Archive

Differences in Kenya, with close to 40 million people across 42 ethnic groups with different socio-cultural practices, have played a significant part in the conflicts in the country. This led to a greater need to establish systems and policies that can enhance cohesion in the country. Education in itself has not been a unifying factor of the different communities. The period between the 2007 general elections whose disputed presidential results led to violent conflict and later unrests in schools and the envisaged 2013 elections has seen several efforts to entrench Peace Education in both formal and non-formal education systems. Participants will discuss and compare initiatives/actions taken, challenges and success, as well as draw from participants possible best practices for the future from which many countries can benefit.

This session focused on the development and content of the book Peacebuilding in Community Colleges. The presentation focused on the justification for the book, the growth and direction of teaching peacebuilding in community colleges, and lessons from the book’s authors.

The Northeast Asia Regional Peacebuilding Institute (NARPI) aims to provide peace training for Northeast Asian people, including China, Japan, South and North Koreas, Taiwan, Mongolia, and Far East Russia. This presentation will share how NARPI contributes to a new identity for the region as a Northeast Asia Peace Community through its annual summer peacebuilding trainings since 2011. It will also share how NARPI supports local efforts to build peacebuilding infrastructure in Northeast Asia, with specific focus on the Korean context. Examples of the use of restorative justice in schools, communities, and the court system in Korea will be presented along with ideas on how a restorative justice framework can address historical conflict in the region.

This interactive workshop explores Eleanor Roosevelt’s role in the creation of the Declaration of Human Rights. Exploring Eleanor Roosevelt’s journey as an advocate of individual freedoms and rights provides the opportunity to examine some of the key challenges and opportunities of the 20th and 21st centuries and helps to make essential connections between history and the moral choices and responsibilities we confront in our own lives. Examining this journey offers a framework and a vocabulary for analyzing the meaning and responsibility of citizenship, and the tools to recognize bigotry in all its forms.

In the aftermath of the April 16, 2007 tragedy, Virginia Tech students and a Psychology Professor E. Scott Geller initiated a movement, Actively Caring for People (AC4P), designed to build community and reduce bullying. In the wake of the VT tragedy, one question lingered: “How did this happen?” While many factors were involved, it has been well-documented the shooter was bullied and individuals lacked the courage to actively care. In fall 2009, the first AC4P program to promote peace and reduce bullying was piloted at an elementary school in Northern Virginia. Since then, the AC4P movement has spread to educational settings across the nation, from K-12 to universities. This workshop provides participants with information about bullying, the framework for an AC4P culture shift, the success of the elementary and middle school programs (e.g., 50% reduction in bullying behavior after seven weeks), the perspectives on AC4P from various stakeholders (i.e., administrators, teachers, parents, students, and community members), and the implications for paradigm-shifting principles and practical strategies to improve individuals, classrooms, schools, and communities.

This workshop will unpack an arts based anti-racism curriculum known as CommonVisions. Participants engage individually and collectively in a creative photographic process to explore new understandings of reality for themselves, the group, and the community. CommonVisions has demonstrated that utilizing a visual/creative modality can be a powerful catalyst for positive social change. Participants will learn the logic model and structure of the curriculum, see examples of participants work, and be challenged to consider ways to introduce the arts into their own work of transforming conflict and promoting human oneness. (A video shown at the workshop can be viewed here)

This workshop will review Global and Multicultural Citizenship Education initiatives used throughout the state of Victoria, Australia, a diverse multicultural and multi-faith society where significant investment has been made in promoting social cohesion, particularly in education. Current research and how this is applied to civics and citizenship education, multicultural education, human rights education, including indigenous perspectives, peace education and conflict resolution education will be covered. A key focus of the presentation will be current national and state research efforts for school communities to monitor and evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of global and multicultural citizenship.

Restorative Justice is an approach to justice that focuses on the needs of victims and offenders, instead of simply working with the offender. Ideally, a Restorative Justice process involves victims, offenders, and people from the community joining together in dialogue. See this video shown during the workshop as an example. The application of restorative justice theory to practice has resulted in the development of a variety of restorative practices across numerous fields over the last few decades. The Office of Judicial Affairs at James Madison University has begun employing restorative justice processes into its campus conduct procedures, and offers one model of how to apply restorative justice principles into an existing system. Examples from other JMU departments will also be shared. More info at RJ at JMU

The goal of this round-table is to develop a conceptual model of how (social) media literacy education can be taught at each stage of a student’s academic career to build a more well-rounded student and global citizen. This workshop will share how a conceptual model which combines conflict resolution education and peace education can enhance understanding of the media and postmodern consumption of ideas and media.

These slides are from a keynote session addressing how social media is being used to facilitate self-organization, independent media, and effective nonviolent civil resistance against oppression and injustice with first hand examples from Bahrain and Egypt. It also addresses the other side of social media, looking at how oppressive structures and regimes can and have used it to further their own purposes, spy on activists, spread their own propaganda, and control information. The dynamics of conflict in which grassroots movements and their adversaries can use social media, as well as the limits of the use of social media by grassroots movements is explored. See these videos on social media tactics and the Bahrain protests for more information on that case example.

This presentation will provide resources and demonstrate examples of using the compelling narratives of sports culture, history, politics, and economics as a mechanism to actively engage students, educators, practitioners, and policy makers in difficult conversations about sensitive topics related to conflict and peace. This workshop seeks to: provide a mechanism of engaging (typically males) in discussions about traditionally difficult or sensitive topics; and provide sports-based examples of difficult social issues and the power of peaceful conflict resolution.

There are many Conventions and Policies that seek to redress the profound social disadvantages of persons/children with disabilities; however, many still occupy an inferior status in society and continue to be disadvantaged socially, economically and educationally. This presentation explores a world where conflict can be constructively confronted and engaged to assist and empower persons who are locked in “invisible” conflict situations, resulting from discrimination, marginalization and exclusion.