Type of Organization: Non-governmental - Non-Profit

Home Country: New Zealand

Overview

The Peace Foundation’s mission is to promote harmonious relationships among all people at all levels, through education, research and action.The Peace Foundation Wellington Office coordinates a number of programs for promoting peace in the community, nationally and internationally including: The Schools Outreach Program and the Outreach Educator visits schools in the Wellington region to lead classes in peace studies and assist teachers with peace education resources. The Wellington Office engages with the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, education resource centers, UNESCO and other national organizations in promoting peace and disarmament education. The office is also engaged in peace education internationally through the Hague Appeal for Peace Global Campaign for Education, Peace Boat, United Nations Department of Disarmament Affairs and other international organizations. Other programs are The Cool Schools Peer Mediation Program and Cool Schools Parent Program ( All Aotearoa, New Zealand Offices). Some other programs offered at the Wellington office are Peace Cities, Creating a Harmonious Society, Nuclear Zephyr, as well as The Babel Project, Building Human Rights Communities in Education and the Summer City program.

The School Outreach Program is based on The United Nations who has declared the years 2001 – 2010 as the International Decade for Peace and Non-Violence for Children, with a global emphasis. The program organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural organization (UNESCO)is to help develop values, attitudes and behaviors that respect freedom, democracy, human rights, tolerance, a rejection of violence and the resolution of conflicts through dialogue and negotiation. The Peace Foundation offers schools the Culture of Peace Outreach Program. The project was launched by the Minister of Education Mr. Trevor Mallard and operates mostly in the Wellington region. Outreach educators are available to visit schools to lead classes in various aspects of peace education, assist teachers in developing peace education in their classroom as well as demonstrate, display, discuss and distribute peace education resources, and other Peace Foundation programs suitable for schools. They also can consult with the principal, teachers and other school officials on problems and needs they have in regards to violence and conflict.

The other 3 major programs are Building Human Rights Communities in Education, Nuclear Abolition, and Disarmament for Development. Building Human Rights Communities in Education assist schools, early childhood education centres and other education settings to affirm, educate and model the human rights of all (in partnership with the Human Rights Commission, Office of the Children Commissioner, Amnesty International and Global Education Centre) . Nuclear Abolition works with parliamentarians, Nobel Peace Laureates, civil society leaders and government officials in New Zealand and around the world to build an international movement to abolish and eliminate nuclear weapons (in conjunction with Aotearoa Lawyers for Peace, the Parliamentary Network for Nuclear Disarmament, and Abolition 2000). Disarmament for Development works with the United Nations, governments and civil society on sustainable disarmament (including conflict resolution) to ensure sustainable development (in partnership with the Council for International Development and the International Peace Bureau).

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