Category Archives: Uncategorized

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.

Calling all Educators! Challenge yourself to a Challenge Day!

I had only ever seen “Challenge Day” on MTV, but after participating in a Challenge Day activity I wanted to read more into the program and see what it has to offer young people in the public school education system.  I went online to the official Challenge Day website and read up on the program and how it is actually implemented.  http://www.challengeday.org/index.php

Does something like Challenge Day really work to bring peace awareness and education to youth?  I found the answer to this question to simply be, yes it does.  I had never thought something such as a Challenge Day or even one of the activities from it would have an effect on me or allow me to open up to my peers so they could genuinely understand who I was.  Then again, you never know what you are personally capable of until you allow yourself to move outside of your comfort zone and discover yourself.

Challenge Day is best suited for young adults starting at the middle school age and can be used from there on up, in my opinion.  One thing I do believe for Challenge Day to be effective is that the people participating have to be able to understand their emotions.  A reason I don’t think Challenge Day would have as much of an impact on young elementary aged children is because they may not be as developed  in comprehending and expressing their emotions.  Challenge Day goes through a series of activities that allows students who have never talked to one another to share stories, laughter, and a range of emotions throughout the day.  These activities can sometimes start out as weird or uncomfortable because you never know how deep someone will actually go, but the end results are so amazing!

I believe every middle school, high school, and even college level professor should implement at least one challenge day during the semester because of how much time it requires.  It does take 6.5 hours at least, so the professors would have to set aside an entire day to successfully complete Challenge Day.  Here is how it works:  http://www.challengeday.org/how-challenge-day-works.php. 

So here is what I’m going to do…I’m going to challenge teachers that come across this blog to plan and execute a Challenge Day with their schools, whether it’s this year or next year.  I never thought I’d be a believer of the phenomenon “Challenge Day” that was aired on MTV, but it does work.  It gives students the chance to dive into a form of Peace Education that doesn’t require reading books and articles, but gives them the first hand experience in seeing peace at work and them being the peacemakers.

I really wish that Challenge Day existed when I was in middle school and high school.  It is something I strongly believe should be implemented into the public school educational system.  I believe it can bring change and help develop peace education and conflict resolution techniques at an early age.

Here are research and evaluations about Challenge Day from the website: http://www.challengeday.org/challenge-day-evaluations-research.php

Here are some articles about schools and Challenge Day:

http://gilroy.patch.com/articles/gilroy-high-school-to-challenge-day-on-wednesday

http://perkiomenvalley.patch.com/articles/challenge-day-returns-to-perkiomen-valley-high-school

Improving your Interpersonal Skills: theripplesguy.com

Theripplesguy.com was created by Paul “The Ripples Guy” Wesselmann with the mission of inspiring others to achieve their full potential in life. He does this by traveling around the country giving presentations on interpersonal, leadership and motivational skills. Many companies and organizations contact him to give group presentations on: personal and professional growth, interpersonal skills and motivational skills. I learned about theripplesguy.com while attending one of his presentations at George Mason University but anyone can review his presentations on his website for free. In this blog I will discuss his presentation, Reaching Out: Achieving High Levels of Interpersonal Effectiveness and demonstrate how it is related to peace education.

Reaching Out: Achieving High Levels of Interpersonal Effectiveness is a presentation about how to get along with others, especially those you don’t like by using effective interpersonal skills. Interpersonal skills are essential to peace education because  how you communicate and interact with others matters! Therefore by using effective interpersonal skills you can prevent conflict, promote peace and make the world a better place.

I recommend that all resident directors or supervisors use this resource to ehance their staff’s interpersonal skills. Wesselmann’s presentations should be taught at a conference or at a weekend retreat. This  allows employees to step away from their work and really absorb the material. In my opinion, his presentations should be taught to high school students and above because effective interpersonal skills are needed when working with others on teams, projects, jobs and organizations.

In Reaching Out: Achieving High Levels of Interpersonal Effectiveness, Paul gives us three techniques to improve our interpersonal skills: Vegetables are Gross, Create Deposits and Get out of Your Chair. Veggies are Gross is a theory that explains that to stay healthy you have to eat vegetables. However you don’t have to like vegetables to eat them; you just have to eat them to stay healthy. When applying this concept to interpersonal skills in the workplace it means to work with people you don’t have to like them; you just have to work with them.  Creating deposits is the concept that explains what you put in something, is what you get out of it. When applying this concept to interpersonal relations we can say that we invest more in people we like then people we don’t like. With that said, if you don’t like someone try depositing more in them, try building a relationship with them and see if your attitude towards them changes. The third technique is Get out of Your Chair in other words make an effort to interact and get to know people you don’t like, instead of writing them off. In addition, by learning to work with other more effectively you are better equipped to prevent and resolve conflicts and inequalities in the workplace. With that said, there is no guarantee that these techniques will prevent conflict in the workplace because conflict is inevitable but in some cases these techniques will help.

Ways to use this resource is to contact  Paul “The Ripples Guy” Wesselmann  to come and do a presentation. However, if you have already attended one of his presentations, you can shared the information with others by visiting his website.  As a supervisor, I would incorporate this presentation after  your employees are well acquainted with each other. During this time, it will help strengthen their current relationships as well as challenge them to interact with other co-workers that they don’t necessarily get along with.  It will also encourage them to step outside of their comfort zones and enhance their interpersonal skills. This resource should be used along with team builders, ice breakers and group outings to check the temperature of the group and the group’s dynamics. Paul’s presentations are useful because they help employees grow on a personal and professional level.

Participatory and experiential peace education methods are most supported by this presentation. By utilizing this resource employees will enhance their communication, interpersonal and leadership skills as well as develop a change in attitude towards interacting with people they don’t like. For more information on how to build peace in the workplace you can check out the 7 Pillars of Peace Education by clicking on the hyperlink.

References

Cambridge, Daryn. (2012). 7 Pillars of Peace Education. Retrieved February 21, 2012, from https://peacelearner.org/about-2/7-pillars-of-peace-education/

Wesselmann, Paul. (2012).Contact. Retrieved February 21, 2012, from http://theripplesguy.com/

Wesselmann, Paul. (2012). Great Work, Great Life: Five GREAT Actions for Success in Work & Life. Retrieved February 21, 2012, from http://www.paulwesselmann.com/files/File/key/great.html

grab your nikon. create an ikon.

See what I did there?

Seriously though, grab your Nikon or whatever other photographic device you’ve got (I personally prefer my iPhone on the hispstamatic, ya dig?) and let your voice be…seen? You can do it all with a little help from IGVP, International Guild if Visual Peacemakers. They are a group of visual communicators who are dedicated to breaking down barriers and stereotypes in order to create peace. They strive to display the dignity and beauty of cultures all around the world. Once again, I have to accredit my find to Google.

So listen up photography teachers, cultural studies teachers, and just about any other teacher that can tie this into their curriculum. Regardless of your students’ ages, this one’s for you. Make it an in-class thing and just give your students a couple of cameras and a couple of minutes. Or make it a homework assignment and give em the weekend to do it on their own and show you what they came up with. What’s peace in their eyes?

It’s an easy way for students to think creatively, do something a little outside the box, and really involve the community. It’s an application of what they learn, how they feel, and what they think. It’s their perspective and dammit I like it! There’s no right or wrong answer.

Once you’ve got the pictures just create a gallery by creating an account on the IGVP website and post em for all to see! But that’s not all ladies and gents, you can spread the peace in other ways. After your students snap a few shots, they can talk about it by submitting entries for the guest blog! They can even start a discussion on the IGVP blog. Blogging’s all the hype.

This snazzy-so 21st century medium is a simple way to teach people to embrace and accept others. With so many colorful galleries to look through it’s easy to see beauty and common humanity through other’s eyes. Seeing pictures full of so many emotions and truths it’s hard not to empathize with other cultures. Not to mention it teaches students how to express themselves in ways other than in writing.

So, find a day to take that camera out when the sun rays are a blazing. Or not. Hey, it’s your artistic eye and your iconic representation of peace. I’m just the messenger. 

How about a day for peace?

Actor turned filmmaker Jeremy Gilley founded Peace One Day after realizing that there was no starting point for peace, no day of global unity, no day for intercultural cooperation, and no day for when humanity came together. Gilley felt that if we united as one then that might be the key to humanity’s survival. He started his advocacy for his Peace Day by writing letters to every state leader, their ambassadors, Nobel peace laureates, NGOs, faith based organizations, and other various organizations. Then in 1999 his dream of Peace One Day came true. In 1999 all the member states of the United Nations adopted the 21st of September as Peace Day. This day is recognized as an annual global ceasefire and non-violence day.

Jeremy Gilley’s Peace One Day is recognized every year, but unfortunately the day hasn’t gotten the full attention it deserves. Gilley was to make a statement with Kofi Annan on September 11, 2001 to advocate for his event, but because of the attack on the World Trade Center the statement never happened. However, the events on September 11, 2001 made Gilley work even harder. He was even more empowered and inspired to move forward with Peace One Day. This led to Gilley, along with actor Jude Law, to start work for peace in Afghanistan. Because of the pair advocating for Peace Day the Taliban sent him letter and said they would observe the day, and not engage in violence. The Taliban doing this led to 1.6 million people vaccinated for polio and violence on that day was down by 70%.

Due to this success Gilley has initiated a new plan for 2012, a Global Truce Day. This day will show younger generations that we can make a stop to violence with small acts of non-violence in our everyday lives. Gilley wants to utilize all kinds of resources from dance to social media and globally network with government, intergovernmental, and education leaders.

Gilley’s idea of utilizing education into his plan for 2012’s Global Truce Day helped persuade me to write this blog post about his event. Gilley wants to get young people to be the driving force to inspire individual action, so he has complied an educational resource for teachers to implement non-violence and other peace concepts into the classroom.

I can see this educational resource implemented in almost every formal grade level classroom. The students would need a little background on what conflict is, so because of this, starting at the fourth or fifth grade level would probably be best. However, this could fluctuate determined on how the students are influenced by conflict in their everyday lives. By implementing these resources in a classroom setting these children can practice non-violence in their schools, and also bring what they learn outside of the school setting and teach others.

Ways to use this resource:
Gilley includes many different types of lessons in his educational resource. This comprehensive resource includes 21 one-hour lesson plans for exploring issues of peace, nonviolence, and the protection of the environment, with extended projects for Peace Day on September 21st. I think this resource would be best integrated by first starting with showing Gilley’s documentary for one day of class, doing the lesson that corresponds to that, then moving on to the individual lessons maybe once a month until the actual Peace Day on the 21st. The students could help plan how they want their school to recognize and celebrate the event. In addition to using Gilley’s lesson plans I think it would be important for each teacher to incorporate their own discussion in their classrooms on non-violence, and other peace education areas. This would help each individual classroom relate to what types of conflict are going on in their societies.

The goal of each lesson, whether it be with Gilley’s lesson plans or the teacher’s, would be to spread knowledge about ways to bring about peace in small ways. These can be from their knowledge on non-violence to their knowledge of eco-resolution. Each lesson will more than likely encourage a student to go out and spread what they learned to another, and therefore spread the movement of peace.

“We should oppose violence in all situations and of course there’s no better way of bringing that about than through the power of education.”-Jeremy Gilley

Resources:
Peace One Day website: http://peaceoneday.org/
Peace One Day’s educational resources: http://peaceoneday.org/teachers/