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PEACE EDUCATION: 
The Emerging Curriculum? 

Ann Mason
Pulteney Grammar School
Australia

Honoring Our Promises
Imagining Peace
Doing Peace Education
Endnotes
References

As the new millennium unfolded, we made promises of hope and world peace to ourselves and our children. The United Nations declared a decade of peace and non-violence for them and we as educators consequently have aspired to develop a peace culture within our teaching and learning environments. In deciding together the essential understandings upon which we base programs and processes in our schools and universities, we have also consciously attended to these promises at every possible moment. The concept of peace education has been bantered among us for at least five decades since the tragedy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, and we pay serious attention when the children of Hiroshima bravely cry out to us on every August 6^th.  The challenge is now to pay attention to their cries for peace on the 7^th and following days. [paragraph 1]

Honoring Our Promises

In our classrooms and lecture theatres we have attempted to define peace and establish many peaceful processes that reflect our heartfelt desire for a world that is safe, fair, and just for our students. In presenting the truth in relation to the inequities that painfully exist throughout the world we also actively search for ways to alleviate these injustices and make the world, even our local communities, better. An honest commitment to develop a peace culture amongst many of us in educational communities throughout the world has emerged and our students are also committed to ensuring that peace is a self-fulfilling prophecy. [paragraph 2]

Exploring the notion of differences and celebrating them in our schools have heightened even more awareness of the meaning of equity and social justice in our own teaching, with which we insist on operating at all levels of our profession. Creatively and consistently attending to the need to value differences, we have established data bases that identify the many different things students can achieve. We have also developed alternative learning experiences that best meet their individual learning needs. By also diligently focusing upon the appropriate language we use to convey our positive intentions, we have conscientiously avoided making subjective judgments and have encouraged self assessment, openness, independence, and empowerment. We remain confident that the road to a peaceful and interdependent world will be paved by the new generations of independent, thoughtful, and active peacemakers, hopefully the students we teach. [paragraph 3]

I work at Pulteney Grammar School in South Australia and run a computing club called Pulkids. The main purpose of the group, apart from learning ethical and wise uses of information technology, is to promote peace across the internet. In 2000 we were linked with the WOW organization in Canada. WOW stands for "Wish Only Well" and it provides an enabling process to assist peaceful conflict resolution. During a focus week the WOW concept was presented to all Prep students¹ and classes discussed the implications. The website presents the "enabling" language. Although WOW may not necessarily lead to the resolution of certain conflicts, at least it presents simple steps of possible de-escalation and encourages students to find the courage to walk away from difficult issues rather than to escalate the problems or react violently. It can initiate the first positive steps towards breaking the negative cycle by honoring differences. Silence is also presented as being a very powerful de-escalation tool. We loaded web pages highlighting WOW’s understandings and processes at the Pulkids' site during the focus week and documented classroom activities for interested teachers and students to use in the future. [paragraph 4]

Many of us have explored these same understandings successfully in a variety of ways with our students. We certainly have paid serious attention to the complexities involved, leaving no stone unturned. Yet when we are confronted with the perplexing issues unfolding daily in the Middle East, a great sense of hopelessness can overshadow our dreams and accomplishments. Carefully we are realizing that we must tread this road as our teaching of wonderful, peaceful ideals to our students unearths many frustrating contradictions when the real world is thrust upon them. Perhaps reassuring them that every little step forward counts on the road to peace and reiterating our positive intentions will ensure them of our trust in them and our hopefulness that peace is possible. [paragraph 5]

Frustrated by the hopelessness pervading and defining the world’s future when I was a teenager 30 years ago, I angrily blamed God for creating or allowing horrible things to occur.  My father, a man who possessed a very powerful sense and commitment to social justice, responded to my anger with wisdom : "God had nothing to do with this mess. Humanity has managed this all by itself." [paragraph 6]

Fortunately, in the year 2001, most of us are likely to choose resolution strategies that are reflective of social justice understandings which are peace building. We would not choose "war" as our strategy and we have accepted the responsibility for making positive changes in our thinking.  Hopefully consultation rather than confrontation, working as teams rather than individually, and collaboration rather than competition dominate our thinking and action these days. Together we are truly trying to build a better world on many fronts well beyond the boundaries of our classrooms and lecture theatres. We have taken responsibility for our actions. [paragraph 7]

Work done by my students in 4M² as part of the "Lighting the Lamp of Peace" ceremony (an Imagine Peace project) is an example of this redirection of thinking and action, as they ventured beyond their own Christian understandings. The aim was to establish connections with Jewish and Islamic communities in Adelaide, Australia, by visiting places of worship and spending time with these communities' religious leaders. Throughout their journey, the students and their parents, who also came along during the visits, realized some very important underpinnings common to these three Abrahamic faiths. Old stories based upon news reports were quietly challenged as new knowledge and understandings were developed from the first-hand experiences.  New "good news" stories were created to share not only amongst themselves but with their own friends and families. These new stories related "good news" were based upon a new set of truths that focused upon commonalities rather than differences and instilled an awareness of peace consciousness and belief that world peace is possible. This journey is documented at the Pulkids website in the 4M class of 2000 section. [paragraph 8]

In trying to create new, stimulating and meaningful peace education programs and processes the following questions have risen:

I will explore each question in the next two sections respectively. [paragraph 9]

Imagining Peace

The first question pertaining to peace certainly invites debate amongst peace educators. In exploring it with peace-maker Hassaun Ali Jones-Bey, who lives in Fremont, California and is a US Navy veteran, I encountered some extremely challenging notions.  Jones-Bey³ believes human beings now honestly prefer to avoid war although they have historically explored and used both peace and war as options to establish peace.  He also believes this choice requires some very active imagining to occur. [paragraph 10]

His project Imagine Peace presents some different thinking and exploration through which members of the communities focused upon the establishment of a meaningful and lasting peace for the world would develop simple but workable processes for themselves. These new ways would rely primarily upon imaginations, not on the effectiveness of expanding nuclear arsenals, equitable laws, or peace keeping forces. They happen to be free and are something everyone can actively participate in. His project also challenges us to move beyond debating issues in our classrooms and lecture theatres and to work with imagery instead. [paragraph 11]

Doing Peace Education

With regard to the second question of defining the content knowledge and measurable outcomes, the answer could be NO! Peace education can become either a curriculum that does not require a defined content and agreed-upon list of understandings and measurable outcomes or  something you can pass or fail on the basis of defined outcomes. It could emerge from a set of on-going cross-generational experiences that reinforce the understanding of the humanity with peace becoming a way of life.  Jones-Bey particularly believes story-telling is the key. Remember the powerful story-telling our ancestors did around their campfires.  Their teachings were passed along generations without the aid of books and other teaching tools except for the simple tools for painting and simple musical instruments accompanying songs and stories. Intrinsically enmeshed in every word chanted, every step danced, and every symbol carved on cave walls or barks were these basic understandings that needed to be passed along to the following generations. Some very powerful imaginations for the computer technology have revolutionized our communication systems. What stories were these creators told as children to ignite their imaginations? [paragraph 12]

During Term 1 this year Pulkids explored issues related to being at "peace with our earth" and reflected upon ways we can together create better environments that will nurture and sustain us for many centuries to come. Students in classrooms created mandalas respectfully utilizing this beautiful and empowering traditional Buddhist practice. We celebrated Earth Day and created posters together while sharing our ideas about how we could create a safer, pollution-free world for ourselves and future generations. We identified the importance of everyone sharing in taking responsibility for caring for our earth. [paragraph 13]

The students of 4M have researched creation stories from many different cultures using the Internet. We shared these amazing stories with each other and our parents and noted the commonalities that exist within them, particularly messages about caring for our earth and each other. We even created our own creation stories that are documented at our website. The traditional "Rainbow Dreaming" stories of many Aboriginal groups in Australia were also explored and then we created our own rainbow dreaming stories about how our earth began and why we should all take very special care of it. These are also documented at our website. Treasuring and sharing the teachings of our indigenous peoples who sustained their natural environments for thousands of years is a highly valuable part of the process. [paragraph 14]

During Term 2 Pulkids have focused on issues related to "peace and freedom."  We will examine the work of the United Nations and "The Declaration of Human Rights" and create new ways in which we can support the associated ideals. These explorations, as they unfold, are being documented at our school website. [paragraph 15]

By using our imaginations we can explore new thoughts and peace-building experiences and create stories we can share with each other in our classrooms, lecture theatres, our homes, and communities.  Our imaginations cannot create peace by themselves, but they provide the vital first step in the process because once these new understandings and peace-building processes are created in our imaginations we can then act on our ideas in the real world. Not only can we create visions of the new peaceful communities and a peaceful world, but our incredible imaginations can even help us explore different ways of working towards these objectives. Beginning with our imaginations we can develop so many new understandings and possibilities. By sharing these stories across cultural, geographical, and socio-economic boundaries we can spread these understandings broadly. Just as the revolutionizing computer technology was initially created by powerful imaginations perhaps a new peaceful and peace-loving world can be developed as well.  Pulkids have chosen the internet as their sharing vehicle. [paragraph 16]

The Computing Studies students of Paul Anthony at St Mary’s College in Belfast, Northern Ireland have been motivated to produce their own peace site after viewing the Pulkids’ work. This website will be totally for children and will be run by student teachers and newly qualified teachers-in-training at St. Mary’s College. The international students who are involved are developing this site as part of the three-year Intensive Program on Peace Education. The Intensive Program is funded by the SOCRATES program of the Commission for the European Communities. This program brings together staff and students of European teacher training institutions in an effort to generate and develop ideas and materials for peace education in schools. [paragraph 17]

Children innately know what peace means for them. Maria Montessori believed these innate understandings need to be nurtured and allowed to unfold in a non-judgmental and non-competitive, yet enabling environment (Polk, 1966). We have learned that the constant reminders of genocide and our failure as humanity to care for each other will not sustain a peace culture.  Instead a need for revenge will be perpetuated, which only instills hatred and distrust.  These are certainly neither peaceful thoughts and action nor thoughts and actions that will secure world peace.  Continual debate and argument about who is right and wrong will not foster peace either, even if they are undertaken peacefully. [paragraph 18]

Turnbull (1993) illustrates an example of how imagining peace works for Central Africans. The book is an account of an anthropologist’s research in the forests of Central Africa where he learned the power of molimo-- the healing music--from a very spiritually oriented group of people.   When they played their music and sang their songs, the pygmies of the forest believed the forest was healed and rejuvenated and, in turn, it became empowered to heal and rejuvenate them. They believed their spirits were constantly being nurtured while their physical needs were being provided for.  Taunted by the voices of his own ancestral spirits, Jones-Bey, an African American peace-maker, appreciates this strong attachment between the pygmies and the forest and suggests we also create our own molimo music and stories that nurture our environment and assist in the perpetuation and growth of peace for ourselves and in our communities.  In healing our thoughts our imaginations will create a healed earth and vice versa. [paragraph 19]

Our young people do deserve a peaceful and peace-loving world and so do the generations that will follow them. We know many people around the world are actively showing the way to its creation. It is important that we all take responsibility and think and act differently from the ways we have been in the past to ensure a safe and peaceful world for the generations to follow.  It is for everyone’s sake, especially for our children. [paragraph 20]

1. "Prep students" refers to students, age between 7 and 11 years old, attending the Preparatory School.

2. "Students in 4M" refers to students in year 4.

3. I call him "Ali."

References

Book

Polk, L. P. (1966). Montessori today: A comprehensive approach to education from birth to adulthood. New York: Schocken Books.

Turnbull, C. (1993). The Forest People.  London, UK: Pimlico.

Websites

Imagine Peace: www.imaginepeace.org

Imagine Peace is a peace project developed by Hassaun Ali Jones-Bey who lives in Fremont California. It nurtures spirituality and encourages communities throughout the world to utilize their own resources and especially their most valuable resource, people’s imaginations, to create new understandings about each other.  It promotes the importance of sharing these new understandings across cultural, geographical, and generational boundaries, linking everyone via this sharing. It encourages local groups to create peaceful and "good news" stories, songs, dances, and other experiences to share with others to remind us of our humanity, universality and desire for world peace.  Imagine Peace dignifies and celebrates the human spirit’s honorable quest to be at peace.  Contact Hassaun Ali Jones-Bey at ibnmusa@ibnmusa.com for more information.

Paul Anthony and His Students' Peace Page:  http://www.stmarys-belfast.ac.uk/peace

Paul Anthony from St. Mary's College in Belfest, UK, can be contacted by e-mail at p.anthony@stmarys-belfast.ac.uk.

Pulkids: www.pulteney.sa.edu.au

Pulkids are a group of students and teachers from Pulteney Grammar School in South Australia who are learning about peace-making and are involved in peace-building both locally and internationally. The school is an independent private co-educational school with students of pre-school to year 12. The Preparatory School provides the base for Pulkids.   This computing group intends to promote world peace via positive uses of the Internet and is presently comprised of year 3 to year 7 students. Contact: Ann Mason at amason@staff.pulteney.sa.edu.au for a copy of the Pulkids program.

WOW--Wish Only Well: www.wowzone.com

WOW was established in Montreal, Canada by Carmen Colombo who stated: "The purpose of WOW is to make the world a better place for everybody and everything. WOW started out as my personal experience but has become everybody's project. In addition to helping, it attracts people who really want to make a difference in the world and who really do! This quiet, peaceful revolution started a chain reaction. In 4 years, WOW Zone is among the most visited sites on the internet, mostly by words of mouth and other websites linking to it." Contact carmenc@videotron.ca for further information.

 

Ann Mason has taught in many varied country and metropolitan schools in
South Australia for 25 years. In 1999 she began teaching at Pulteney Grammar School in which she explored peace education possibilities with children and built Pulkids utilizing her computing skills and the Internet. She is also a wife and mother who needs to peacefully balance many roles. (Contact her at amason@staff.pulteney.sa.edu.au)

Mason, Anne.. (2001). Peace education: The emerging curriculum? Electronic Magazine of Multicultural Education [online], 3 (1), 20 paragraphs. <Available: http://www.eastern.edu/publications/emme/2001spring/mason.html> [your access year, month date]