Introduction and Background

The following lesson plan was used by a group of Conflict Analysis and Resolution Master’s and PhD Candidates for a day-long peace education workshop with a class of 8^th grade students from Washington D.C. The students were a part of a U.S. History course, but had been studying peace education and the history of nonviolent conflict in their course and were interested in learning more.

The following lesson plan is broken down into three main sections: Introduction and Ice Breaker, the Counter-Rally Activity, and Exercises in Identity.

Learning Objectives

-Introduction and Ice Breaker:

• Learning the value of prototyping
• Synergizing ideas on the fly
• Working under pressure

-Counter-rally Activity:

• Students will conduct a narrative analysis of dominant political narratives
• Students will develop strategy and tactics for a political rally
• Students will identify methods and areas to express nonviolent agency

-Exercises in Identity:

• Students will learn different types of identities
• Students will pinpoint certain values that make up their identity
• Students will self-reflect on how they prioritize identities within their own lives

Time Needed

Total: 4.5 hours

Breakdown:        Intro and Ice Breaker (45 minutes)
Counter-Rally Activity (2.5 hours)
Exercises in Identity (1 hour)

Materials Needed

Index Cards
Dry erase markers/board
Permanent Markers
Pencils/Pens
Marshmallows
Spaghetti Noodles
Masking tape
Poster board
Computer w/ Internet connection

Procedures

-Introduction and Ice Breaker:

http://www.tomwujec.com/design-projects/marshmallow-challenge/

1). Provide 20 pieces of spaghetti, 1 marshmallow, 1 yard of masking tape, 1 yard of string for each group of 4-6 participants

2). Explain the rules:

• The goal is to create the tallest freestanding structure with the marshmallow at top, which means the structure has to be standing on its own at the end of the activity without the assistance of participants or being taped down to the surface
• The marshmallow must be stuck onto the top of the spaghetti tower in its entirety, meaning it may not be split or even eaten
• The spaghetti, tape, or string may be broken up to be used at the team sees fit. The team may use as much or as little as they want.
• It may be a good idea to repeat the instructions or even have participants explain it again for the whole workshop.

3). Time is limited to 18 minutes. Depending on the need, this may be shortened, but leave enough time for the participants to actually have the opportunity to build something.

4). Start the challenge, preferably with some appropriate music.

5). In case the teams are all having a difficult time, hints can be given at set intervals, which also serve as time reminders.

6). A round of applause should be given to the team that has the tallest structure

7). Debrief Questions

• What steps did you take to build the structure? Did you talk and build at the same time or did you talk then build?
• What were some issues that arose? Can you think of some possible solutions?
• What were some observations that you made? Please elaborate

8). This activity itself should be fun and active, while the debrief should serve as a “calm down” session.

-Counter-rally Activity

1). Screen video clip for students of Donald Trump campaign rally: http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/02/donald_trumps_build_that_wall.html

2). Conduct de-brief after video:

• What are your reactions to this video?
• What is Trump’s message in it?
• How does it make you feel?
• (What) had you heard about the wall before this video?
• Why do you think people support the wall? Why do you think people are opposed to it?
• What picture does he paint of people crossing into America at the US-Mexican border?
• What kind of story is he trying to tell in this speech?
• What kind of things do you think people at this rally might believe about undocumented immigrants? What words might they use to describe them? Why do you think that is?

* What images and stories of Mexican immigrants is he not including or giving voice to? Why do you think that is?

3). Pose the Situation and Project

Trump supporters are holding a rally in support of the wall. You’ve been tasked with holding a counter-rally against the wall. You have two hours on a Saturday to plan an event for that day.

You’ll be able to break up into teams to plan different parts of the rally. Allow students to choose groups, unless they’re really out-of-balance and then encourage a few volunteers to change groups.

• Messaging – What slogans, catchphrases, descriptions, language do we want to use for this rally?
• Programming – What will be happening in the rally? When will it be happening? Where? How?
• Arts/Design – How can we use creative arts to promote the rally? During the rally?
  Banners, chants, songs?
• Outreach/Social Media – How are we going to turn people out? How are we going to use social media to promote the event?

Before picking groups, choose a name for the rally. If they don’t decide in the time allotted, encourage the messaging group to choose one from the current options.

Also, encourage the groups to communicate with each other to ensure that they have a collective vision for the event.

4). Independent Working Time in Groups

5). Group Collaboration on Presentation

Give the group 10 minutes to come back together as one large group and check in on their progress. Encourage them to make a plan for how they will present to the leaders and who will present.

6). Presentation to Leaders

7). Debrief the activity:

• How was this activity for you? What did you like about it, if anything? What did you not like, if anything?
• What was easy about this exercise? What was hard about this exercise?
• What are you taking away from this?
• What are some risks of this kind of activism?
• What are some opportunities that can come from this kind of activism?

-Exercises in Identity

This activity works best with even numbers, so the students can pair up. To begin, divide your group in half and create two concentric circles: one inner circle and one outer circle. The students in the outer circle should face inside and the students in the inner circle should face outside. Each inner circle student will pair up with an outer circle student. Students may stand, sit on the floor, or use chairs for this activity.

1). Hand out the index cards and pens for each student

2). Ask the students to think about their individual values and what makes up their identity.

3). Instruct them to write one value or identity on each index card, with the goal of having around 10 index cards. Some example of these values:

• Race (Hispanic, Arabic, Asian, Black)
• Religion (Muslim, Christian, Atheist)
• Occupation (Engineer, student, teacher)
• Family (sister, brother, mother,)
• Hobbies (athletics, cooking, reading)
• Health (healthy, immobile, diabetic)
• Socio-economic (wealthy, middle-class, low-income)

4). Once everyone has their values and identities written down, have the students share with their first partner why they chose to write down the values they did.

5). After the discussion is complete, ask all students to rip up one of their cards. This part of the activity gives participants an opportunity to reflect on how they prioritize their identities. Ripping up the card should help the participants imagine living without that part of their identity.

6). After the participants rip up one card, the outer circle will rotate one partner to the right. Everyone should have a new partner now.

7). The students will now discuss with their partner why and how they chose the card to rip up.

8). The process continues until all participants are each left with one card – their most important value.

9). Debrief the activity:

• How did it feel to do this activity?
• What was easy? What was challenging?
• What groups/categories did folks pick?
• Is there any category that you would identify as your “core” identity?
• What similarities and differences did emerge?
• Did you identify any environments where one identity was more salient than another?
• What invisible identities (inside/outside identities) became visible as a result of this exercise? Any thoughts about this?
• How/why are these categories helpful or not helpful?

“When you talk,

you are only repeating what you already know,

But if you listen you may learn something new.”

-Daila Lama

This is a reflective, emotional, cognitive exercise that explores the impact words have on our reactions to stimuli.  Those interested in exploring verbal responses to negative and positive stimuli could be interested in the pedagogy activity below.

Since one of the main objectives of critical pedagogy is to problematize the world, and it is believed to be through language that problematization (and, later conscientizacao) occurs (see Paulo Freire – Pedagogy of the Oppressed), this lesson plan seeks to problematize the restriction of a particular category of language – language we use to express our feelings .

The audience for this activity depends on your objectives as a teacher/facilitator.  The activities below can be adapted for facilitation with middle schoolers, high schoolers, university students, students of pedagogy, psychology, counseling, conflict, and/or other adults.  The role of “recorder” in the activity would be particularly relevant to students of third-party interventions into conflict.

Here are some possible objectives for the activity.  They are posed as questions, in the spirit of problematization, and can be mixed and matched:

1. For Adults
   1. How do words impact and/or mediate our experience with particular stimuli?
   2. What might be the impacts of removing words as a tool of expression?
2. For High Schoolers (depending on grade level)
   1. How does it feel to not be given a voice, or at least the ability to use it?  
   2. What other methods (positive or negative) are required to respond to a situation when you are unable to speak about it?
3. For Middle Schoolers
   1. How important are words to being able to respond to a situation non-violently?

Violence is an emotional response to an individual conflict.  As such, to use Paul Maclean’s triune theory of the brain, violence as a response is rooted in the reptilian and limbic brains, and the neocortical brain – where abstract thought and problem-solving take place – is deactivated or overrun by the two.  The use of “feeling words” to express feelings is viewed as a strategy, by the authors of this lesson, for the problem-solving brain to reassert itself and prevent violent responses to situations/stimuli.

Materials

• Sticky substance or tape for index cards on walls
• Index Cards with feeling words written on them.  A list of 100 or more words would be preferable.
• Lesson Plan on Paper – one per student (this is for Step 5 which may or may not be applicable depending on your audience)
• Five photographs, chosen by facilitators, that have been chosen to create an emotional response.  Each of the five photographs will ideally elicit different emotional responses (ie., anger, sadness, joy, connection, frustration).  

THE LESSON PLAN

• Step 1 – “Expressing or Observing Feelings” (7 minutes)

• In this step – half of the students will be shown a series of photographs to which they must respond non-verbally.  The other half of the class in the meantime, and without seeing the photographs, observe the physical reactions of their partners and describe them in writing.

• Students get into pairs.  One student (called a “recorder”) with something to write on, the other with nothing (called a “reactor”).
• Students with writing material have their backs to where the photos will be shown and are instructed not to look at what is shown there.
• Students facing the screen are not allowed to talk, but must show their reaction physically (in motion, or paused) to the images on the screen (there will be five).  Those writing should do their best to describe in writing the physical expressions of their partners
• Students are asked to break out of their pairs and to take a moment to note how they felt during the exercise – We will be coming back to these thoughts shortly.”

• Step 2 – “Swimming in Feelings”:

• In this step, students are immersed in feeling words that they sort into categories.  The purpose here is to generate dialogue about feelings and the words used to describe them.

• Break the class into four groups
• Each group is given a set of words from the “feeling words” list and asked to arrange them and tape them into groups of four

• Step 3 – “Naming Feelings”

• In this step, students take feeling words and attribute them to their experiences in Step 1.

• Each student walks around and looks at the words, noting down the ONE word that they feel best describes each of the five things that they saw (in other words, at the end of this step, each person will have five words – one for each stimulus.
  • “Recorder” will find the one best word to describe the physical reaction of the person they observed
  • The “Reactor” will find the one best word to describe how he feels about each image.

• It is up to the instructor if (s)he wants to allow students to use a word not given on the initial index cards.  Whether or not this is allowed may stimulate discussions about power over language in the debriefing of Step 4

• Step 4 – Debrief

• In this step, students share the words they chose in Step 3 and have discussion around questions about the activity.

• Students sit back down
• Let’s share words for each image (Reactor’s give their words)
• Let’s share words for each reaction (Recorder gives their words)
• Reactors:  How does access to the words impact your experience with the stimuli?
• Reactors:  How did the inability to use words impact it?
• Recorders:  What did you see in the reactors who could not use their voices?
• All – How does language impact our experiences to stimuli?

• Step 5 – Review of Objectives

• It is up to the facilitator to decide whether or not to use this step.  Your objectives will determine this.  This step was designed for students of pedagogy, although it is always good to review, at the minimum, a lesson’s objectives.

• Pass out lesson plans to students.  Review the objectives together.
• Discuss other possibilities for, and variations of, lesson plan.

This pedagogy activity was created by Andrew Della Rocca and Chimalang Ngu for Dr. Arthur Romano’s Conflict Resolution Pedagogy course at George Mason University School of Conflict Analysis and Resolution.  We hope this lesson plan can be used and shared by peace educators all over the world.

Point of Departure

Situations of injustice – especially those related to structural violence– are often taken for granted and receive less attention than incidents of direct violence. Within organizations constituted by a variety of socio-demographic profiles, cases of structural injustice can become ‘normalized’ as part of the hierarchical or bureaucratic scenario.

In universities and research centers with programs on peace and conflict studies, the wide variety of research interests of students and professors are usually focused on conflicts unfolding in other places, external to the university space. One might expect that the further the conflict is, the less relevant it is for us, yet notions of proximity can be seen from a more complex perspective regarding our attention to structures of violence and conflict.

The university is by itself a space of where situations of injustice actually occur, but this is rarely the focus of its own academic studies. Within programs on conflict resolution, we find it particularly vital to develop a sensibility to identify contexts of conflict, no matter how close and integrated into our own spaces they are. Such capacity is an essential feature when reflecting on our positionality within webs of conflict, whether we participate by reproducing, ignoring, or resisting these conflicts. In some cases, it is not about asking how do we think of, for or with a certain group of people experiencing situations of injustice (a la Freire), but how come we don’t even think at all about the specific issue? What allows it to stay hidden? This activity prioritizes precisely this need to re-think our own space(s).

The need to re-think the way in which we relate with our surrounding space is in line with Vinicius de Moraes Netto’s reflections on space as referential to communication, as a dimension that “produce the sense of ‘world-relationality’ or structure” (2007: 4).[1] Thus, developing a critical awareness of our own space means also developing new ways of relating within the world, which includes new forms of thought, but also of communication and practice.

Goal

This activity is designed to develop critical, reflexive awareness of situations of injustice that occur in spaces in which we cohabit but that, most of the time, we do not identify as conflicts. The skill is an individual/collective capacity to ask the right questions through understanding our role within structures of conflict/violence, like:

What are my/our assumptions about conflict?

Within which organizations/spaces is it more difficult for me/us to identify situations of injustice?

How do notions of proximity play a role in my/our perceptions about conflict?

How are we constantly participating –in different ways– in structures of conflict?

How can critical, reflexive awareness promote action that will have a positive impact on such structures?

Context

The activity has been designed to address undergraduate and graduate students on peace and conflict resolution programs. However, it can be adapted to students in other programs and at different educational levels. The necessary condition is that participants share, on a regular basis, a physical space around which the reflection about conflict and injustice can be elaborated, in order for the discussion to be limited to the extreme complexity that a single case of a co-habited space can provide. You’ll want to do this with a sizable but not huge group: ideally, 8-15 students.

Implementation

Timing: 30 minutes

Materials:

• White board or butcher paper
• Dry erase or magic markers

Note: The instructions below are specific to the space in which we led this activity, the School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution (SCAR). Please adapt to whatever setting in which you plan to use it.

Instructions:

1. Ask group to create a map of SCAR. Tell them they have the two white boards in the room in which to do this. Encourage the group to represent things as they want and that they may interpret this prompt as they like. Remind them that it doesn’t have to be perfect/complete – they always have the option of adding to or adjusting their map as they go. Make sure to be clear and verbalize what you’re drawing/adding (for visually impaired folks especially). – 5 minutes

Note: Here, and throughout this exercise, the group may ask questions for clarification, do you mean this? Should we do this? Etc. Just return to the original prompt and tell them that they can take it any way they want.

2. Next ask the group to overlay onto the map (however they see fit) all the conflicts or potential conflicts that they can think of when thinking about SCAR. Again, this is intentionally broad for their own interpretation. Encourage the group to be thoughtful about how they represent these conflicts, considering size, position, shape, etc. of their symbols/representations. You may choose to now title their map, “CONFLICT AT SCAR.” – 4 minutes
3. Now ask the group to overlay themselves onto this map in some way, thinking about how they are positioned in relationship to these conflicts. They can think about representing this by trying to mirror the ways in which they’re involved with or part of these conflicts. – 4 minutes
4. Lastly, ask the group to step back, take a look at what they’ve created, and give them one more opportunity to change or add anything to the map – is there anything or anyone they didn’t include but who they think should be included to make this representation of “CONFLICT AT SCAR” complete? – 2-3 minutes
5. The group can move into open discussion, responding to the questions below. The overall aim of this time is to process the choices made in this activity, what comes to mind first, what they may have missed, and how to build a greater critical consciousness of conflicts “close to home” and a great reflexivity about one’s own positionality in some of these conflicts. Ideas for questions follow but feel free to follow the energy of the group as long as it remains on topic. – 15 minutes
   1. What were your initial impressions/reactions to the exercise? Did this change over time? If so, how and why?
   2. How did the map evolve over the course of the activity? What changed for you, if anything, throughout the process of creating it?
   3. What conflicts first came to mind when you were asked to map those? Why do you think you thought about these conflicts first? What affects our orientation around what conflict means and where it exists?
   4. At what point, if at all, did you start thinking “closer to home”/internally about conflicts that might be contained within or concerning the university/institution? What do you think prompted that?
   5. What was it like to “position” yourself on the map? How much had you previously thought about your position relating to very local conflicts?
   6. What are other ways you think people (particularly university students) can be “awakened” to conflicts that may be happening very close to them, often in unexpected places?
   7. What are the “dominant assumptions” among folks in peace and conflict resolution fields about what comprises conflict? What is this missing? Why do you think this is? How do you think this might change?

Note: Group leaders may choose at some point to share some of these questions/people/potential conflicts that the group may or may not have missed in order to deepen conversation and encourage a critical reflexivity about how we are implicated in violent, powerful, or conflictual systems within our own academic institutions.

1. Potentially “hidden” conflicts/people at SCAR:
   1. Where our furniture gets produced – Virginia Correctional Enterprises
   2. Labor disputes/non-unionized/low-wages of workers in the building: parking, food service, custodial, maintenance, etc.

• Adjunct faculty disputes

1. Possible gentrification or displacement by the university
2. Food sources/practices for our dining services
3. University investments in oppressive/occupying governments, companies that violate human rights or mistreat workers, etc.

• Questions of procedures relating to sexual assault on campus
• Should SCAR take money from government/defense/military related funding?

[1] De Moraes, Vinicius, Practice, Communication and Space. A reflection on the materiality of social structures. [Thesis] University College London, University of London. 2007.

One House of Peace is a nonprofit organization which provides services to youth through classes, workshops and retreats. They teach practical tools to help people manage their emotions and stress to resolve conflict in their lives. Their main program, Peace in Schools provides resources which are practiced in schools, youth shelters, and social service agencies around the country. Details can be found on their website, onehouseofpeace.org.

I believe the practices and resources of One House of Peace is best placed for middle and high school students in public education. The awareness and meditation practices can be implemented in classrooms and workshops. These skills can help students focus better in the classroom and empower teens in the community.

An educator may incorporate the initiative “Peace In Schools” through mindfulness exercises, group circles, or individual based therapy. Meditation practices can be used in the classroom daily or referred to as a service in the school. By looking at the Peace Value Model, peace conflicts can be resolved through regular self-analysis of the conflicting situations. It is important to solve conflicts at the individual level to achieve peace at the societal level as well. Educators can provide students with mindfulness activities, but also provide private consultations for teens experiencing individual conflict.

The awareness practices and different meditation programs in this organization will enable students to have a better understanding of how to effectively deal with stress, learn to have healthier relationships with themselves and others. Students also develop skills that will help them focus and be more engaged in the classroom. Mindfulness programs in peace education helps teens with self-awareness and emotional resilience which are key tools in a time when school violence is so widespread.

Content: I found Ed Change through the New Century College at George Mason University where Paul Gorski is the associate professor of Integrative Studies, as well as the founder of EdChange. Their initiative is to gather the skills and resources of experienced educators dedicated to the principles of “equity, diversity, multiculturalism, and social justice” (EdChange).

Context: EdChange and their collective staff have decades of training, exposure, and experience with  teaching, as well as facilitating a variety of workshops, seminars, consultations, etc., for P-university level Their aim is to move institutions, along with the people within them, towards an approach to education that incorporates diversity, equity, and multicultural narratives. Due to their systemic focus, coupled with their extensive experience, EdChange can be addressed to classrooms of any size or level, in a multitude of contexts, and depending on the expected results, can be presented formally or informally. The main purpose is to develop a common understanding of the personal needs and/or expectations of the organization and then developing relevant procedures, programs, and tools in accordance. By doing so, there is not only a level of flexibility, but the approach is personal and helps strengthen both sides through their collaboration and growth. 

Implementation- A major factor is the success of EdChange is building momentum and ensuring that the organizations will continue to strive for transformation even after they are done with the training. Many of these skills are developed through the workshops and training seminars to solidify not only their particular approach, but their ability to maintain a productive trajectory. While the different exercises are directed towards individual needs, there are a set of themes that EdChange considers their expertise. For example, Introductory and Framework Building is the initial step of introducing the conversation about topics such as diversity and multicultural education and subsequently building forward thinking approaches. Another focus is on the Curricular/ Pedagogical; teachers are aided in strengthening their lessons to include transformative practices and how to engage the classroom in dialogue revolving around broadening their perceptions on the subjects of diversity, equity, and multicultural education.There are several other main focuses which can be found here. The time that it takes to incorporate their mission/ vision and their specific approaches depends on which focus(es) they are addressing, to which audience, and what goal does the organization have in mind. Where a introductory class could take an afternoon with grade-school children, their leadership development program could be a week-long and dialogue intensive. Due to these drastic differences, the pedagogies may vary, but they are continually aimed at shifting the mindsets toward embracing and implementing the diverse, the equitable, and the multicultural.

Goal- EdChange’s ultimate goal is to give people, all people regardless of any identity, the opportunity to achieve and grow, while simultaneously feeling comfortable in themselves, a well as valued and empowered. Through their continual approach towards the three main principles, they seek to reshape the way schools, communities, society, etc approach and build dialogue around those topics. However, an aspect of discomfort and challenge is essential in transforming power dynamics. By addressing those feelings of vulnerability, dialogue can be constructed from deep within the individual and it presents them with a chance to develop themselves as a part of their environment. To continue affecting change, EdChange will work with anyone or any group at any stage in this process of building awareness and development as long as they are committed and honest to their goal of positive change. There are also three main side-projects that are developed through EdChange to help the individual build their interests: Multicultural Pavilion is a collection of resources for artists, educators, and activists; SoJust is one of the only documented histories of social justice and activism on the Internet, and JUSTICE – the People’s News which is an actively updated journal on human rights and social justice related topics. 

Audience- Two main parties that would contribute from the curriculum built by EdChange are local communities, especially those challenged by systemic pressures or identity issues, and educators within school systems that have more restrictive approaches towards personal identification. On the community level, it would give the participants a change to gain insight on themselves and the intrapersonal aspects, while simultaneously placing them in a situation that gives them insight on their surroundings. Through this, individual identity becomes strengthened, individuals have confidence in dialogue construction, and they are more equipped to challenge the factors that limit them. In a educational environment, especially in places such as standardized public systems, identity development is not a major concern nor is it something that is appropriately addressed. Through giving the students the ability to open up and explore their interests, it will breed appreciation and positive change, which potentially can alter larger systematic procedures such as the education pipeline. Additionally, it gives the educator the skills to develop curriculum that would address diversity, equity, and multicultural narratives; topics that are essential to the growth of peace. 

Content:
A Blogpost outlining Kenya’s Vision 2030 peace education program, which is intended to encourage school age children to solve conflicts in a constructive manner and without resorting to violence. It was created to respond to the violence in Kenya after the 2007-2008 elections. The program aims to help build cultures of peace within these schools and to then have these students take these peaceful attitudes and build a peaceful society
3 objectives:
1. Creating awareness about the sources of conflict and how to deal with them in our daily lives
2. Classroom as the main arena where the values of “positive interdependence, social justice and participation in decision making are learned and practiced”
3. Creating respect for cultural diversity and fostering peaceful, diverse communities by encouraging positive images
Resource is located on DevEd website, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of those in developing countries through education that is tailored to their needs and local culture and practices
Context:
-Depending on how the resource is utilized, it can be used for a variety of age levels in formal educational settings.
-The objectives encourage global values that many aspire to and seek to promote
-The sooner in life we begin promoting peaceful ideals, the more likely they are to stick with a child and help mold them into a peace-building adult.
-It’s integrated into the standard/required courses (History, Social Studies, Religious Education, etc.), but is also encouraged in co-curricular activities like Drama, Music, art, etc.
-The values promoted by the program are universal and can be adapted for any environment, so long as its goal is to create a peaceful, safe space
Implementation:
-In order to incorporate this resource and the values it promotes, educators would need to actively reconsider and restructure their current curriculum. They would need to actively encourage the promotion of peace education in both the formal school setting and the informal “after school” setting where students participate in elective activities
-Logistics and materials: this program would require teachers be trained and educated on the subject of peace education, they might require sample curriculums in which peace education has already been integrated, access to peace education materials, and some training/education in conflict resolution/mediation.
-Because it would require some major changes, the implementation of this curriculum would require a large amount of time and might even need to be implemented gradually (perhaps first in the afterschool extra curricular activities and then spreading to the main curriculum)
-At the end, challenges faced by the program are outlined and educators and school administrators should take these into consideration
-Curriculum encourages and focuses on the importance of music and drama as vehicles for students to create peaceful school environments and communities.
Goal:
-Kids develop cultural awareness, patience, and a strong sense of responsibility.
-They are active participants in their own education and are able to implement their own ideas and decisions they believe will be imperative for them to grasp certain subjects.
-The banking method is completely ruled out and replaced with active discussions and participation that includes everyone, along with the teacher to facilitate.

Audience:
-Fairfax County teachers would definitely benefit from this program. I feel it would be especially beneficial for educators teaching in elementary schools as students are young and can be taught these lessons early on. Teaching children tolerance, acceptance, and understanding from a young age can shape them into well-adjusted adults who can better manage conflicts.
– An after school program educator in a diverse community can also gain from the program. Many after school programs have kids from various backgrounds come together which can lead to conflicts of race and culture. If those in charge of after school programs can implement the concepts from this program, kids can learn to better understand each other and navigate their conflicts.

When searching for group that offers something for the peace education world, I came across the National Peace Academy. The National Peace Academy (NPA) was founded in order to allow and encourage peace professionals and community organizers to continue practicing and share their knowledge with others. To sustain peace movements, leaders, organizers, and educators need a place to share resources and what they have learned as a way to give back. While the content isn’t tailored solely to the public education realm, there are resources for teachers surrounding the 5 spheres of peace. NPA’s 5 Spheres of Peace include social, ecological, personal, institutional, and political; these themes are the foundations for the different programs, events, and curriculums offered. This model would be easy to incorporate in formal and informal education for kids from grades K-8, especially in Civics course.

• How to use this resource: NPA offers many opportunities for those interested in peace education. Under their Programs and Projects page, readers can learn about offerings such as School Teacher and Administrator Trainings, the International Institute on Peace Education, Peacebuilder Teleconference Dialogues, and the Global Campaign for Peace Education. The more valuable link for those interested in learning or facilitating the learning of others would be the Ed Resources section. Resources include access to past dialogues and a “study guide” section. From the study guide, learners can access curriculum developed for children, youth, and adults around the 5 spheres of peace. The resource makes it very clear that these lessons are just a starting point for peace education and teachers should feel free to continue developing their own lessons and activities. Each lesson contains a list of activities, resources, and preparation guides for the teacher in order to have the lesson run smoothly; these predesigned lessons and activities can be adapted as educators see fit.
• Goal– This resource supports peace education by offering resources around 5 branches of peace. By extending these resources to the large community, NPA looks to be a guiding organization that offers a framework and foundation for integrating peace education activities into classrooms across the nation. By having youth focus on topics such as self-reflection, mindfulness, thinking about conflict, and active listening, educators could help develop the skills that youth would have to grow and develop in the modern world. This gets at some of the defining goals of peace education mentioned by Betty Reardon such as global agency, cultural proficiency, conflict competency, and gender sensitivity by giving youth and children the tools to discuss these topics. By offering other access points like dialogues and events, teachers can get the support and education they need to introduce the work authentically to students. Sharing knowledge and resources makes changing the culture to one that supports peace education much easier for teachers knowing that they aren’t alone in their efforts.
• Audience- Two stakeholders who could benefit from this program teachers, mainly grades K-8, interested in incorporating peace education in their classrooms or learners of any age who are willing to dive into the self-study of the 5 spheres of peace; this network is not exclusive to educators, but broadly open to anyone interested in learning more on their own volition.

Founded in 2000, non-profit organization Teachers Without Borders (TWB) was founded on the prospect of spreading peace education methods worldwide. It is run by educators and local leaders who aim to provide educational resources for disadvantaged students around the world, by providing strengthened curricula and materials (i.e.: textbooks, technology, and community building, among several other factors).

Content: The Girls’ Earthquake Science and Safety Initiative is a joint project administered by TWB, The Global Earthquake Model, The Earthquake Engineering Research Institute, and the U.S. Geological Survey. This program combines geological science and earthquake education to empower young women within the classroom. It aim to build educational prowess and self-esteem from the ground-up for all students that it serves.

Context: This program aims to educate 100,000 young women in Central and Southern Asia, regions prone to earthquakes. It is currently implemented to serve students and educators in nations such as Tajikistan, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan and India. An instructor with a strong engineering background is put into each of the schools to help administer the process. The initiative is fiscally conducive, and only costs 60 USD per enrolled student.

Implementation: Mentors ask students to survey a million buildings within the school’s community. The curriculum is applicable to students at the primary, intermediate and secondary levels. Additionally, specific curricula have been tailored to fit each community within the initiative. Students become earthquake prevention literate, in addition to getting a stronger science background.

How this program is used: TWB sends a collective of earthquake measuring tools along with the mentor. This allows students to fully participate and glean the greatest amount of knowledge from these lessons. The curriculum is divided into 12 different units. There are corresponding textbook readings and activities for each unit. Each activity is hands-on, and teaches students to apply the information from the text to create an innate understanding of the lesson plan. After each unit is covered, students participate in an extensive codification art and literacy project to show the extent of their knowledge.

Goals: The Girls’ Earthquake Science and Safety Initiative aims to not only fill the gaps that lack from these students’ educations in both earthquake preparedness and sciences, but to actually use the research conducted by the students to help with earthquake prevention in their communities. Additionally, it intends to empower young women with the hope that young women in these communities have the confidence to perhaps lead within a field that is consistently dominated by men.

Audience: Students and educators in areas that are also prone to caustic national disasters could definitely benefit from a similar curriculum for their students. Additionally, anyone interested in the peace education process, or interested in creating an empowering environment for female students to gain self-esteem, communication and critical analysis skills would definitely be interested in this curriculum.

The United States Institute of Peace, Global Peacebuilding Center has made toolkits to support educators as peacebuilders. It is easily downloaded and introduces key concepts of peacebuilding skills and themes to use as a resource in the classroom. Details of the resource can be found on USIP’s website and the Global Peacebuilding Center which is an extension of USIP’s educational work.

I think the peacebuilding toolkit is best placed for middle and high school students as it was designed, however elementary educators could also benefit from these lessons in the classroom. There are separate editions of the resource for middle and high school students. It can also be taught in Spanish, French, and Arabic. The toolkit is very beneficial for educators to learn more about international conflict management.

An educator may incorporate this resource collectively by downloading the entire toolkit or only use specific individual lessons for the students. It can be implemented in the lesson plan on a bi weekly or monthly basis. To strengthen the use of the resource, the educator can have different activities for practical skills in conflict management.

This peacebuilding toolkit for educators is an informative start to gain more knowledge on peacebuilding. Peace education of preventing violent conflict and how to be a peace builder are most supported by this resource because it gives educators a platform of how to teach peacebuilding skills. Students will gain many skills such as, mediation, negotiation, problem solving and conflict analysis.

All educators can benefit from this toolkit, particularly for students in middle and high school. Students should be encouraged to be a part of peacebuilding in their lives and globally. These skills and attitudes can be learned. The main audience for this resource will be teachers who want to bring important global issues to their classroom and encourage their students to be peace builders.

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2013 annual report for this blog.

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The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 8,700 times in 2013. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 3 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

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