jawaharlal Nehru for supporting the Nonaligned Movement, Mother Teresa, the lady of untiring zeal for the cause of humanity, and custodians of the peaceful environment at institutions like UNO, UNESCO, UNICEF, WHO, ILO, THE RED CROSS SOCIETY etc., and India’s firm commitment to use nuclear know-how for peaceful purposes, and programs for the protection of the environment and wildlife.

The present global scenario With the world becoming a cauldron of boiling egos, there is an increase in acts which create disturbance and disorder all around. This is a global phenomenon and needs effective remedial measures. This sorry state of affairs needs concerted efforts on the part of statesmen, educationists, scientists, philosophers and common people to find solutions to the problems of disorder. An effective action plan needs to be created to combat terrorism and the vices which disturb life through violent acts. The acts of violence in the world at large arrest the attention of students.

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Scenes of violence in and around educational institutions merit the discussion of remedial measures. Conflicts at class level lead students away from scholarly pursuits. Sometimes, students seem to be under the spell of Cupid, and sometimes some evil spirit may instigate them to do undesirable and unlawful things, disturbing an environment of peace and harmony inside the campus and even in civic life. The contributors to this chapter have had involvement with students and wish for the proper management of educational institutions. Violence in educational institutions drags students away from scholarly pursuits. It should be done away with by practicing the peace values of truth, love, non-violence, honesty, co-operation, co-ordination, rule of law and order, and respect of human, cultural and constitutional values by all. The various peace values can be reflected through the following diagram.

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The broad objectives of peace education The broad objectives of Peace Education are as follows: (1) Promotion of literacy (2) Elimination of conflict (3) Provision of a more caring and open environment (4) Development of a peaceful and cohesive society (5) Rule of law and justice (6) Inculcation of core values (7) Promotion of culture of peace (8) Honour for human rights (9) Honour for human values (10) Climate for sustainable development (11) Saying goodbye to the tendency of aggression and violence in schools (12) Learning to live together (13) Motivation for international co-operation and peaceful coexistence (14) Learning to abide by constitutional provisions.

Comprehensive action plan for peace education From the day the students enter the school campus, and from the assembly session until the final bell, they must remain engaged in a variety of lively and interesting curricular, co-curricular and competitive programmes. The objective of the promotion of literacy can be accomplished by devising techniques, strategies and tactics for making the curriculum learnercentric. The educational institutions should observe different days of national, religious and cultural importance to boost the spirit of communal harmony and a peaceful environment. The days of national leaders, educationists, philosophers and religious seers should be celebrated with full enthusiasm. Student participation in all programmes meant for imbibing basic values should be ensured. Understanding and mastery over the curriculum contents will come their way automatically. It will develop in them a civic sense and make them duty-conscious. They will learn to work with a co-operative spirit and contribute to national and international development on all fronts. They will recognize the true worth of women and give them due respect. By such deeds, students, the pillars of the nation, will first learn about themselves and thereafter will make others learn how to be environmentally friendly and duty-conscious. They will

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thus contribute to the sustainable development of the nation. Such efforts will go a long way in establishing peace around the globe.

CHAPTER SIX THE WHAT, WHY AND HOW OF A CULTURE OF PEACE DR. AJAY KUMAR ATTRI

Introduction Violence has lost its dynamics in this thermonuclear age, but its hold is so great that even though violence has failed a thousand times we still put faith in its capacity to succeed. Perhaps it is rooted in our mental dispositions. It might be that the human has inherited from the animals the instincts of aggression, hate and jealousy, retaining many things it possessed before becoming human. We need a mind which is free from its own conditioning. Today, we badly need a culture of peace in all our educational curricula and research. We have spent an incredible amount of time and resources exploring the science of violence, and it is now high time to turn our attention towards the power of non-violence. What is needed is an intellectual revolution. If we can discard the absolutist style of our thinking there is limited scope for religious fundamentalism, national prejudice or even ideological devotion. “A culture of peace will be achieved when citizens of the world understand global problems, have the skills to resolve conflicts and struggle for justice non-violently, live by international standards of human rights and equity, appreciate cultural diversity, and respect the Earth and each other. Such learning can only be achieved with systematic education for peace.” —Hague Appeal for Peace Global Campaign for Peace Education

The origin of a culture of peace The idea of a culture of peace was first elaborated for UNESCO at the International Congress on Peace in the Minds of Men, held at

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Yamoussoukro, Cote d’Ivoire, in 1989. The Yamoussoukro Declaration called on UNESCO to: construct a new vision of peace by developing a peace culture based on the universal values of respect for life, liberty, justice, solidarity, tolerance, human rights and equality between women and men, and to promote education and research for this vision. (UNESCO and a Culture of Peace, UNESCO Publishing, 1995)

Underlying all of this work in the field of peace education are the efforts of committed educators, researchers, activists and members of the global civil society. Acting in partnership with the United Nations and its specialized agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), educational institutions and citizen networks have advanced education for peace by linking ideals with extensive research and practice.

Why we need a culture of peace We need a culture of peace as a means to achieve these objectives: x To promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups. x To develop human personality and the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. x To save children from violent conflict. x To integrate an understanding of peace, human rights, social justice and global issues throughout the curriculum whenever possible x To use teaching and learning methods that stress participation, cooperation, problem-solving and respect for differences x To enable children to put peace-making into practice in the educational setting as well as in the wider community. x To establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained. x To draw on the knowledge of peace-building that exists in the community, including means of dealing with conflict that are effective, non-violent and rooted in the local culture. x To save succeeding generations from the scourge of war. x To reaffirm faith in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women. x To promote social progress and better standards of life.

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x To develop a climate that models peaceful and respectful behaviour among all members of the learning community. x To demonstrate the principles of equality and non-discrimination in administrative policies and practices. x To handle conflicts in ways that respect the rights and dignity of all involved. x To provide a forum for the explicit discussion of values of peace and social justice.

How to sustain the culture for peace Access to education and various forms of learning is a necessary but not sufficient condition for a culture of peace. For a culture of peace we need: x A comprehensive system of education and training for all groups of people at all levels and forms of education, both formal and nonformal. x The development of a holistic approach, based on participatory methods and taking into account the various dimensions of education, such as peace and non-violence, human rights, democracy, tolerance, international and intercultural understanding, and cultural and linguistic diversity. x A proper mechanism of monitoring the implementation of standard-setting instruments and plans of action. x The creative implementation of national plans and programmes relating to education for a culture of peace. x Innovation and improvement related to curricula, contents and teaching methods, pedagogical materials and also the training of teachers and other educational staff. x To promote linguistic diversity at all educational levels. x To promote value education, environmental education, human rights education, physical education and sports at all levels on a compulsory basis.

Conclusion Through a humanizing process of teaching and learning, peace educators facilitate human development. They strive to counteract the dehumanization of poverty, prejudice, discrimination, rape, violence and war. Originally aimed at eliminating the possibility of global extinction through nuclear

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war, peace education currently addresses the broader objective of building a culture of peace. In this global effort, progressive educators worldwide are teaching the values, standards and principles articulated in fundamental UN instruments such as the UN Charter, Human Rights documents, the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the World Declaration on Education for All, and many others.

CHAPTER SEVEN PEACE EDUCATION: THE NEED OF THE HOUR MAYADHAR SAHU AND KULAMANI SAHOO

Globalization has made life so sophisticated that people try to beat the one other quickly and by any means. As a consequence, we see violence, cheating, robbery etc. in day to day life. This threatens the lifestyle and human civilization of the whole planet. Peace begins with the individual and spreads to the family, the community, the nation, and the global village. Promoting a culture of peace hence involves a two-pronged strategy. The members of a society need to be oriented toward peace rather than violence. At the same time, social, economic and political systems have to be reoriented to peace. The discipline of peace must shape our way of life. Education is vital for the effectiveness of both strategies. For this to happen, education has to go beyond the warehousing of information to a celebration of awareness, which is best facilitated through education for peace. In this chapter, the authors have made efforts to highlight the importance of peace for human kind, the role of education in promoting peace, the need of peace education, the principles of promoting peace education in classrooms and obstacles to peace. The advancements of science and technology have given immense comforts to mankind. The times are changing very rapidly. To make life luxurious, comfortable and peaceful, the human has exploited nature to the maximum level. At the same time, despite these comforts, man has created certain things which are suicidal in nature. Super powers have set up Inter Continental Ballastic Missiles (ICBM), prepared poisonous war weapons, and stored a number of hydrogen and neutron bombs in secret places. With all these inventions, rivalries between the super powers has reached a climax. The present human civilization is sitting on a volcano, and an eruption will annihilate human existence. The explosion of a dozen neutron bombs will kill all the people and animals of the world.

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The competition for development is very high among nations, and everyone wants to surpass the other by adopting any means. This thirst for supremacy leads to unhealthy, unsocial and undesirable behaviour of the individuals and nations as a whole. In this context, we can assume that the human civilization is facing threats that can devastate the entire human civilization. Therefore, there is need for peace education to mould human behaviour into the desirable shape. Peace education will prepare the future citizens of the classroom to think globally and act locally for the benefit of mankind and sustainable development. Peace education acts as an important instrument for maintaining peace on earth by creating awareness among people. UNICEF and UNESCO are particularly active advocates of education for peace. UNICEF describes peace education as schooling and other educational initiatives that: x x x x x x x x x x x

function as “zones of peace” where children are safe from violent conflict uphold children’s basic rights as outlined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) develop a climate that models peaceful and respectful behaviour among all members of the learning community demonstrate the principles of equality and non-discrimination in administrative policies and practices draw on the knowledge of peace-building that exists in the community, including means of dealing with conflict that are effective, non-violent and rooted in the local culture handle conflicts in a way that respect the rights and dignity of all involved integrate the understanding of peace, human rights, social justice and global issues throughout the curriculum whenever possible. provide a forum for the explicit discussion of values of peace and social justice use teaching and learning methods that stress participation, problem solving and respect for differences enable children to put peace-making into practice in the educational setting as well as in the wider community generate opportunities for the continuous reflection and professional development of all educators in relation to issues of peace, justice and rights (peace Education in UNICEF Working paper Series, July 1999).

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The NCF-2005 view of peace education Moral education has always been viewed as an important subject in the curriculum, helping children make the right choices. The NCF takes this a step further; the goal is now to consciously give the child an environment that builds sensitivity to others’ cultures, perspectives and rights. The NCF speaks of the compelling need for peace education, clearly stating that education must be oriented towards values associated with “peaceful and harmonious coexistence” (NCF 2005, 9). According to the NCF, only education has the capacity to build longǦterm peace through inter-cultural conversations. School-aged children are endowed with a special sensitivity to constructing their moral character. The NCF echoes this thought and describes the various stages of ethical development and how they occur. According to the NCF, at the primary stage, children become conscious of both themselves and their immediate environment and begin to form notions of right and wrong. At the next stage, they develop reasoning abilities and learn to question, discuss and reflect upon ethical dilemmas. The result is an independent individual who can make well-reasoned judgments. It is through this complex process of dialogue, developing sensitivity to issues, learning skills for resolution and imitating good role models that children will learn to construct their value systems and proactively choose peace over violence. Peace education is thus teaching skills and values that support respect for all humans and call for a change in attitudes.

Efforts of NCERT Training course on peace education Following the initiatives of NCF-2005, the Department of Educational Psychology and Foundations of Education conducted a training course on peace education for teachers to raise their consciousness about the concerns of peace and to enhance their capabilities for peace building and conflict resolution. The course was organized from June 12–16, 2008. Thirty-nine participants from twenty-one state departments of education attended the programme. The course content included themes like concepts and concerns of peace and peace education; reflecting the self and its empowerment; conflict resolution; parenting for peace; pedagogy, curriculum and classroom, and; evaluation processes. Teacher-educators as well as an expert from Pakistan also participated in the programme.

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Journal of Peace Education In view of the efforts of NCF-2005 on peace education, a journal on the theme was proposed. The journal would help to document and disseminate the work on peace education within and outside the country. An advisory board of the journal was constituted, and articles have been requested from scholars, practitioners and organizations, which are being reviewed and edited. Research Support Julie Lynn Clemens (2008) conducted a study on “Making Peace in Peace Studies: A Foucauldian Revisioning of a Contested Field.” The aim was to understand the contemporary condition of peace studies and explore the possibilities and limitations of theorizing, researching and teaching about peace in U.S. academies. A Foucauldian-informed, post structural analysis examines qualitative survey and interview data collected from fifty-five prominent U.S. scholars in the fields of international relations, peace studies and peace science. Peace studies faced the predicament of being nearly invisible within international relations and on the other side of an epistemological and methodological divide from peace science. The study concludes that peace studies suffered from a problem of coherence at its core objects of knowledge, subject positions and knowledge production. Recognizing these challenges, peace studies scholars urged for the reconsideration of their relationship to the broader academic community through an examination (and possible reframing) of their multiple subject positions. Joseph M. Tannous and Harvey N. Oueijan conducted a project regarding peace education in Lebanon. The emergence of Lebanon from a long civil war necessitated the existence of a peace program to educate new generations for a culture of peace. In this study, they tried to explore the potential of the development of a unified peace program among schools belonging to different political and religious affiliations. From a review of the literature, the project team identified common perceptions of peace and peace education from different school principals. Katlian (2000) analyzed Colombian foreign policy over the last three decades with specific emphasis on Bogota's peace diplomacy from 1978 to 2000 in the context of an ongoing and degrading internal war. After empirically evaluating the governments of presidents Turbay, Betancur, Barco, Gaviria and Samper, and the first two years of the presidency of Pastrana, the author concludes with an assessment of the country's peace

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diplomacy and its impact on internal violence and instability. The foreign policies of the six different mandates show that Colombia never developed an overall, consensual state strategy towards peace, that the multiple peaceful diplomacies were only partially successful in terms of sustaining the political regime and that, notwithstanding the latter, the successive governments failed to achieve a genuine resolution to domestic war. Finally, a serious, active and simultaneous state foreign policy and citizen's diplomacy in favour of peace are called for. M. Brewster Smith’s (1984) study reveals that changes in public attitudes can succeed in changing public policy. The history of the Vietnam War is an example. Public opinion was also seen as able to moderate the otherwise highly confrontational policies of Reagan’s U.S. administration. The most important task is to avoid war in the short run. The important thing is to give opinion leaders and the public a sense of empowerment, and several lines of social science research converge on this. The most vital single message is that neither the United States nor the USSR could make itself more secure by trying to make the other less secure. Ravlo, Gleditsch and Dorussen’s (2003) study reveals that the proponents of democratic peace have been criticized for failing to discuss colonial wars. Democratic countries repeatedly fought wars, and mixed political dyads had the greatest propensity for war. It was also found that in the post-World War II period, democracies fought colonial wars less frequently than non-democracies. It was surmised that this might be related to changes in the perception of non-European peoples. Camilla’s (2003) study reveals the role of civil society in the ethnically polarized violent conflict of Sri Lanka. It spells out the possible role of civil society in peace building, while at the same time problematizing the civil-society concept and pointing to the problems faced by civil society in Sri Lanka. It was also found that the role of other organisations should be mass-based rather than project-based, and need to be further developed by civil-society actors as well as researchers. George A. Lopez (1985) studied three decades of university peace studies education in the United States. It was found that the new dimensions of war, arms and security and human rights issues provide opportunities for reforming the standard peace studies program. The aim of peace education is to produce citizens capable of dealing with threats to peace, justice and human dignity between now and the end of their lifetime. The study suggests the construction of a dynamic and relevant university peace curriculum for the 1990s. Such a curriculum would include a much greater emphasis on the study of conflict resolution

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techniques, cross-cultural aspects of conflict, future invention approaches, alternative security systems, and the non-violence and violence of states against their citizens. Claus Iversen’s (1971) paper concludes that all major world problems today—wars, exploitation, hunger—are the result of human actions. To free themselves from these plagues, humans have to see these actions as a result of conditioned behaviour on either the species or the individual level to learn how to change themselves towards more loving people and how to make their environment more stimulating from the point of view of love, rather than competition and war. It is stated that education for peace is needed to move towards greater freedom and deeper loving relations. James H. Lebovic (2004) studied the Democracies and United Nations Peace Operations after the Cold War. It is revealed that the UN peace operations of the post-cold war era relied on democratic contributions. A country's level of democracy accounts for why and how much countries contribute to these operations when competing with a host of alternative explanations derived from a realist and liberal perspective. In Myers-Walls, Myers-Bowman and Pelo’s (1993) study, questionnaires were completed by seventy-one parents of children aged three to thirteen. The parents reported what they would answer if their children asked: "What is war?" and "What is peace?" Their answers are coded for the presence of numerous themes or characteristics. War answers are compared with peace answers, fathers' answers with mothers' answers, and answers directed at sons to those directed at daughters. Finally, parents' reported strategies for teaching about war and peace are discussed. Joseph de Rivera (2004) conducted a study on the basis for a culture of peace in contemporary societies. The study reveals that a consideration of the literature on peaceful cultures suggests that a global culture of peace may require the development of an additional base not mentioned in the United Nations' program of action. Peter van den dungen (1985) studied peace research and the search for peace, making some critical observations. The author suggests that one of the main reasons for this is the failure of Western peace researchers to ask, and seriously attempt to answer, some of the most important questions concerning peace in the contemporary world. The relative neglect of the study of the Soviet Union and communism by Western peace researchers is paralleled by their uncritical acceptance of the credentials of Soviet peace research. Mohammed Ahsen Chaudhri (1968) wrote on peace research and the developing countries. It was revealed that one of the problems of peace research is the lack of consensus on how it should be conducted so as to

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ensure its scientific character. The problems of developing countries are fundamentally different from those of the developed world. Therefore, the task of making peace research popular in developing countries must take into account such factors as inadequate research facilities and the availability of qualified persons and funds for the execution of work. The author recommended that some selected universities should undertake those kinds of researches which are useful for the development of the country and for the resolution of conflicts, both domestic and international. Malvern Lumsden (1978) studied peace by socio-economic structures and the role of the Peace People in Northern Ireland is described, along with discussion of the issues raised by their first assembly (Belfast, October 1977). This is then placed in the context of prevailing socioeconomic structures resulting from Northern Ireland's peripheral relationship to the UK and the EEC. It is concluded that more attention should be given to self-reliance strategies but that peace researchers should examine the problems of applying them in divided societies. Bose, A. (1981) studied a Gandhian perspective on peace. It was found that in Gandhi's theory of peace, human values take great prominence. Non-violence (ahimsa) is a way of life rather than a tactic and, together with the search for truth (satyagraha), makes the difference between passive submission to injustice, and an active struggle against it. This struggle excludes both physical violence and casting the opponent in the role of enemy, and hence presupposes compassion and self-criticism. The notion of welfare to all (sarvodaya) also sees peace as incompatible with exploitation or inequality of wealth. Peace is not seen as an end state, but as a continuous revolutionary process, where ends cannot be separated from means. Barsegov and Khairov (1973) conducted a study of the problems of peace. The study divided the causes of international conflicts into four major groups: (1) human nature (2) shortcomings of the social order (3) divine will, and (4) functional causes (geopolitical, demographical, and political concepts). These are given a general assessment from the point of view of the Marxist-Leninist approach to the problem of war and peace. Finally, the Soviet programme for analysing the causes of war and ensuring ways to peace, as formulated at the 24th CPSU Congress, is briefly presented. The above-cited researches put more emphasis on the field of peace education for the further maintenance of human civilization and for better understanding in the world. Research should be undertaken for the creation of awareness-inculcating peace values among the citizens of the global world for the further existence of civilization.

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Education for a culture of peace To build peace “in the minds of people” over the years, UNESCO and the United Nations have developed a number of standard-setting instruments, declarations and action plans which are widely accepted by the concept of education for a culture of worldwide peace: ¾ Recommendations concerning Education for International Understanding, 1974 ¾ Co-operation and Peace and Education relating to Human Rights and Fundamental Freedom, Paris 1974 ¾ The World Plan of Action on Education for Human Rights and Democracy, Montreal,1993 ¾ The Declaration and Programme of Action of the World Conference on Human Rights, Vienna, 1993. ¾ The Declaration and Integrated Framework of Action on Education for Peace, Human Rights and Democracy, Paris, 1995 ¾ The Plan of Action for the United Nations Decade of Human Rights Education (1995–2005)

Aims of peace education * Knowledge x To understand the nature and origins of violence and its effects on both victim and perpetrator x To create frameworks for achieving peaceful, creative societies x To sharpen awareness about the existence of non-peaceful relationships between people, and within and between nations x To investigate the causes of conflicts and violence embedded within perception, values and attitudes of individuals as well as within social and political structures of the society x To encourage the search for alternatives or possible non-violent skills x To equip children and adults with personal conflict-resolution skills.

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** Values and Attitudes x Respect for others regardless of race, gender, age, nationality, class, sexuality, appearance and political, religious belief, physical or mental ability. x Empathy—a willingness to understand the views of others from their standpoint x A belief that individuals and groups of people can create positive change x Appreciation of and respect for diversity x Self-esteem—accepting the intrinsic value of oneself x Commitment to social justice, equality and non-violence x Concern for the environment and understanding of our place in the ecosystem. *** Peace Education Skills Identifying bias, problem solving, sharing and co-operation, shared decision making, analysis and critical thinking, enhancing the self-esteem of oneself and others, creative self-expression and the ability to imagine life beyond the present and work towards a vision, understanding the links between the personal, local and global communication through careful observation, honest talk and sensitive listening, positive emotional expression, recognizing and expressing feelings in ways that are not aggressive or destructive, conflict resolution strategies, empathy, nonviolent action in relation to problems both personal and societal, the ability to act on ideas, self-esteem, and independent research.

Building durable peace and promoting economic growth The following are some of the ways through which durable peace can be promoted to enhance economic growth: Good Governance x Securing respect for human rights and the rule of law x Promoting transparency and accountability in administration x Enhancing administrative capacity x Strengthening democratic governance.

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Sustainable Development x Creating a positive environment for investment and economic growth. Enacting needed reforms x Drawing attention to progress and new opportunities x Emphasising social development x Investing in human resources x Public health priorities x Focussing on social justice x Restructuring international aid x Eliminating all forms of discrimination against women x Reducing unsustainable debt burdens x The need for additional action on debt x Opening international markets and access to markets x Adjusting to a globally competitive trade environment x Support for regional co-operation and integration x Harmonising current international and bilateral initiatives Peace education in schools The dream of peace education for the culture of peace can best begin with the inculcation of peace in the minds of children in schools. They are the torchbearers and cornerstones of a healthy society. It is just to show the right track to growing minds to create peace-loving personnel in this world. Education empowers them with skills, attitudes and knowledge based on a philosophy that teaches non-violence, love, compassion, trust, fairness and co-operation for all life on the planet. The need for peace education The importance of peace education is needed for the following: 1. Cross border education. Globalization has made the entire world into a global village. In this globalized world, students have the chance to receive education in cross-border countries. This is the best hope for the children of refuges and migrants to have access to quality education. 2. Rich cultural input. Peace education is essential because it provides culturally rich input to every learner that would generate respect for the institutions of family and the society. Sociallycohesive respect for traditions, beliefs and practices of others and advancement towards a well-knit society would be possible only in such situations. 3. Cultural identity. Peace education will enable tribal and rural people to assert their own identity. This could give rise to greater

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tensions as the consciousness of human rights and the principle of equality of opportunities will increase. The conflicts and tensions prevalent in society will highlight the need of education in peace and social cohesion. Peace education will act as an effective instrument to understand and appreciate one’s own cultural identity. 4. Value-based education programmes. Peace education inculcates the core universal values like truth, righteous conduct, peace, love and non-violence. These values will have to be identified as the foundation stones to building a value-based education programme. These values represent the five domains of the human personality: intellectual, physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual, related to the five major objectives of education, namely knowledge, skill, balance, vision and identity. 5. Harmony with society. Every nation tries to generate a feeling of awareness among its citizens about its own culture, heritage and national identity. As isolation and helplessness among individuals are increasing, it is necessary for every person to identify his or her own goals and objectives. The individual will have to live in harmony with society and nature as required in all future social structures. 6. Survival in the new millennium. Peace education is essential for human survival in the new millennium. It is needed for individual, national and global peace. At present, peace education has a great demand in the world of violation of human rights because it concretizes the learners towards their total situations, which enable them to fight for their liberation. The specialists may be conversant with their specialized field but at the same time be illiterate in other fields of knowledge, and each exploits the other’s ignorance, i.e. doctors exploit patients, lawyers exploit clients, producers and manufacturers exploit consumers and other professionals exploit the persons who come under their dealings, and common illiterate masses are exploited by all types of literates.

Obstacles to peace There are many obstacles which stand in the way of peace, some of which are as follows:

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Perception. An individual’s perception plays a vital role in the consideration of peace. They may not perceive things correctly and may have certain undesirable notions about the self, refusing to see reason behind one’s deeds. They may also be unable or unwilling to realize the simplicity of truth and the easy accessibility of peace. Selfishness. An individual who thinks only about their own interests, even at the cost of others, cannot bring about peace in society because they do not give priority to the common good and happiness. At all costs, they always try to do things in their own interest. Such selfish people flourish at the cost of common interests. Materialism. The materialistic attitude of people tempts them to always run after money, prestige, social status and the possession of more comforts, but in truth they are not happy. The desire is insatiable. It can cause a lot of harm unless it is kept in check. Circumstances. One may always fulfil all prerequisites of peace but may not be in a position to secure it because of circumstances beyond one’s control. There are people who want to remain at peace, but due to circumstances become different. There are many other difficulties in securing precious peace, such as lack of motivation and understanding, and the unwillingness of the individual.

Basic principles to promote peace in classrooms Respect all life. This is the first principle regarding respect for the life and dignity of each and every human being without discrimination. Lack of respect for other humans provides fuel to turn them against each other, as a result of which there is violence and fighting. Actions speak louder than words. Therefore, there must be a clear commitment in all education establishments from early childhood centres to tertiary institutions to show respect to others. Listen and understand. “Language is a means through which a child contemplates the past, grasps the present and approaches the future.” Therefore, to have proper language development there is a need for skills in listening, and they should be taught and practised. Education should contribute to the reduction of social, racial and cultural prejudices. A learning environment must encourage understanding and respect among ethnic groups. Rejection of violence. Corporal punishment sometimes leads to violence. Therefore, educational institutions should be free from

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corporal punishment as a result of which these areas will be free from violence. Sexual violence should be diminished in educational institutions. Preserve the Planet. Sustainable development is the need of the hour. Resources should be used for the benefit of all and should also be preserved for future generations. Responsible consumerism is high on the agenda of Manifesto 2000. We should understand that resources are not infinite and their wise use is essential for sustainable development. Therefore, education should raise awareness about climate change and other issues like the loss of forests and unregulated industrial development. Share with others. The sharing of ideas, responsibilities, duties and workloads is inevitable for maintaining peace in the world. Rediscover Solidarity. Rediscovering solidarity implies that all should contribute to the development of the community with full participation, irrespective of caste, colour, creed, religion, sex etc. It can only be possible when we are with the other when they struggle for respect and dignity (Sheena-Hanely, Deputy Secretary, Education International, Belgium 2000).

Conclusion We are living in an era in which science and modern communication technology have made the world into a small community by reducing the barriers of time and space. The latest developments in the field of technology keep us informed of events occurring in any part of the globe. Although the world has become closer through technology, we have not drawn closer in our hearts. Therefore, peace education will bring a desirable change in the minds of the people to think about and to live in peace. Peace education will shape tomorrow’s world by shaping today’s children, first eliminating the nuclear weapons of the mind.

References Clemens, Julie Lynn. 2008. “Making Peace in Peace Studies: A Foucauldian Revisioning of a Contested Field.” Ph.D. Dissertation, The Ohio State University. Delors, J. 1996. Learning the Treasure Within: Report of International Commission on Education for the 21st Century. Paris: UNESCO. Harris, Ian M. 1988. Peace Education. McFarland and Co.

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Lebovic, James H. 2004. “Uniting for Peace? Democracies and United Nations Peace Operations after the Cold War.” The Journal of Conflict Resolution 48 (6): 910–936. Lopez, George A. 1985. “A University Peace Studies Curriculum for the 1990s.” Journal of Peace Research 22 (2): 117–128. Pandey, S. 2004. Education for Peace: Self Instructional Package for Teacher Educators. Mohanty, S. B. Education in Changing Indian Society. Vidyapuri, Cuttack, Odisha,1996 National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT). 2000. National Curriculum Framework for School Education. New Delhi: NCERT. Nayak, B. K. Foundation of Education. Kitab Mahal, Cuttack, Odisha, 2009. Reardon, Betty A., Tolerance- the Threshold of Peace, UNESCO, 1997. Saxena Swaroop, N. R. Philosophical and Sociological Foundation of Education, R. Lall Book Depot. Merrut, 2010. UNESCO. 1994. Declaration and Integrated Framework of Action in Education for Peace, Human Rights and Democracy. IBE —. 2001. Learning the Way of Peace. A Teachers’ Guide to Education for Peace. New Delhi: UNESCO. http://www.jstor.org/stable/173723 http://www.jstor.org/stable/422561 http://www. udini.proquest.com http://www. google.co.in

CHAPTER EIGHT PEACE EDUCATION FOR CREATING VIOLENCE-FREE SCHOOLS ANITA BEHERA

Introduction Our global human family must constantly and cohesively strive for peace and work to establish itself on a lasting basis. Global efforts for peace need to be genuinely united. Such unity is of the very essence, especially in this field of bringing peace to prevail. In the era of global perspectives, we are living in a world of violence and conflict. Ethical actions, peace and welfare are facing new challenges in the forms of war and violence. Peace is freedom from civil disorder, a state of harmony characterized by the lack of violent conflict. Commonly understood as the absence of hostility, peace also suggests the existence of healthy interpersonal or international relationships, prosperity in matters of social or economic welfare, the establishment of equality, and a working political order that serves the true interests of all. In international relations, peacetime is not only the absence of war or conflict, but also the presence of cultural and economic understanding and unity. The space of peace education in the school curriculum protects the world from violence globally, nationally and locally. Education is a significant dimension of the long-term process of building peace which includes tolerance, justice, intercultural understanding and civic responsibility. Peace education develops the values, ideals, attitudes and skills required for the worthy living of mankind in harmony, and also develops the qualities of love, co-operation, justice, tolerance, social responsibility and respect for cultural diversity. Social justice and human rights are the bases of peace, and peace cannot prevail if the rights of individuals are violated. Non-discrimination and equality contribute to the building of a culture of peace in society. UNESCO´s constitution declares that international or world peace is a major objective for the common welfare of mankind. Progressively, it is

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considered that peace is not merely the absence of war. A new concept, a “culture of peace,” was proposed by the Declaration of Yamoussoukro in 1989 and later developed by UNESCO in response to the United Nations’ Agenda for Peace in 1992, under the former Director General, Federico Mayor. The United Nations defines a “Culture of Peace” as “a set of values, attitudes, modes of behavior and ways of life that reject violence and prevent conflicts by tackling their root causes to solve problems through dialogue and negotiation among individuals, groups and nations” (UN Resolutions A/RES/52/13 1998).The International Year of Peace and the Decade for the Culture of Peace have been established for the achievement of these goals. Organizations throughout the world are promoting the “Culture of Peace” through Manifesto 2000. The aim of Manifesto 2000 for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence is to provide a new beginning for the millennium to transform “the culture of war and violence into a culture of peace and non-violence.” In order to maintain peace, school curriculums must introduce peace education at the school level.

The causes of violence in school School is an institution where the all-round development of a child is possible. Peace education can be provided to children for them to lead an ethical life. However, violence is a common factor among every individual. Everyone can gain peace but due to this common factor, no one does. The following are the main causes of violence among children in school: (1) Selfishness (2) Intolerance (3) Impatience (4) Insecurity (5) Frustration (6) Competition (7) Conflict. Violence can be eradicated only through peace education.

The need for peace education Peace education is essential because it provides culturally rich input to every learner. This in turn generates respect for family, society, tradition, beliefs and practices of others, which leads towards a well-knit society.

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The conflict and tension prevalent in society will highlight the need for education in peace and social cohesion, and peace education will become a major concern of the system of education globally. To establish a culture of peace it is necessary to understand and appreciate one’s own cultural identity in comparison with that of others. Truth, religious conduct, peace, love and non-violence are the core universal values which represent the five domains of human personality: physical, intellectual, emotional, psychological and spiritual. These five domains are correlated with the five major objectives of education, namely: knowledge, skill, balance, vision and identity. Peace education is essential for human survival, and is significant in today’s world because it teaches tolerance, which is understanding and respecting diversity and accepting differences. Peace education is more effective when adapted according to the cultural and social context and needs of the particular society, and is enriched by the social and cultural values of it.

Goals of peace education Peace education is a necessity. Conflict leads to violence, causing destruction. Developed from Islamic culture, peace education tries to arouse the student’s creativity in resolving conflict without violence so that conflict can have a positive impact for life. The goals of peace education are as follows: (1) Peace education teaches students the knowledge of peace that can develop the level of dignity and individuality. (2) Peace education imparts student knowledge about conflict, peace, war, power, ethnic and gender equity, economic justice and understanding the ways to achieve peace. (3) Peace education guides the students to developing a sense of trust in association among humans including introduction to the self, respect for others and the ability to manage the environment. (4) Peace education supervises the development of talent, critical thinking, co-operation, tolerance and skills of problem solving without violence. (5) Peace education develops mutual respect of the essence of right obligation and responsibility. (6) Peace education creates an open mindedness among students towards all aspects of life.

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Education as a means of promoting peace Education in its broadest sense is the vital or principal means of building a culture of peace. Learning and practicing the skills of active non-violence, tolerance, solidarity, respect for human rights and the struggle for justice are the keys of peace education. Peace education is a host of overlapping values and must concern the entire school life—the curriculum, cocurriculum, the classroom environment, school management, the teacherpupil relationship, the learning process, and the entire range of school activities. Education in the true sense empowers individuals to clarify their values and to enable them to take conscious and deliberate decisions, taking into consideration the consequences of their actions. It also enables the child to choose the way of peace rather than violence and also enables them to be the master rather than consumer of peace. Values like love, reciprocity, empathy, concern for others, justice and fairness are included in peace education for education systems throughout the world. Dale states that peace education is that which actualizes children’s potential in helping them learn how to make peace with themselves and others, and to live in harmony and unity with the self, humankind and nature.

Strategies for providing peace education Peace education must be provided in schools to create a violence-free atmosphere. The following are the basic rules for promoting peace education in schools: (1) Respect for others. This implies that the student must develop the quality to respect others—their teachers, their friends and other members of society. Education helps the child to learn how to deal with various and diverse members of society. (2) Accept non-violence. Violence is a non-peaceful and selfish form of responding to conflict. Education will help the child to control their self-centeredness and to solve the problems in a peaceful manner without taking a violent form of action that leads to promoting peace education in school. (3) Sharing with others. The child must learn how share their ideas, values, responsibilities and work with others, helping in promoting peace in schools. (4) Listen to others. This means that the students should develop the capacity to listen to others and their opinions to solve a problem.

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(5) Rediscover solidarity. This implies community participation without discrimination. Students must participate in social and community work with other members of society without developing a sense of discrimination among themselves. Close friendship must be developed between the student that leads to sympathizing with the suffering of others, working to help them. (6) Forgiveness. This implies that the students must develop the habit to forgive or pardon the mistakes of others. (7) Sincerity. This implies that students must develop the habit of truthfulness in action without expecting any reward from others. (8) Correctness. This means that students must develop the quality of conformity of speech, attitude and action with religious values, laws and cultures. (9) Reconciliation. This means that students must develop the quality to correct the mistakes and misunderstandings between two individuals or groups to make them connect with each other. (10) Management of conflict. Conflict implies the clash of interests within oneself and between individuals, groups and nations. Students must develop the qualities of compromise, social sensitivity, critical thinking and negotiation to manage conflict. (11) Fair competition. This means that students should compete with other students in a fair, proportional and legal way. (12) Patience. This means that students must develop the quality of forbearance when facing difficulties and the capacity to improve situations. These are the major rules to be followed in schools to promote peace. To provide peace education, the following activities must be followed: (1) Special clubs and reading rooms must be set up to concentrate on peace news and events. The reading rooms must contain peace news which promotes social justice and equality that will develop a sense of peace among students. (2) Documentaries and feature films must be screened in schools from time to time that promote the values of justice and peace. (3) Functions must be organized in schools, which must invite influential journalists and editors to address students on peace. (4) Students must be given the chance to give their opinion on peace in newspapers and journals should be published at least once a month.

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(5) The school must celebrate the various cultural and religious diversities of India in school.

Peace education for a violence-free school Since violence develops due to narrow competition and conflict among students, they become selfish, self-centred and intolerant, developing frustration leading to a violent atmosphere in schools. To create a peaceful atmosphere in schools, peace education is essential. Peace education helps the child to develop the quality of respect for others, along with forgiveness, tolerance, patience and also develops the quality of solving problems in a peaceful and non-violent means. It will also create an atmosphere of peace which leads to a violence-free school atmosphere.

The role of the teacher in promoting peace among students Teachers should make deliberate attempts to infuse and reinforce the importance of peace-related values that are commensurate with the textual material taught in school and the developmental stages of children. Strategies like questions, stories, anecdotes, games, experiences, discussions, dialogue and clarification of values, examples, analogies, role playing and simulation are helpful in promoting peace through teaching learning. Therefore, the teacher must adopt those strategies to promote peace among students in schools. The teaching and practice of ethics come from the personal sphere of social and community-oriented thinking, linking with the global perspective.

Conclusion In the twenty-first century, people must understand themselves. Lives become meaningful and purposeful with attempts to find truths. Humans must realize the illusions and weaknesses they suffer from to gain peace and happiness. In order to maintain peace from the very beginning, necessary steps must be taken. As school is an agency of our social development, peace education must be provided to students, helping them to maintain a violence-free environment which also leads them to live a peaceful and violence-free life in the future.

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References Christle, D. J., Wagner, R.V. & Winter, D. D. 2001. Peace, Conflict and Violence, Peace Psychology for 21st Century. Prentice Hall. Dewey John. 1966. Democracy and Education. The Free Press, Macmillan Publishing. Hudson, Dale L.1992 New Tools for International Understanding: a Peace Education Curriculum for Elementary School Students. Hawaii: Spark M. Matsunaga Institute for Peace, University of Hawaii at Manoa, http://www.bahaiacademy.org/index2.php?option=com_content&do_p df=1&id=104 Gandhi, M. K. 1942. Nonviolence in Peace and War, Vol. I. Ahmedabad: Navajivan Publishing House. —. 1955. Sarvodaya. Ahmadabad: Navjivan Prakashan Mandir. NCERT. 2005. National Curriculum Framework 2005. New Delhi: NCERT. —. 2006. National Curriculum Framework School Education. New Delhi: NCERT. —. 2002. Education for Peace. New Delhi: NCERT. Sloan, Douglas. 1983. Education for Peace and Disarmament: Toward a Living World. Teachers College Press. UNESCO. 1973. Learning To Be. Paris: UNESCO. —. 1996. Learning: The Treasure Within. Paris: UNESCO. UNICEF. 2001. Peace Education Curriculum. Retrieved from http://www.creducation.org/catalog/index.php?P=GoTo&ID=476&MF =4 http://www.phoenixmasonry.org/world_peace_through_brotherhood.htm http://www.onlineunesco.org/UNESCO's%20Philosophy.html http://www.bahaiacademy.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view &id=104&Itemid=1

CHAPTER NINE THE ROLE OF VALUE EDUCATION FOR WORLD PEACE DR. SHUDDHATM PRAKASH JAIN

As far as world peace is concerned, it becomes more important and relevant in this age of terrorism, which is the biggest problem in today’s world. This is not a problem which we can ignore and which we can make the responsibility of nature, time or any god. It is clear that terrorism is the main barrier to bringing peace to the world. We have to accept that behind the problem of terrorism are our own direct or indirect faults in the realms of education, society, nations and the whole world. The existence of a peaceful life is the right of every human being and to develop and maintain such an atmosphere is the responsibility of the society and nation. In last two hundred years we have developed mainly in the three areas of: (1) (2) (3)

Economics Science Education.

Due to the development in these three areas, the condition of the human today is not as bad as it was in earlier times, but along with economic development the greed of the human has also increased. Developments in the field of science and technology and the person who depends on them are as aggressive as they were before. Similarly, the level of education or the intellectual level has increased, but the level of selfishness among humans has remained the same. It can be said that a lot of physical changes occurred in society but the human couldn’t leave behind some basic human habits. Non-violence, anger, pride, greed, fear, hate, sexual harassment etc. are such negative features of a human which are not related to economic and scientific developments. The change in these negative attributes can be achieved with the help of education, but it is

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unfortunate that our education mainly emphasises the cognitive development, with moral development being left far behind. This is the main reason why education became unsuccessful in changing and finding a solution to such negative attributes of human beings and only these are the barriers behind bringing peace to the world. It is my great belief that value-based education can change the negative attributes of people. Therefore, if in the curriculum moral and spiritual development is also included with cognitive development then it can help in the development and flow of positive currents in human beings, and can change their hearts and souls, being helpful in bringing peace and harmony to the world. Peace in the world can occur when education is balanced and value is added. The meaning of balanced education is that such education must be equally developed and mature in the four dimensions of mental, cognitive, spiritual and physical. Nowadays, it is true that these four dimensions have become imbalanced and make it impossible to develop a more sensible person on this earth. The modern education system mainly emphasizes two aspects: mental and physical, which gives rise to the problems of indiscipline and unrest in society. In these situations, how we can create discipline and peace for students? The educational institutions, families, societies, nations and the world as a whole demand the moral development of students, and it is the duty of these institutions to develop an atmosphere for such development, but by doing nothing we easily make the education system a victim. Without ploughing good seeds, we still expect a good harvest.

Definitions of world peace (1) World peace is the utopian idea of planetary non-violence by which nations willingly co-operate either voluntarily or by virtue of a system of governance which prevents warfare. (2) World peace may simply mean the resolution of global and regional conflict through non-violent means. (3) The march of democracy will lead to world peace (George W. Bush).

Meaning of values The exact meaning of “values” is not described in any philosophy. In fact, there is no specific construct of a value or its number. Educationists also have contrasting views on it. Simply put, it can be said that values have an important place in the existence of the human being. A person learns

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throughout their life and gains tremendous experiences. These good or bad experiences directly relate to human behaviour and can be identified as values. In the October 2003 issue of Primary Teacher, a magazine published by NCERT, it is written that: Values are related with the behavior of an individual or a group. These only control the behavior of man and affect the quality of life. Such behavior and habits which are able to express and develop the personality of a child and can contribute in the human welfare and unity on the criteria of social parameters are included in values.

In other words, regulation of life (niyaman) and patience (surname) are values. Niyaman + Sanyam = Value These controls are guided by the behaviour of human beings. Values help in developing an ability to choose the right attitude towards life. It is not hyperbole to say that values are the Sanskar chetana (valued consciousness) of life.

The meaning of value education Value-based education is based on moral values. This is not an education of good humanistic behaviour but emphasizes the holistic development of a child and can motivate them in developing a positive attitude among children.

What are the causes of violence and unrest in the world? Cognitive development is the basis of the present education system but not the education of mind and soul. The education system does not develop strong will power or Pranik Shakti in an individual, and does not give proper emphasis to the balance of mind, peace of mind, and the detachment of mind and soul from the physical aspects of life. Human beings are getting expertise in different fields but remain involved in jealousy, hatred, and unbalanced personalities lacking in tolerance, practising impartial behaviour in favourable or unfavourable situations.

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The need for peace in the world The question arises as to why almost all developed countries are involved in the development of more powerful and fatal weapons, while on the other hand they also make noise for peace in the world. Whenever only one or two countries are strong they never say anything about peace, but when other countries start to become developed and strong and they see some danger for themselves and start to talk about peace in the world. It is true that all our physical development is to make human life more convenient, but if a human cannot survive then there is no meaning to all the resources. If we see all things deeply then we find that discussions on world peace involve two dimensions: The political dimension due to the fear factor. The spiritual dimension on the level of the consciousness of individuals. Materials are unable to create violence—it is humans who misuse different substances in an uncontrolled manner and create unrest in the world. I want to make it clear that the political dimension of peace in the world is a different and broader aspect which depends on international political relations, but spiritual peace is a matter related to the level of consciousness. Behind political peace the principle of consciousness is centred on peaceful works. Therefore, the essence is that peace in the mind of every individual is necessary, and without it the imagination of peace in the world is impossible. Similarly, without bringing about peace in the world, the existence of mankind cannot be assured. The first postulate of world peace is the existence of mankind and the second is that a human being should think about co-existence, co-operation, patience and tolerance, and practice them to live happily on this planet.

The role of value- and religion-based education Spiritual education is an important part of value education. Therefore, to create a balance in life with all other practical knowledge, spiritual knowledge is also necessary. In India, religion-based education is totally ignored in the name of communal differences. Initially, it was assumed that the results of education given in the Mandir, Medusa, church and Gurudwaras were not preferable on the social and national levels. Therefore, it was regulated that religious education in the schools, colleges and universities would not

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be practiced, and higher education was assumed to be secular. This education style was founded by the British. Its legacy is limited to some religious institutions in a very immature form and the essence of such education is religious rigidness, which gives rise to hatred. These religious centres circulate negative views against other castes and religions. The religious and spiritual education which must be a tool of peace & harmony therefore became a source of violence. Nowadays, religious rigidity is the root cause of problems in the world. Various universities in foreign countries opened centres of religious education. They realized that a student, after getting expertise in any field, has to serve for the society and will definitely come into contact with religiously minded people. If they have some negative attitudes against any religion than it can harm their individuality. Therefore, in my opinion it is necessary to give a balanced religious education in which they must know the best features of every religion and can develop respectful views and positive attitudes for all.

Co-ordination between science and spiritualism In this age of materialism, humans have been totally captured by the scientific revolution, and in the light of materialism the glow of spiritualism has faded. The result comes out in the form of deformed psycho-physical personalities, being the main cause of unrest in the world. To control this unrest the main instrument is the development of spiritualscientific personalities.

Efforts for world peace Several efforts for peace have been made by different people from time to time. In Indian philosophy, emphasis is placed on sarva vasudhav kutumbkam and yatra vishvam bhavatyakeneedum. Different philosophers contribute to this: (1) Acharya Tulsi—Values provide a path for the development of the individual and society. The biggest development is to mould the views, behaviour and attitudes according to social-spiritual values. Morality can’t be limited and is actually a sense which is infinite. (2) Shri Chinmaya Swami—Nobody has the right to kill others. Similarly, no government has the right to kill others. (3) Abdul Kalam—Today, besides nuclear weapons, values of peace and harmony are needed for safety and world peace.

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(4) Acharya Mahapragya—For the peace of the world, an education system incorporated with spiritualism and morality that can be called an education of life skills is needed.

Provisions for control of war and the establishment of peace The world is an integrated whole and man is a small part of it. It is a duty of man to develop positive attitudes for humanity, and only then is peace in the world possible. If our souls are full of peace and harmony then no violence can occur in this world. In the Psychological Bulletin, an essay by Gordon Allport titled “Human Nature and Peace” was published, which includes a statement on which two thousand American psychologists put their signatures. The essence of it is: (1) War is not compulsory. (2) The future generations are important in the plans of bringing peace to the world. (3) Control of hate and prejudices can be achieved through education and positive experiences. (4) It is necessary to educate people for equality about discrimination. (5) The unnecessary suppression of individuals causes unrest. (6) A balanced method of reward and punishment is necessary. (7) Good rehabilitation schemes for separatists are required. (8) Good governance for all common people is needed to create larger spaces of safety and security that will fulfil all promises by governments. Similarly, some other methods exist to bring about peace and harmony: 1. Peace education—a curriculum must involve the training of peace for the students. 2. Development of harmonious international relations—the establishment of more international institutions for the welfare of people is needed. 3. Social and economic welfare—all countries must collectively work for the removal of poverty and socioeconomic differences etc. The literature related to life values is in a stage of infancy, and a lot of work has to be done. There is a difference in the number of values according to different educationists. For instance, secondary education

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directorate Bikaner talked about thirty-two values, while according to others there are forty, while NCERT Delhi includes about eighty-three in its literature. According to C. V. Good, values are those specific features of characters or groups which are important both socially and morally. On this basis it can be said that our behaviour depends upon our thinking and views, what we eat and drink, what our surroundings are, and so on. Therefore, in my opinion if we lead a value-integrated life then only peace and harmony can come into the world, and the whole universe will become a better place for mankind.

References Acharya, Mahapragya, Ahimsha Prashikshan, Shri Anuvrat Shikshak Sansad, Rajsamand, Rajashthan Anuvrat Magazine, Published by Anuvrat Bhawan D-210 Deendayal Upadhyaya Marg, New Delhi Gupt, Natthulal, Mulyaparak Shiksha aur Samaj, Naman Prakashan, Delhi Muni, Lokesh, Jeevan Vigyan ki Rooprekha, Jain Vishv Bharti, Deemed University, Ladnun, Rajasthan Pandey, Ramshakal & Mishra, Karunashankar, Naitik Shiksha Shikshan Google Search engine.

CHAPTER TEN WORLD PEACE GROWS BY FOLLOWING THE NOBLE EIGHT FOLD PATH OF BUDDHISM DR. DEEPA GUPTA

We suffer from illness because our mind is filled with wandering thoughts and worries that are derived from greed, anger, ignorance and arrogance. This illness means that from those negative thoughts a negative energy is released to others, affecting our attitudes. One thing can be helpful in overcoming this situation, and that is peace. At present, we see violence, terrorism, corruption, theft and crime around the world. This is a result of our mental illness because we forget human relationships, which are the foundation of morality. However, we can achieve peace if we follow the path of Buddhist education. The beauty of Buddhism is that it is a wellregulated and scientific way of life, rather than a religion in the narrow sense of the spiritual and ritual. Buddha gave simple and scientific ways for peace and happiness, appearing as a great teacher in India, his teachings profoundly affecting both religious and moral ideas of his time and thus acting as a powerful catalyst in transforming the existing social conditions. Buddhism is not a religion. It is a philosophy on the nature and reality of life, regarding the real nature and truth of human existence. Buddha recognized the actual condition of existence of everything in the world, including human beings, and established the remedy as the Noble Eightfold Path (Arya Ashtang Marg), which is also called the Middle Path (Madhyam Marg). These are the fundamental aspects of the teachings of Buddhism. At present, violence, theft, terrorism and corruption are known to exist all around the world. In this situation, the noble eightfold path is capable of solving such problems, and world peace can be achieved if the mind and body are well-trained, the family is well-run and countries are well governed. This is true; if we want peace in the world, we have to train our mind and body. Sincerity and proper thoughts and viewpoints are the basis for training the mind. A person with a pure mind and body will not become

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ill. We suffer from illness because our mind is filled with wandering thoughts and worries derived from greed, anger, ignorance and arrogance. A purified mind leads to a purified body and a person will naturally become immune from illness. Illness means that negative thoughts and energy are released from our mind to others, affecting our attitudes. One thing that can overcome this situation is peace. There are many different definitions of peace, such as: "peace is being quiet inside," "peace is having good feelings inside," "peace is when people get along and don't argue or fight," "peace is having positive thoughts about myself and others," "peace begins within each one of us," "peace is more than the absence of war," "peace is living in harmony and not fighting with others," "peace is a calm and relaxed state of mind," "peace consists of positive thoughts, pure feelings, and good wishes," "peace is the main characteristic of a civilized society." At present, we see violence, terrorism, corruption, theft and crime around the world. This is the result of our mental illness; we forget human relationships, which are the foundation of morality. Human relationships include those between husband/wife, parent/child, siblings, friends and political leaders and the public. The husband and wife represent the smallest and most intimate circle of human relationships. We forget that everyone on Earth is our sibling and each is responsible for the other. Because of worldly fame and wealth, we forget our duties toward family, society, country as well as the whole world, but we can achieve peace if we follow the path of Buddhist education. The beauty of Buddhism is that it is a well regulated and scientific way of life, and not a religion in the narrow sense of spiritualism and ritual. Buddha gave simple and scientific ways for peace and happiness. The sixth century BC was a remarkable time in the history of mankind. It was full of spiritual unrest, and in that period, many remarkable teachers developed their points of view in the philosophy of human life. The lord Buddha appeared as a great teacher in India, and his teachings profoundly affected both religious and moral ideas of that time, and thus acted as a powerful catalyst in transforming the then existing social conditions. Buddhism is not a religion. It is a philosophy on the nature and reality of life, and the real nature and truth of human existence. Buddha recognized the actual condition of existence of everything in the world including human beings. He established the Four Noble Truths (Arya Satya) to describe this condition. Lastly, he established the remedy as the Noble Eightfold Path (Arya Ashtang Marg), which is also called the Middle Path (Madhyam Marg). These are the fundamental aspects of the teachings of Buddhism. At present, violence, theft, terrorism and corruption are known to exist around the world, but the

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noble eightfold path is capable of solving such problems.

The Eight Steps of the Middle Path Buddhism teaches us eight steps that remove suffering and lead to nirvana. Each of these paths is prefixed by the word smoke that is translated to English as “right.” The Noble Eightfold Path is also called the Middle Path. The eight steps of the Middle Path are: (i) The Right View (Samyak Drishti). This enjoins one to get rid of all superstitions, views, notions etc. forced onto oneself, and instead be reasonable, open and flexible. (ii) The Right Mental Resolve (Samyak Sankalp). To see properly, one moves to acquire the right mental resolve, which comprehensively involves one's body, feelings, thoughts and mindobjects. Right willpower is necessary for observing the four Arya Truths. (iii) The Right Speech (Samyak Vachan). For self-control, speaking the truth is necessary. One should be true to their words. Right speech is important since every action is preceded by a speech. Words free us from lies, abuse, calumny, frivolity and slander, and the right speech is followed by right resolve. (iv) The Right Action (Samyak Karmant). This includes forsaking violence, stealing, observing celibacy and feeling hatred towards worldly pleasures. Abstinence from killing, stealing, indulgence in passions and intoxication is the negative aspect of right action while charity, truth, service and kindness constitute its positive aspect. (v) The Right Livelihood (Samyak Aajiv). This means that one should earn their living by right conduct. As the outcome of right action, earning a livelihood without causing suffering through the goodwill of everybody is the right livelihood. (vi) The Right Effort (Samyak Vyamam). This means adopting better ways and giving up bad ideas. The endeavour for mental and moral elevation is the right effort. This means discarding existing evils, prevention of oncoming new evils, developing the good that has not yet arisen and promoting the good that has. (vii) The Right Mindfulness (Samyak Smriti). To remember known things properly. If one forgets this, they will again involve themself in worldly pleasures. It is the constant attention paid to the activities and weakness of one’s body, feeling, thoughts and mind.

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Any slackness towards this invariably leads to a slip. (viii) The Right Concentration (Samyak Samadhi). This last step enjoins one to fix all mental faculties on a single object, which is the chosen path of oneself. One who follows the above rules becomes pure automatically and will be able to concentrate their attention. Concentration is necessary for salvation.

Implications of the Eight Fold Paths The first step of Astangik Marg is in sight. By this insight we may keep ourselves away from mundane affairs. To escape from worldly affairs, one requires the appropriate willpower. It is through strong willpower that one moves forward, towards the path of salvation. For moving forward, appropriate speech is also necessary. This enables one to have the proper self-control. The sweetness of speech induces a person to behave properly with others. Such a restraint may be obtained by controlling one’s physical and mental desires, and is called “appropriate action” in Buddhism. It means to forsake violence in thought, word and deed. After appropriate deed comes right vocation, which means one should earn their living honestly. After this, right exercise is considered important. It means that one should think of good things and should avoid the bad. The seventh step on the path of emancipation is right memory, for which, according to Lord Buddha, a person should initiate basic elements of knowledge. It means that after purifying one’s conscience one should try to concentrate their attention. The entire teaching of Buddhism provides directions to develop good conduct. To be a moral being, one must follow the Noble Eight Fold Path. If we want harmony in families, unity in societies and peace and happiness in the world, we should follow the Eight Fold Path of Buddhist Education. The aim of Buddhism is to dedicate one’s life for the good of others. Thus, such a person is eager to do well with others and their spiritual attainment. If it is possible, none will be unhappy in this world, and a person will consider the sufferings of the other as their own and will try to remove them. If our education can achieve this ideal, the earth will become a haven.

References Backhurst, Paul. 2005. Alternatives to the Peace Corps: A Guide to Global Volunteer Opportunities. Food First Books. Chappell, David W. 2000. Buddhist Peace work: Creating Cultures of

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Peace. Wisdom Publications. Coleman, James William. 2002. The New Buddhism: The Western Transformation of an Ancient Tradition. Oxford University Press. —. 2002. The New Buddhism: The Western Transformation of an Ancient Tradition. Oxford University Press. Dutt, Nalinaksha. 1956. Development of Buddhism in Utter Pradesh. Lucknow: Publication Bureau, Government of Utter Pradesh, Gottlieb, Roger S. 2003. Liberating Faith: Religious Voices for Justice, Peace, and Ecological Wisdom. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Harvey, Peter. 1990. An Introduction to Buddhism: Teachings, History and Practices. Cambridge University Press. Katz, Nathan. 1981. Buddhist and Western Philosophy. New Delhi: Sterling Publishers Pvt Ltd. Kraft, Kenneth. 1992. Inner Peace, World Peace: Essays on Buddhism and Nonviolence. State University of New York Press. Ling, Trevor. 1969. Buddha, Marx and God. London: 2nd Edition, The Macmillan Press Ltd.

CHAPTER ELEVEN INCULCATING PEACE THROUGH THE HANDS OF SCIENCE: A NEW PEDAGOGICAL APPROACH GEETA SHARMA

Our basic nature At this time in history, when the potential for violence is greater than ever because of the technological nature of modern weapons, what are the chances of achieving a world community anytime soon when we can't even live peaceably in homes where we claim to love each other? Isn't global harmony—the freedom for each person to pursue their dream, and a world that treats everyone fairly—just a pipe dream? Isn't it chasing a mirage to imagine we can cause despotism to disappear, turn poverty into prosperity, and terminate tyranny? My response to all these questions is certainly “yes.” Look at the picture below:

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Yes, exactly; dreams are the mother of invention, and the dream of global peace is no exception to this. If violence has the status of a guest in our life, and can stay so long, why can’t peace, which is our basic nature, survive and remove violence from our lives and our world? In the present age of technological advancement, when we are connected despite the physical barrier of distance, our life has entered a new environment of interdependence. We are all united as one, despite the barriers of caste, creed, species and place. When a small baby can live happily with a dog, tied with a knot of innocence and love, think about human beings who have the power to express their emotions via speech, and who can help each other by virtue of work and service towards humanity.

In fact, we have lost our track, being confused by the darkness of ignorance, and the people of our world are being pushed up against each other and into one another's lives. We are more and more interdependent as a world, and even our food and clothing often come from far-flung corners of the globe. Today, in a manner unique in all of history, we are being forced to recognize how profoundly we are connected, despite our divisions. Violence is not our basic nature—our basic nature is peaceful. Humans, being social, are peaceful, calm and tranquil by nature, but we do not recognize this about ourselves. As a result, we fight with our fellow beings. Individuals fight, families fight, gangs fight, tribes fight and nations fight, but still our basic nature is peace.

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Let me prove this. Once, in my class, I asked two of my students to fight, and the more they fought the more they would be rewarded. At the same time, I asked a single student to sit calmly and show me how long they could do this. To my surprise, the boy lasted for ten more minutes than the two I asked to fight. The boys involved in fighting lost their track and started laughing, and this really proves that we as humans are peaceful by nature. To further explore the basic tendency of man, I grouped five students with their best friends and found that they were not able to sit quietly, but rather had lot of things to share, and therefore I concluded that humans are interdependent social beings who love to share, and living in peace and harmony is their basic nature. Furthermore, an infant when left alone starts crying and becomes calm when someone picks them up, and this again supports the same. Why, then, do we fight with each other? This happens because of the internal fight between our physical and mental needs. Whenever there is a fight there must be some reason which gives rise to it. Let us take the example of two boys who are fighting for a pen—the teacher resolves the issue by providing each with a pen, so it is clear that here conflict arises because of a dominant material need of the individual. The situation worsens when we can’t afford to satisfy such material needs, birthing violence. Individuals prefer to use their bodily strength to avail their material need. While involved in violence they forget their basic peace-loving natures, because our mental need of peace is overpowered by the material need of our hearts. Therefore, it’s quite clear that to build peace we have to erase the conflict-causing forces and teach the individual how to control their desire. But how to control material needs? Science gives us a reason and thereby helps in resolving conflicts caused by ignorance. It is an inherently peaceful activity that speaks through the words of evidence. It has already resolved barriers of caste and creed by declaring that all individuals have the same blood on the basis of blood groups. The flow of blood of a specific group doesn’t follow a caste system, thus such segregation is irrelevant and unjust. Therefore, no one can deny the peaceful nature of science, but a problem arises when our heart becomes preoccupied with greed and we indulge in the nurturing boon of science to the extent that it becomes a bane. Let us take the example of the ultrasound machine; it helps in determining the healthy status of a child, and in any case if the foetus is suffering from some malfunctioning or incurable disease it could be aborted before birth. Through the material greed of doctors and the illegitimate desire of parents to have a son, this means that children can be killed before birth. Actually, along with the advancement of science, we must focus on the development of positive attitudes and the inculcation of

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values. Scientific growth reinforced by the development of values in equal magnitude gives insight and direction to use science in a proper way, and therefore we must focus on new forms of scientific pedagogy. In this new form of pedagogy, while teaching new concepts along with knowledge, students will be taught the meaning of concepts in life. Below are certain examples of this new approach. Concept one: circulation of blood The teacher will relate that the human body consists of various organs and every organ needs oxygen for its proper functioning. This oxygen is transported to various organs via the blood. Blood consists of RBC, WBC and platelets. Oxygen travels on the basis of its concentration from higher concentration to lower as air has a higher concentration of oxygen in comparison to the lungs. Therefore, it is inhaled and by the same process carbon dioxide is exhaled from the body, because the concentration of carbon dioxide is higher in the body in comparison to its concentration in the air. Air-----nose-----lungs-----heart-------other systems like digestive, nervous , excretory Higher-------------------concentration of O2--------------------Lower Implications for life In a state of anger, the individual becomes tense and starts speaking loudly, and so more oxygen is required for this process, and as a result the breathing quickens to fulfil the need. Therefore, the supply of blood to the digestive and nervous systems is cut down for a moment and the starved system temporarily loses its functioning, having an adverse effect on the body accompanied by an increase in temperature. Hence, we must avoid anger for the sake of protecting our body and the proper circulation of blood. Concept two: laws of thermodynamics Energy can neither be created nor destroyed, only changed from one form to another. The total amount of energy and matter in the universe remains constant. With the first law we know that matter/energy can neither be created nor destroyed. It can change form, but the amount of matter/energy in the system (the universe) stays constant. The second law of thermodynamic states that: "in all energy exchanges, if no energy enters or leaves the system, the potential energy of

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the state will always be less than that of the initial state no ." This waste of energy is also commonly referred to as entropy. The third law of thermodynamics states that all processes cease as the temperature approaches absolute zero. This is the temperature at which molecules stop movement and producing kinetic energy. In other words, there is no energy. Implications for life As we know from the first law, matter/energy can neither be created nor destroyed. It can change form, but the amount of matter/energy in the system (the universe) stays constant. The second law says that while the quantity of matter/energy remains the same, the quality deteriorates over time. So we can say that while usable energy is utilised for productivity, growth and repair, in the course of this process, usable energy is converted into unusable energy, and usable energy is thus lost in this form. Entropy is a measure of unusable energy in a closed system. As it increases, usable energy decreases by the same amount. Therefore, we must not maintain ourselves as a closed system but become engaged in some productive work to minimize entropy. Besides this, we must conserve energy by avoiding useless work, as we have constant energy. Concept three: the importance of nature Science tells us that nature is the ultimate power of the universe as it is a source of total energy, provoking us to live naturally and simply by following the laws of nature and maintaining balance, as demonstrated by the example below.

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The Titanic was a ship built to travel across seas. The amount of money spent on making a film about it was much more than the actual amount spent on building it. From this, it is quite clear that artificiality costs much more than actuality, and therefore we must keep ourselves in a real form, as we are, and we should avoid showing off in all forms. Concept four: adaptation Every individual has a natural tendency to adapt, as per the environment and need of time, such as desert plants that have reduced leaves in the form of spines to minimize water loss through transpiration. Such adaptation is not intentional but rather natural. Implications for life Our needs must follow the principle of essentiality and minimalisation so that any negative adaptation in our behaviours and character will not happen because our needs automatically know how to drive the body to fulfil itself. It is those extra needs which forces an individual to fight, and violent acts ultimately destroy our peace. Concept five: transfer of heat Heat travels from a body of higher temperature to a lower one until the temperatures of the two bodies become equal. For example, if a rod is heated at one end, its other end will automatically heat up. Implications for life We must seek out company that is superior to us, so that some good qualities come to our personality. In other cases, if we keep bad company then good qualities will leave us to maintain a state of balance. Concept six: heating effect of current Whenever there is a flow of current across a wire it is always accompanied by heat. The same principle is used in an electric iron. Implications for life We must maintain a cool state of mind by avoiding all situations which transmit such impulses that create violent outbursts because they heat up our brains and throw us into a state of loss of functionality. Concept seven: hybridization The atom is the smallest indivisible unit of matter, and every atom tries to fulfil its valence shell to attain stability by combining with its own atom or another substance, forming a molecule of O2, H2O and so on. In this process hybridization occurs, a pattern of sharing of electrons leading to the formation of a specific compound.

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Implications for life As even atoms can’t remain alone therefore we must maintain the tendency of living in peace and harmony with our fellow beings, including nature, and unite to replace “I” with “We.”

Concept eight: mutations These may be defined as permanent hereditary changes in the genetic make-up of an individual, sometimes leading to a new species. It means that changes in an individual which have the capacity to transfer themselves through the offspring of that individual may impart unique characteristics to it. Such changes could be good or bad, fostered by carcinogens, harmful chemicals, and so on. Implications for life Whenever we are in the company of carcinogens, those agents that can bring permanent change to your life and to forthcoming generations, we must think about whether that change is useful, and if it adds some good functionality to your individuality or spoils. Such uniqueness at the cost of function is mere wastage, and is best avoided.

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Concept nine: threshold energy To activate a molecule to its higher upper state, it needs energy to cross the barrier, called a threshold, and thus that energy is called “threshold energy.” If the energy supplied is less than the threshold energy needed it will not attain the next higher state. Implications for life Whenever an individual fails, even after doing hard work, they must not become depressed or stressed. The cause may be a lack of effort, so they must maintain the peace of their body and mind and put more effort in the direction of crossing the threshold and they will surely succeed.

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Newton’s laws of motion According to Newton's first law: An object at rest will remain at rest unless acted on by an unbalanced force. An object in motion continues in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. This law is often called "the law of inertia." What does this mean? This means that there is a natural tendency of objects to keep on doing what they're doing. All objects resist changes in their state of motion. In the absence of an unbalanced force, an object in motion will maintain this state of motion. Implications for life This means that new learning is always accompanied by some resistance, and therefore some extra force must be added in terms of effort to facilitate new learning or bring the desired change. Therefore, one must be ready for hard work. According to Newton's second law: Acceleration is produced when a force acts on a mass. The greater the mass (of the object being accelerated) the greater the amount of force needed (to accelerate the object). What does this mean? Everyone unconsciously knows the second law—heavier objects require more force to move the same distance

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as lighter objects. Implications for life We must keep ourselves light by avoiding ego if we really want to carry on the relations, otherwise no one will put in extra effort (force) to move in relation to you. Newton’s third law According to Newton's third law: For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. What does this mean? This means that for every force there is a reaction force that is equal in size, but opposite in direction. That is to say that whenever an object pushes another object it gets pushed in the opposite direction with equal force. Let's study how a rocket works to understand Newton's third law. The rocket's action is to push down on the ground with the force of its powerful engines, and the reaction is that the ground pushes the rocket upwards with an equal force. Implications for life As we have seen, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, so in the same way when we hit a wall we are equally hurt by the wall, and so we should behave politely to others and give love and respect to them if we want to be loved and respected in life. Concept ten: habitat Habitat is the dwelling place of a species. Some animals are terrestrial as they live on land, while others are aquatic as they live in water, while certain others who live in air are called aerials. To maintain balance in biosphere, which consists of all species, we must save a species from becoming extinct. With industrialization, so many forests have been cut down, and as a result those species dwelling there are nearly extinct, for example the lion. Therefore, efforts are to be made to conserve and provide natural dwelling places to a species. Implications for life We must learn that we are born to live and to let others live. We must love others and in no way spoil their happiness and natural life. Bearing this in mind, the habit of keeping parrots in cages as pets should be discouraged; rather, they should be allowed to leave peacefully, as they want. In the

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same way we must live happily with love and peace together with the whole world. Love is a tool to glorify life, not to end it.

References AUTHOR (2005). Thermodynamics—A Dynamical Systems Approach. Princeton University Press.

CHAPTER TWELVE HUMAN RIGHTS AWARENESS AMONG THE PEOPLE OF AGRA CITY: A COMPARATIVE STUDY DR. ANJANA AGARWAL

Introduction The greatest challenges before humanity at the start of the twenty-first century are conflict, violence, terrorism and war, along with their terrible consequences of poverty, disease, despair, environmental destruction and poor leadership. Religious fanaticism, insecurity, unemployment, illiteracy, fear, depression and dejection have been some of the primary causes of terrorist activities in the world. These challenges are present at all levels of human life—family, school, community, societies and global affairs. While considerable resources have always been and still are spent to offset the costly ravages of conflict and war, and to pay for the high price of military defence and security measures, there are relatively few programs dedicated to a systematic, sustained plan of action to educate children and youth, create families and build communities in ways that reflect the principles of peace. Paradoxically, our greatest opportunity at this time in history is the fact that we have sufficient resources to create a universal civilization of peace—united and diverse, equal and just, prosperous and benevolent, scientifically progressive and spiritually enlightened, technologically advanced and environmentally healthy. Since the early decades of the twentieth century, “peace education” programs around the world have represented a spectrum of focal themes, including anti-nuclear weapons, international understanding, environmental responsibility, communication skills, non-violence, conflict resolution techniques, democracy, human rights awareness, tolerance of diversity, coexistence and gender equality, among others (Brabeck 2001). Some have also addressed the spiritual dimensions of inner harmony, or synthesized a number of the foregoing issues into programs on world

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citizenship. While academic discourse on the subject has increasingly recognized the need for a broader, more holistic approach to peace education, a review of field-based projects reveals that three variations of peace education are most common: conflict resolution training, democracy education, and human rights education.2 To prevent these outcomes, many such programs are now being combined with aspects of conflict resolution and democracy education, along with training in non-violent action. Since the early decades of the twentieth century, peace education programs around the world have represented a spectrum of focal themes, including anti-nuclear, international understanding, environmental responsibility, communication skills, nonviolence, conflict resolution techniques, democracy, human rights awareness, tolerance of diversity, coexistence and gender equality, among others (Groff & Smoker 1996; Harris 1999; Johnson 1998; Swee-Hin 1997). Some have also addressed the spiritual dimensions of inner harmony, or synthesized a number of the foregoing issues into programs on world citizenship. Human rights education can make a difference in facilitating the process of moving from war to peace. Peace education programs centred on human rights awareness-raising typically focus on the level of policies that humanity ought to adopt to move closer to a peaceful global community. The aim is to engender a commitment among participants to a vision of structural peace in which all individual members of the human race can exercise their personal freedoms and be legally protected from violence, oppression and indignity. Approaches of this type familiarize participants with the international covenants and declarations of the United Nations system, train students to recognize violations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and promote tolerance, solidarity, autonomy and self-affirmation at the individual and collective levels (Brabeck 2001). Human rights education faces continual elaboration, a significant theory-practice gap and frequent challenges to its validity (Swee-Hin 1997). In one practitioner‘s view: Human rights education does not work in communities fraught with conflict unless it is part of a comprehensive approach … In fact, such education can be counterproductive and lead to greater conflict if people become aware of rights which are not realized. In this respect, human rights education can increase the potential for conflict” (Parlevliet n.d.).

To prevent these outcomes, many such programs are now being combined with aspects of conflict resolution and democracy education, along with training in non-violent action.

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The United Nations was created to protect future generations from the curse of war and to reiterate the belief in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and value of the human being, and the equality of men and women. The end of the Cold War led us to a single global conception of human rights. The UN's message is: “know your human rights,” and people who know their rights stand the best chance of realizing them. Knowledge of human rights is the best defence against their violation. Learning about one's rights builds respect for the rights of others and points the way to more tolerant and peaceful societies. Vast numbers of people are still unaware of their rights. While laws and institutions could in many cases defend them, people must first know where they can turn for help. “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights,” stated Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. This is what the Indians have been preaching since times immemorial, as has become the custom of our nation. Human rights are a fundamental value, and there is a long Indian tradition of standing up for the weak against abuses by the strong. Upholding human rights values in every aspect is firmly in our tradition. The Mauryan emperor Ashoka the Great renounced the path of violence after the massacre in the war of Kalinga. The Great Moghul Akbar the Great granted religious minorities legal status in his realm. One of the most influential was Mahatma Gandhi’s movement to free his native India from British rule. It is the core of our constitution and the heart of our national interest today. But the values that we stand for—freedom, human rights, the rule of law—are universal values. Given the choice, people all over the world want them. But it is regrettable that India, once looked up to by whole world as the pioneer of these values, is now grovelling in the lowly dust of atrocities and human rights abuses. Human rights abuse is sadly a reality in Indian society. It is not just an affront to the values of tolerance, freedom and justice that underpin our society, it is also a tragic waste of human potential. It may be said that in India the content of human rights education is not different to what was taught by way of religion, be it Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity or Islam. There is lot of truth in that statement. The quintessence of human rights is also the basic essence of all religions, and love, compassion and loving kindness are the same. However, while teaching religion we confined the obligations arising from these doctrines only to their followers. Human rights could provide a universal aspect to moral and ethical education, and we in our divided societies are in great need of this. On the other hand, in the context of rapid secularization we could still retain a basic common ground for respect for each other. We

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could still be our brothers’ keepers and withstand value systems which only promote selfish ways of life. Indian textbooks barely mention human rights, and only indirect references are made to them in the Directive Principles of the Constitution of India and in civics and history textbooks. Most universities in India do not offer human rights education, although some have three-month to oneyear postgraduate courses on human rights. Section 12(h) of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 requires the commission: “to spread human rights literacy among various sections of society and promote awareness.” The National Human Rights Commission of India and many NGOs have launched a country-wide public information campaign for human rights which aims to make everyone more conscious of human rights and fundamental freedoms, and better equipped to stand up for them. At the same time, the campaign spreads knowledge of the means which exist at the international and national levels to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms. Through this chapter, an attempt has been made to assess human rights awareness of a selected sample of people in order to draw lessons for the country’s ongoing human rights education and awareness programs. The findings, conclusions and recommendations of the survey will undoubtedly enhance and strengthen human rights education programs in the country. Human Rights Awareness: It is people’s perception that they have rights because they are human beings, irrespective of any social or other distinction. It also means the peoples’ ability to easily distinguish various aspects of human rights—to life, security, religion, expression, education, etc.—and that they understand the importance of these aspects in relation to human survival and dignity.

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Methodology Method A survey method was used to collect data. People individually answered a survey questionnaire.

Objectives of the Study 1. To check the level of awareness regarding human rights among the people of Agra city. 2. To assess the Knowledge and Application of Human Rights Concepts among the people of U. P. with regards to their gender, occupation, education and age groups. 3. To assess the Knowledge of human rights violations among the people of U. P. with regards to their gender, occupation, education and age groups. 4. To check the most useful source of knowledge on human rights.

Hypothesis of the Study 1. People have average knowledge about human rights. 2. There is no significant difference between males and females regarding human rights awareness. 3. There is no significant difference between businessmen and servicemen regarding human rights awareness. 4. There is no significant difference between low educated and high educated people regarding human rights awareness. 5. There is no significant difference between younger age group and older age group people regarding human rights awareness. 6. Mass media is an important source of knowledge on human rights.

Sample A sample of eighty people, aged from 25 to 45, were selected from Agra city. Subjects consisted of forty males and forty females. A stratified random sampling technique was used to select the sample. The data was collected using the survey method.

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Statistical Tool A structured interview scheduled with close ended questions was prepared by the researcher and used for data collection in the present study. The Human Rights Awareness Survey Questionnaire (HRASQ) has thirty-one items divided into the following categories: 1.1. Knowledge and Application of Human Rights Concepts (twenty items). 1.2. Knowledge of human rights violations (eleven items).

Statistical Technique Percentage, Mean, SD, and ANOVA were employed to find the differences in the level of human rights awareness in various aspects, including gender, occupation and education level.

Results Table 1. Number and percentage of people falling under different levels of Human Rights Awareness Dimension Level of score limit knowledge and application of human rights concepts of people of Agra city Level of score limit knowledge of human rights violations of people of Agra city Total human rights awareness

No. % No. % No. %

Low