Category Archives: Uncategorized

NATI

There are many different organizations that promote leadership and peace education. However there are far more programs that are forgotten or under-utilized. This program falls under that category. I am promoting this program because I have seen how effective it can be and I think this program can become useful to schools around the country.

 

National Association of Teen Institutes or NATI, as its members know it, was established in 1965. This organization promotes supports and advocates for leadership and prevention programs. NATI is the umbrella, which all the teen institutes of the nation fall under.

            All of the teen institutes work under a specific model that was developed by NATI. This model is taken from Icek Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behavior. There are five major elements that accompany the model.

  1. An All-Encompassing Focus on Healthy Beliefs and Clear Standards
  2. Opportunities for Pro-Social Bonding, Attachment and Commitment
  3. Meaningful Opportunities to Participate Actively
  4. Recognition and Reinforcement for Learning and Applying Life Skills
  5. Life Skills Training for Healthy Lifestyle Choice

 

I was pulled into this program after 4 years of service to my teen institute held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I became a Youth Affairs Liaison and was able to travel to several different cities to work with the teen institutes to try and improve and strengthen their programs. The program takes place over 3 to 7 days, depending on the program.

 

A program that has been very successful is the Tennessee Teen Institute. The overall goal of the Tennessee Teen Institute is to promote the development of a healthy, safe and drug-free lifestyle by impacting the attitudes and behaviors of our youth in the areas of alcohol, tobacco, drug abuse, and violence. TTI facilitates this by having young people develop Action Plans to implement prevention projects and programs in their schools and communities. TTI focuses on youth leadership skills and empowerment as key strategies to prevent underage alcohol and drug use.

 

There are many workshops that take place throughout the several days of instruction. Here are two of my favorite workshops presented to the participants.

 

  1. Jump the line-Participants stand on one side of the line and move to the other side when a statement is read that applies to them. The statements will get increasing more intimate towards the end of the exercise. The facilitator has to be able to read the room to see how the participants are handling the exercise because it can become an emotional experience.
  2. The participants are given 4 sets of 4 different colored pieces of paper. Each color represents something important to them. The four categories are, family members, favorite things, friends, and hobbies. The students then go through a process and have to choose between different colors and ripping them up. At the end of the exercise the student is left with only one piece of paper because of theoretical bad decisions that were made along the way.

 

I’ve found these programs to be exceptionally useful to school systems. The institutes teach the students that attend how to become leaders as well as drug and alcohol prevention. The facilitators give them to the tools and capacity to reach out the students of their schools to create a safer and more productive place. These websites offer helpful tips and creative ideas to bring to the classroom.

 

Resources:

http://www.teeninstitute.org

http://www.tnteeninstitute.net/tti/

 

PeacePlayers International

Peace Players International

Brothers Sean and Brendan Tuohey founded PeacePlayers International (PPI) in 2001. They believed, “children who play together can learn to live together.” As a result over 52,000 youth have been reached by PPI in its short history.

Using basketball to bring children together and teach them proven methods for improving their communities, PeacePlayers International utilizes a groundbreaking peacebuilding and leadership development curriculum. PPI currently has year-round operations in South Africa, Northern Ireland, Israel and the West Bank, and Cyprus. Check out www.PeacePlayersintl.org to learn more about PPI’s history.

PeacePlayers International programs incorporate an element of formal peace and leadership education, grounded by an innovative basketball curriculum developed with the assistance of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation and the Arbinger institute. The Arbinger institute is a global center for the study of interpersonal conflict. Through fun on-court activities and guided discussion the participants are taught how to ways to think about conflict and their roles in society. The Curriculum emphasizes what PPI calls, “out of the box thinking”- a way of interacting with those around us that honors both others; humanity and our responsibility for change.

Ways to use this Resource:

Educators can use many of the same activities that PPI uses in their camps. One example of a drill that PPI uses is one that focuses on anti-social behavior. In the activity the coach instructs the team to not pass the ball to a designated team member. That member is unaware that he/she is being excluded. Once the excluded team member finally does receive the ball he/she reciprocates the exclusion by not passing the ball to another member. At the end of the activity the coaches facilitate a dialogue around the issues of anti-social behavior. They stress the importance of not reciprocating that hurt feeling onto others even if we really want to. Watch this video to see the activity in practice. The example activity takes place at 3:50 mark.

Educators can use this activity as well inside the classroom or at recess to show students that excluding others from groups, games, or other cliques has a negative impact. Physical education teachers would be best equipped to facilitate such an activity due to the availability of a ball of some sort. However, other teachers may use a smaller ball such as a tennis ball to facilitate this activity inside of a traditional classroom.

Goals:

With this resource I believe that students can learn the importance of inclusion and partnership. Team work especially is can be learned because this exercises stress the importance of inclusion. When the team member who has been excluded feels the hurt he/she often reciprocates the exclusion and hurts the team in the end. So this activity teaches students to collaborate and work together to perform in a productive way.

I think teachers who are seeing destructive cliques form within their classes can benefit from this resource. I would suggest that middle school teachers (i.e. 6th grade teachers) would benefit from this because it’s around that age that anti-social behavior and bullying takes place. I also think that sports teams that are having problems working together may also benefit.

Resources:

Curriculum- http://www.peaceplayersintl.org/about/curriculum

PeacePlayers International- http://www.peaceplayersintl.org/

Students for International Security

International peace efforts are often made in the context of the state system, where ruling governments and the confines of borders define the limits of such efforts. Some of the largest and most powerful inter-governmental organizations exist in the name of international security. Students for International Security (SIS) serves to advocate international security which could lead to peace. I received and analyzed the following information from an interview with an SIS member at George Mason University.

SIS is is a student group, operating on university campuses nationwide. The group’s function is to serve as a forum for intelligent discussion of major theories and issues related to international security. Participants passionately discuss issues via presentations and briefings. Members in the group are tested for their public speaking skills, ability to hold a dialogue with other members, and the academic rigor of their research. SIS is primarily intended for those interested in international relations, which may make it seem like a niche group across the university. Members generally have their eyes set on careers in international organizations, government work and non-governmental organizations related to international security.

The context of Students of International Security has students discussing issues that are life or death for populations worldwide. By focusing on the issue of international security, students are looking for stability in foreign policy and international affairs. The members of the group attempt to raise awareness of certain issues through their presentations and by posting debates on the club’s Facebook page. The club members in general analyze international issues through the lens of the international security field, which is decidedly realist.

Although international security and peace education are not mutual fields of work, there can be much to gain from integrating the literature and theories of both fields. International security theory holds that security dilemmas arise from conflicts of national interests. Further, it has been shown that either through diplomacy or alignment with similar-valued countries, nations can come to agreements that lead to stability and set the groundwork for a greater peace. The main thing to note is that in the theory of international security, peace is not the same as security. Security is safety from potential conflict and peace is the absence of conflict. With international security being the basic framework for modern state relations, it is important for international endeavors in peace education to recognize and adapt to this reality.

SIS Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Students-For-International-Security-SIS/109154669104887

 

 

United States Institute of Peace Field Trip

Adolescent peacebuilders utilizing multimedia resource at USIP

While driving in Washington DC one day I passed this really nifty looking, stark white building. Although white buildings are not uncommon in DC this building was particularly interesting because the interior was completely exposed and visible due to a immense glass front. I was so intrigued at the design of the building I decided to research the organization that would build something so innovative and different. It turned out the building, located on Constitution Ave NW, was the United States Institute of Peace (USIP).

 

Through my research I found USIP to be intriguing and exciting. For this reason, I propose USIP would be a fantastic destination for a field trip. Due to its proximity to major highways such as I-95 and I-495 as well as various modes of public transit (i.e. Metro) USIP is highly accessible to schools/communities in the northern Virginia area. Additionally, the only logistics besides transportation involve contacting them by email at buildingpeace@usip.org to iron out any details. All trips are facilitated through the USIP Global Peacebuilding Center.

This field trip could be implemented by classrooms or community programs with pretty much any age group because the lesson plans can be flexible and implemented in different ways dependent upon the teacher’s chosen approach. For example, a field trip such as this can be applied to a range of subject matter from the basics of conflict resolution or peace education to something as simple as studying a community conflict or the Holocaust. The point is to both expand current knowledge for all age groups as well as begin peace education early so it can be internalized and put into practice.

Young future generation of peacebuilders (Kids for Peace)

Along with various possibilities of its implementation there is great variety in the follow-up afterward such as a writing assignment or class discussion about the concepts presented and how they can be applied to a local, national, or global issue, or some other kind of expressive outlet. The field trip itself does not need to be excessively long, a DC day trip for a few hours would suffice, but the duration of the utilization of the knowledge and resources (including online videos/lesson plans) provided by the USIP Global Peacebuilding Center would depend on the instructor. The following is an example of one the video resources on their website. The Rule of Law

**Although time is not an issue, goal-setting and limited explorational guidelines are recommended.

The recognition of real world application and out-of-classroom learning are two components that are often absent from mainstream education and this field trip, paired with multimedia technology, offers an opportunity to remedy that. Visiting USIP and participating with the Global Peacebuilding Center offers the chance to foster a number of vital skills including critical thinking, real world application, conceptualization, and global awareness/understanding to name a few. Also, USIP engages and empowers the students through their myriad of resources. It allows students to see how what they are learning is being addressed or utilized by adults and professionals.

Project Hope

 

 

Project Hope: 

http://projecthope.ps/about/

 

As I was researching for a resource to post on the blog regarding peace education, I came across an organization called Project Hope. Project Hope is a non-profit organization and was started by an international volunteer during the time of invasions and refugee camps in Palestine. During this time, the internationals believed they could commit and engage with women and children. 

 

Project Hope helps to establish safe areas for children to be able to learn, grow, and thrive. One of the most important values this particular organization conveys is Children Rights.  Children have the utmost right to education, health and security. Through the programs that are established from Project Hope, children will be able to work together in a safe environment. 

 

One of the values from the organization that I mostly admired was gender equality. 

 

“We strive to ensure that girls and young women have equal access to the activities we provide. The majority of our students are female, participating in a wide range of activities, from English and computer classes to gymnastics and photography. And with women leading our English and French Departments, female members of staff have a prominent voice in the needs assessment, design, and implementation of our programs as well.” 

 

 

 

Men have the upper hand in various countries within the Middle East. Children may be prone to assumption that women are unable to work outside of home and establish their career lives. Thus, having the opportunity for girls and boys learning and working together is development toward a better future. Also, having primary female staff members as teachers and instructors is another way of conveying the message of EQUALITY.

 

 

 

The education setting for this particular non-profit organization is youth-community based civilians within the country of Palestine. The organization predominantly works with children between the ages 5-17, enhancing their knowledge of technology, learning the English language, sports, graphic design, film + group-based activities. The organization is also extremely passionate about their international staff members. Working with people from different backgrounds can give an open mind to the Palestinian children. Also, the international staff members  that are derived from various parts of the globe can learn from the children and their way of life. 

 

Ways to use this resource: 

 

– Way to strengthen this NGO is to not only work on children in Palestine, but also branch out to neighboring countries and/or countries in the Middle East. An educator might want to incorporate this organization, globally. This way, the organization will be more popular and well-known. 

 

-Another way to enhance or strengthen this particular resource is to establish a  camp that brings kids from various countries within the middle east to work and learn together. Project Hope should maintain the same concept for the kids to enhance their education by various subjects and engagement, but also to have children come together to unite from different countries, cultures, and origins. Discrimination is a main issue: denominations from Islam & Christianity, culture and etc. Kids should be able to look beyond the conflict that was brought up generations before, but promote peace! 

 

Children will be able to engage with others with a better knowledge and an open mind. It is important for people to understand each other. While this is focusing on literal education, the organization also incorporates peace and equality. 

 

The audience that I would be focusing on would be the educational systems in Palestine and the various countries that are linked together and the staff members of Project Hope. I’d like to reach out to the educational system in Palestine to allow students to engage in activities with children from different ethnic backgrounds. I want to make it apparent that the purpose for this  organization is  peace. This may take some time to proceed because several school systems in the Middle East refuse and restrict the idea of students being informed about different countries and their customs/cultures. I would also like to reach out to the staff members of this NGO because I’d want this organization to be globally inclined with other countries, not only Palestine. This will benefit the organization as a whole by giving aid to even more people around the world and making a proper name out of this organization. 

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Using Social Media to Empower Individuals

In the US, youth ages 8-18 spend 7.5 hours everyday using entertainment media. So, what better way is there to outreach to our generation than using social media? The most popular sites that people are members of today include: Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Pintrest, and Google+. We have access to these sites through our computers, ipads, tablets, and smartphones, all devices that we use continuously throughout the day.

 

In the past month, the United States and the World has been empowered by a new video called Kony 2012, created by Invisible Children. Invisible Children created this 30minute video about Joseph Kony and the LNR. Never has 30 minutes passed so quickly.

 

Invisible Children managed to create a video that has become the most viral video in history, and create a lot of awareness and response. Wither you agree or disagree with what Invisible Children is asking, or wither you disagree with the simplicity, there is one thing everyone must agree on, Invisible Children created an inspiring video that caught a lot of peoples attention. Invisible Children’s initial goal was to have the Kony 2012 video recieved 500,000 views before 2013. Two weeks later, the video has received around 140 million views.

 

Invisible Children attempted to create a video that was simple, and to the point. They wanted to create a film that would resonate with people, and something that people could take away from the video. In the video, Invisible Children simply presented the problem and then ended the film with three steps to help people make a change.

 

Quite simply, using social media is proven to be an easy and quick tool to spread the word. But it also allows a lot of creativity among students to create new ways to grasp reader’s attention, to share their story, and to gain other peoples involvement. Even if other people’s involvement is just a re-tweet, the word is still going to be spread.

 

I challenge you to once a day, to create a Facebook status or tweet about a cause that you are passionate about. If someone “likes” the status or “re-tweets” the tweet, then you too are spreading awareness to empower other individuals.

 

Resources:

http://mashable.com/2012/03/12/kony-most-viral/ – ‘KONY 2012′ Tops 100 Million Views, Becomes the Most Viral Video in History [STUDY]

 

www.good.is/post/a-kony-2012-creator-defends-the-film/ –  ‘There’s a Rabid Hunger to Criticize’: A ‘Kony 2012’ Creator Defends the Film

 

 

PEACE

Peace Education

1. Content. The resource is a program called PEACE. It is based out of communties in Mexico. I found out about the PEACE program through a friend in Ithaca, NY, whos friend worked on the program her self in Mexico.

2. Context. I believe this would be best implemented in a troubled area, perhaps at a youth center that kids attended. The age level would be between 5-10 years old, the younger we can teach these kids, the better off they will be. I will say for example in downtown Ithaca, this would be a great program, there are some under privvlaged kids and ones who get started on the wrong track, where this could make a big difference. When I was in high school I use to volunteer down at one of the youth centers and it was interesting to see the kids who came through those doors. A program like this would do wonders.

3. Implementation: As far as implementing this program, they should look at the website and see the programs on there. Something they emphasize is the community and being aware of their surroundings. If they were able to get local organizations involved that would be very helpful. Team building activties and real life scenarios would also be great to use in this instance, there is no better way to learn then hands on.

I wouldn’t put a timetable on it. I think it would be best to try out and see where it goes from there. Obviously lesson planning would be helpful so it can be structured and organized.

4. Goal-            I think that one on one peace education is vital here, as well as peace towards the community. They do specify on individuals, but also to respect the community and your surroundings.

The young kids would be able to obtain numerous skills from this program. They would learn how to have a better outlook on life and problems that come towards them every day. I feel they would have a better understanding of them selves as well as others. I think they would be able to look at conflicts from a different angle then before and make a solid solution to the problem at hand.

Audience. I have shared this post with one of the leaders at the community center I volunteered at. I also shared it with one of the peer mediatiors at my middle school that I attended.

http://www.peacemexico.org/map.php

Bridges To Understanding

I recently learned about Bridges To Understanding through another popular organization, Teachers Without Borders (TWB).  This year TWB has decided to adopt Bridges To Understanding’s youth programs and educational curriculums since the non-profit organization, founded in 2001, will be dissolving (http://www.teacherswithoutborders.org/programs/teacher-programs/peace-education/bridges-understanding).  The Bridges To Understanding’s vision was to “empower and unite youth worldwide, enhance cross-cultural understanding and build global citizenship using digital technology and the art of storytelling” (http://www.facebook.com/bridgesworld?sk=info).

I thought it was interesting to see how Bridges’ two core curriculum-based programs, the Bridges Ambassador Program and the Bridges Global Citizens Program, connected students across the globe in a way most educators (especially those in a public education system) would never accomplish in the traditional classroom setting.  The Bridges group laid the groundwork for a “network of established partner schools and community organizations in Seattle, Peru, Guatemala, South Africa, India and Cambodia where [their curriculums] have been adapted to insure cultural relevancy” (http://www.facebook.com/bridgesworld?sk=info).  The first curriculum, the Ambassador Program, teaches children how to create digital stories about their daily lives, local culture/traditions and community.  With the help of Bridges staff, teachers lead discussion forums on conflict and resolution as well as environmental sustainability issues through both a local and a global lens.  The second curriculum, the Global Citizens Program, works on a more international approach by bringing together partner schools around the world into a classroom-to-classroom discussion forum to talk about important global issues.  This allows students to view others’ videos while sharing their own stories, photography and ideas (http://www.bridges2understanding.org/programs/programs.html).

Contextually, this peer-to-peer learning can be implemented at any age level.  In our global environment, the use of digital technology is something many young children are learning far more quickly than in the past generation.  I think both science and humanities teachers should be encouraging technology-based curriculums such as this one into their classrooms since it not only broadens the children’s skill set for the future workplace (arguable one goal of education), but also gives them the opportunity to explore a vast amount of new information available online.  Technology is typically applied in science classes, but by introducing online discussion forums into humanities classes, students are able to personally clarify the local context of the broad cultural content they learn.  By giving youth a protected informal setting, educators can eliminate some of the psychological barriers preventing students from asking questions in the formal classroom setting while increasing the perceived self-importance of other individual youth who take pride in speaking about their culture; perhaps, for many, this is the first time a foreigner has taken an interest in their lives.

The Bridges organization has added a resource called the Bridges Passport Program for educators to help implement their curriculums with ease.  This program provides educators with access to “ten youth-produced digital stories, with accompanying story guides, for classes to explore rich multicultural content” in the context of any existing curriculum (http://www.bridges2understanding.org/programs/programs.html).  After the merger with Teachers Without Borders, educators can also access both of the Bridges’ curriculums through the TWB website.  The only logistical setback would be that individual classrooms would need access to either a computer, camera or a TV to view and create the digital stories.  I would suggest taking the last class of each week to focus on a global issue presented within the content youth learned in class that week.  Educators can alternate between using a story guide to watch and discuss an international student’s video one week and having their students create videos to post online the next week.  If there are time restraints on watching videos or creating videos which is probably more likely, educators should encourage students to meet outside of school to discuss possible global issues in their local community and think of ways they can incorporate these themes into both a video and the lessons they are learning in class.  The application to already existing class material is key.

This resource is geared heavily towards conflict resolution and human rights education; hence, it would fit well into humanities classes.  Pedagogically-speaking, educators would use this to build trust across cultures and community building.  This resource allows students to explore alternative perspectives on global history and learn how they can reframe it to incorporate means of peace.  Bridges To Understanding specifically works to “develop students’ cross-cultural understanding, as they discover differences and similarities in the challenges faced by their peers in other countries” (http://www.facebook.com/bridgesworld?sk=info).  This requires students to not only become leaders to actively discuss issues in their community, but also active listeners to other students’ problems.  On a practical level, they must also become familiar with technology.  I believe the Northern Virginia public school system would make an excellent candidate as well as George Mason University for implementation of these programs since we have public access to many forms of technology.

Resources:

http://www.bridges2understanding.org/ – The Bridges To Understanding website

http://www.facebook.com/bridgesworld?sk=info – The Bridges To Understanding Facebook page

http://www.teacherswithoutborders.org/programs/teacher-programs/peace-education/bridges-understanding – The Teachers Without Borders website

Brandywine Peace Community

The Brandywine Peace Community (BPC) is a peace activist group located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania.   They were founded in 1977 as a response to the Vietnam War. BPC is committed to war resistance, disarmament and public education. They are known for holding several nonviolent, direct action campaigns against Lockheed Martin, the world’s #1 weapons corporation. Throughout the year they conduct several nonviolent protests, civil disobedience workshops and meetings to promote peace and encourage disarmament.  I learned about the BPC while attending one of their meetings over Spring Break in Philadelphia, PA.

The BPC is a community resource for all ages because everyone should be aware and involved in the peace movement. Majority of their meetings consist of older people who are well-known in their community however their organization is open to the public. In addition, they have several committees such as the educational committee who reach out to students in the community and try to educate them on peace education and war resistance.

As a community member you could join a peace organization in your own neighborhood or establish your own peace organization group. If you don’t live in Pennsylvania you can use the Brandywine Peace Community as a resource/network for peace activism.  They have a website where they post all their events and how to get involved in the peace movement. Whether you join a peace organization or start your own organization group it does require some time, research and commitment on your part. Obviously if you start your own peace organization it may take more time and research then just joining an existing peace organization.

Participatory and direct action are types of peace education supported by the Brandywine Peace Organization. This resource does require some time, commitment and physical action. By attending one of the Brandywine Peace Community meetings you will gain knowledge on civil disobedience, weapons disarmament, and how to become a peace activist. If you are interested check out their website or attend on of their meetings!

 

 

“B Some 1, Vote 4 Peace”: A Case Study

As United States citizens, who have had the opportunity to express their opinions through the (peaceful) democratic electoral process; we often fail to recognize that this opportunity is not available to a vast majority of the global populace.

 

There are several non-governmental and international organizations who work in countries across the globe in order to guarantee that this opportunity be made available to their citizens. One group, the United States Institute for Peace (USIP), recently served to be an effective facilitator in helping the country of Nigeria to prepare for their April 2011 elections, and safeguard their citizens’ opportunity to exercise their voice in a democratic matter. The reflection of the processes utilized by USIP (found here) proves to be an effective case study in analyzing the means to which countries can utilize to in order to protect their electoral processes, in a country which has historically experienced much turmoil during election season (i.e. the elections of 2007). 

 

The complexity and comprehensive nature of this particular example would be best suited for a more experienced crowd (college level).  It can be used as a part of a conflict resolution and international relations curricula, as a tool to understand processes required to promote nonviolence in traditionally violent regions of the world. In this setting, it also serves as a tool of analysis, which can be manipulated by students, in order to understand what (if anything) made USIP’s plan successful. Furthermore, students should be encouraged to critically think about the word “successful” through open dialogue, in order to understand the broader picture of what exactly makes something a “success” in the realm of peace education.

 

An activity which can compliment this activity is a variation of the View from Windowactivity, also found on USIP’s site. Doing this activity prior to the introduction of the case study provides a smooth segue into understanding why violence often erupts in several countries due to elections; through the realization that everyone has a different perspective, especially in violent situations.

 

Goal:

A large issue with several educational materials is its applicability to real-life situations (or lack thereof). One can have several tools in their toolbox, but if they don’t know what tool to use with a pan head screw (for example), then their entire toolbox is useless. Utilizing this case study will aid in the development of both critical and analytical skills necessary for real life application, a necessary element to “liberating education” as Paulo Freire mentions in his book, Pedagogy of the Oppressed (1968). Thus, the goal with using a recent case-study in an educational environment will help to provide more concrete skills, for its applicable to situations that can often be very tense and violent in nature.

So, as the Nigerians preached leading up to the April 2011 elections, “B some 1”, and educate for  more peaceful (and fair) elections.