Peace Education Resources
A great deal of exciting educational reform and just generally good teaching falls under the heading of Peace Education. According to one international authority on this, “Peace education is a participatory holistic process that includes teaching for and about democracy and human rights, nonviolence, social and economic justice, gender equality, environmental sustainability, disarmament, traditional peace practices, international law, and human security” (Hague Appeal for Peace, 2005)
Conflict Resolution Education is typically understood to focus on the local/domestic level while the focus of Peace Education is generally more global in perspective. Peace Education also “has a stronger emphasis on social justice orientations and larger systemic issues of violence than conflict education programs” (Jones, 2004).
A portion of the growing collection of free Peace Education print resources found in our catalog is displayed at the bottom of this page. You can also choose to directly browse the full list of items categorized under peace education in our catalog. Other especially relevant materials include
- our collection of conference presentations
- our International Directory of Organizations (try searching on the term “peace” to refine the results)
- and the Manual for Community Colleges Developing Programs in Peace and Conflict Studies
all of which are hosted by our site. Lots of good content!
If you are interested in a broader bibliography of Peace Education readings, check out this Peace Education resource collection from Ian Harris and Mary Lee Morrison.
Videos of Possible Interest
- The Day After Peace – Classroom-Ready Version
- Seeing Both Sides of a Story
- Elementary Students Using Their Playground Peace Bridge
- Conflict Prevention the GPPAC Way
- Power of Peace Network Introduction
- Peace Ed Skill-Building at Home Video Series
- The S.T.A.R. Conflict Resolution strategy – Webinar Archive
- Teaching Humanitarian Law with Raid Cross
- Peace Studies at Greenfield Community College (promotional video example)
- Peace Learning
- What is Peace Education (Overview Animation)
- Peace One Day Global Truce 2012
- The power of peace education in action
- Children in Armed Conflict
See MORE VIDEOS...
Sample Catalog Resources
Below you'll find a randomized listing of up to 20 related items (we may have more...) drawn from our Resource Catalog.
| Resource Title | Description | Links |
|---|---|---|
| Pioneer Peace Pack | This resource collection includes information and activities for groups of 10 - 12 year olds who are participating in the U.K.-based outdoor education group known as the Woodcraft Folk. The resource includes instructor overviews and associated handouts and reading materials for activities focused on the following themes: Bullying, Conflict Resolution, War Toys, War Detectives, Child Soldiers and Positive About Peace. The Conflict Resolution module alone includes 6 separate activities. The Woodcraft Folk group describes their goals as follows: "Our aim is to have great fun, but also to try and develop children’s self-confidence and build their awareness of society around them. Through our activities, outings and camps we help our members understand important issues like the environment, world debt and global conflict and, in recent years, we have focused on sustainable development. By encouraging children to think, we hope they will help build a peaceful, fairer world." | |
| Quaker Peacemakers Poster Collection | This set of 10 letter-size posters describes the work of 9 Quakers (members of the Religious Society of Friends) active in various domains of peacemaking. Featured peacemakers include Lewis Fry Richardson, Adam Curle, Bayard Rustin, Elise Boulding, Kenneth Boulding, Priscilla Prutzman, Jennifer Beer, Bill Kreidler and George Lakey. Also featured is the Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP), a Quaker-founded program working in prisons and community settings. Each poster includes a quote, a stylized picture and biographical background information on the featured person or project. | |
| Collaboration across fields: Implementation and sustainability of SEL, CRE, PE and CE | 73-page PDF conference reader from the two-day summit, "Collaboration across Fields: Implementation and Sustainability of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL), Conflict Resolution Education (CRE), Peace Education (PE), and Citizenship Education (CE), held in Cleveland, Ohio on June 19th and 20th, 2009. The conference "brought together government representatives from among the 50 states and invited countries (Ghana, Kenya, Montenegro, Philippines) and their non-governmental organization partners. Organizations were invited because of their interest in developing legislation and policy in peace education, social and emotional learning, conflict resolution education, and/or civics education and their interest in securing ways to strengthen implementation and achieve sustainability of these efforts ... this capacity building summit offered a dynamic opportunity to develop a global infrastructure to advance the work in the fields of conflict resolution education, peace education, social and emotional learning, and citizenship education. The summit brought together policymakers, researchers and educators representing regions across the United States and select member countries of the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict GPPAC). These national and international guests exchanged successful macro level policy design and implementation models at the state-wide or national level, and macro level evaluation methodology and tools for states and countries. Specific areas of focus included: Teacher education, research and evaluation, and policy implementation options for primary, elementary and secondary education at the national or state levels." | |
| Peace and conflict resolution education at schools of Shirak Region (Armenia): Final report | Report presents the experience stored up in Armenia in the field of peace education, gained successes, educational course developed by the authors, opinions of the beneficiaries and policy makers in the area of education to integrate the training course into school curriculum, future strategy, etc. Report was developed for the First UNESCO/EURED In-Service Teacher Training Course "Human Rights and Peace Education in Europe" 2004-2006. Authors are members of Women for Development NGO. Includes bibliography. | |
| Standards for Peace Education | 11-page pdf provides a list of recommended standards for students, teachers and teacher educators with respect to peace education. They were developed under the leadership of Dr. Candice C. Carter from the University of North Florida during her global and domestic work with peace educators and peace education researchers. These dynamic standards have been used for students in all levels of education as well as for program design. Suggestions for, and outcomes of, their use in particular cultures and contexts are welcomed. | |
| Inter-agency P.E.P.: Skills for constructive living: Teacher activity book of secondary modules | 36-page pdf manual which "is one of the components of the Inter-Agency Peace Education Programme, the programme is designed for education managers of ministries dealing with both formal and non-formal education and for agencies which implement education activities on behalf of the government ... the teacher's main resource it has a lesson-by-lesson curriculum for formal schooling structured according to the children's cognitive and emotional development ... these secondary modules are designed primarily for those students who have undertaken the Peace Education programme in Primary School, there may be specific lessons in the primary grades that adapt very well to the secondary situation, these should be used where appropriate, in addition there are some stories (and poetry) in the Story Book (part of the primary component) that may also be useful." | |
| A Social Justice Lens: A Teaching Resource Guide | This 12-page guide provides a lens that applies social justice and critical theory to all aspects of an educators professional life. The tool provides a framework for unions and schools to help guide policy, plan actions, and evaluate resources for social change. Social justice theory focuses on equity for all and critical theory requires action and systemic change. These two concepts form the basis of the British Columbia Teachers Federation social justice lens. The lens has four distinct interconnecting filters -- access, agency, advocacy, and solidarity action. Each represents an aspect of social justice work, and, while we may focus on one filter at a time, the true potential of these filters lies in engaging with all four simultaneously. Participatory democracy, civil society, transformative practice, and systemic change found on the rotating outer ring of the lens are necessary to achieve the ultimate goal of equity found at the centre of the lens. | |
| Peace education curriculum: Programa pendidiken damai (pdf) | 84-page pdf translation of the Indonesian "Kurikulum Pendidikan Damai" which "was the first of its kind to be developed in Indonesia, representing peace education from an Islamic and Acehnese perspective. It promotes a positive, comprehensive peace encompassing peaceful relations with God the Creator, with oneself, with one's fellow humans, and with the environment. The curriculum teaches communal peace in accordance with the positive Islamic approach, namely the absence of war and discrimination and the necessity of justice in society. This manual emphasizes that peace is neither a subjugation to situations nor a passive acceptance of injustice, discrimination, and war, but rather a recognition of these problems and addressing them in a peaceful manner. The curriculum also stresses the importance of process and ends, since peace is both process and results, as reflected in active involvement of students in a system of learning by doing ... The materials and learning activities were authored in such a manner to allow the students dominant roles in the learning process. The students are guided to observe, analyze, and seek for solutions to existing conflicts. We feel that this strategy can better improve the students' knowledge on conflict and peace, build their skills in managing conflicts without violence, and actualize them all in their real life." | |
| Introducing cooperation and conflict resolution into schools: A systems approach | 29-page PDF chapter in the 2001 publication: Peace, conflict and violence: Peace psychology for the 21st Century by D.J. Christie, R.V. Wagner and D.A. Winter. The chapter argues the fundamental importance of a systemic approace to peace and conflict resolution education. The authors discuss five levels of "school systems through which one can introduce cooperation and conflict resolution concepts, skills, and processes: Level 1, the student disciplinary system; Level 2, the curriculum; Level 3, pedagogy; and Level 4, the school culture and Level 5, the community—will enhance the view of the school system as an “open system†embedded in a larger communal system which can aid in the sustainability of school system change." | |
| Eight Ways to Celebrate the International Day of Peace with Your Family | A 3-page pdf prepared by PeaceFirst providing creative and fun ways for families to celebrate the International Day of Peace. Provides links to materials in the PeaceFirst Digital Activity Center. | |
| Nonviolence History Coloring Pages | ||
| Peaceful Conflict Resolution Guide for Primary and Secondary Schools (Croatia) | This training guide for schools consists of three primary modules: 1. damiri/ice - Conflict and Communication 2. spajalice - Peer Mediation 3. kazimiri/ice - Peer Education The guide is the result of the work on the project Peaceful Problem Solving in Schools and Trauma Alleviation, Youth for Youth - Peer Mediation, initiated and supported by UNICEF Office for Croatia in co-operation with Croatian Ministry of Education and Sports. The Project was carried out by NGO "Mali korak" - Centre for Culture of Peace and Non-violence Zagreb. In the school year of 1999/2000 it was implemented in 52 primary schools, most of which were schools of special social care in previous war affected areas. The purpose of this program model was to change attitudes, behaviors and experiences related to conflict and violence: improve coping with problem and conflict situations, develop awareness of prejudice, of one’s own rights as well as the rights of others both in those who participate in the program (students) and those who deliver it (teachers). | |
| Cultivating Peace - Taking Action | This 66-page pdf is a curriculum packet developed for use in Canadian classrooms. "This resource encourages students to examine their own beliefs regarding the need for change in our world and their personal responsibility in taking action. The preconditions necessary for a culture of peace are explored through the examination of global issues in sustainable development, economic disparity, fair trade, human rights and consumerism. Students are given opportunities to explore the range of actions possible, the ways in which change occurs, the barriers to participation and the factors that support youth involvement. The resource includes a teacher's guide, a video, a poster series and a student guide to taking action. It is designed for use in grades 10-12." | |
| IREX Conflict Prevention and Peer Mediation Toolkit | The Conflict Prevention and Peer Mediation Toolkit provides the training notes, handouts, sample agendas, and resource templates needed to initiate a peer mediation program for youth. IREX and partner organization Foundation for Tolerance International (FTI) created the Conflict Prevention and Peer Mediation Toolkit to support the creation of peer mediation programs at schools in Kyrgyzstan as part of the Youth Leadership for Peace Project funded by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP). After receiving training on conflict prevention, peer mediation, and use of the Toolkit, teachers and youth from the Batken and Chui regions of Kyrgyzstan initiated peer mediation programs at 16 schools. From January – June 2013, peer mediators held more than 60 mediations, with 90% of mediations resulting in a signed mediation agreement. | |
| Committed to building peace: The City Montessori School in India | Third online chapter from, "Education That Makes a Difference: Success Stories for Conflict Resolution Educators," describes the City Montessori School in Lucknow, India. CMS is the largest private school in the world and is dedicated to teaching peace education. Original Source: Chapter 11 from People Building Peace II: Successful Stories Of Civil Society (Project of the European Centre for Conflict Prevention) by Paul Van Tongeren, Malin Brenk, Marte Hellema, and Juliette Verhoeven (Eds), Lynne Rienner Publishers (2005) | |
| Graduate peace & conflict studies programs: reconsidering their problems & prospects | Pdf article from Conflict Management in Higher Education Report, Volume 5, Number 1, (Sept 2004), which discusses the proliferation of graduate coursework in peace and conflict studies to, "consider how peace and conflict type programs are created and developed, reflect on their prospects and problems, and introduce topics that I believe will have to be dealt with in the future." | |
| Preparation of pre-service teachers for a culture of dignity and peace, The | 38-page PDF article which argues the necessity of peace education for future teachers. Abstract: This paper argues that since schools are considered spaces for critical transformation and teachers play a vital role in creating conditions where students can become loving, caring members of society, peace education should be made explicit in teacher education. It asserts that the teacher education culture in Ontario is keen and positioned for this endeavour to take place despite implicit and marginalized peace education content and practices. It continues by suggesting how a move to prepare teacher candidates with education for and about peace through the magnifying of current implicit peace practices may strengthen the overall momentum of producing just societies, thereby, building human dignity. Drawing from findings derived from a small-scale study, three implications for teacher education are given: teacher education must recognize the proclivity of teacher candidates for partnership pedagogy; create space for sharing experiences; and expose teacher candidates to peace education knowledge. Six recommendations are provided for increasing possibilities for peaceful and equitable social pathways. The overarching purpose is to stimulate further discussion and networking among Ministry of Education in Ontario and faculties of education by advocating how peace education aligns with the goals inherent in their own philosophies and those of the global peace agenda. | |
| Family Engagement in Peace Education Workbook | Children play a crucial role in creating social change and a better future for all. The "Family Engagement in Peace Education Workbook," developed by Katie Santarelli of the DC Peace Team , encourages children to investigate the role that conflict plays in themselves, their community, and the world. The 32-page PDF has sections for elementary, middle school and high school youth, each providing 5 suggested activities. Throughout this exploration, activities are designed to pique a child’s curiosity in peaceful living and the role that nonviolent peacemaking can play in transforming conflict. | |
| Teach Peace Secondary Pack | The U.K.-based Peace Education Network is pleased to release this second edition of their Secondary Level curriculum. The Teach Peace Secondary pack is aimed at 11–18-year- olds and follows on from the success of the Teach Peace Pack for primary school pupils aged 5–11. It considers themes around children and human rights education, decolonising the curriculum, local, national and international examples of peace in action. It brings together practice from throughout the UK and asks young people to consider the very big questions of peaceful practice. Copies of the lesson materials are also available online at: http://bit.ly/teach-peace-TES or www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/peace_edu_network_uk | |
| Does CRE make a difference | Powerpoint presentation about conflict resolution and peace education. |