Conflict Resolution Education/Peace Education Brief Overview
What is Conflict Resolution Education (CRE)?
The Association for Conflict Resolution suggests that "Conflict resolution education models and teaches, in culturally meaningful ways, a variety of processes, practices and skills that help address individual, interpersonal, and institutional conflicts, and create safe and welcoming communities" (Jones, 2004)
What is Peace Education (PE) and how is it different than CRE?
"Peace education is a participatory holistic process that includes teaching for and about democracy and human rights, nonviolence, social and economic justice, gender equality, environmental sustainability, disarmament, traditional peace practices, international law, and human security" (Hague Appeal for Peace, 2005)
While CRE generally focuses on a local/domestic level, the focus of Peace Education is generally more global in perspective. Peace Education also "has a stronger emphasis on social justice orientations and larger systemic issues of violence than conflict education programs" (Jones, 2004).
What is Democracy & Citizenship Education?
"Citizenship education" describes efforts to prepare students for effective, principled citizenship. Citizenship education can include instruction in history and government, civics lessons on the rights and duties of citizens in a democracy, discussion of current events, service-learning, mock trials and elections, character education and other approaches. Citizenship education can also take place through student government, extracurricular and co-curricular activities, and by involving students in school, district and community decision making" (Education Commission of the States, 2007).
Who are CRE/PE practitioners?
The knowledge, skills, and abilities of conflict resolution education and peace education are taught and utilized all over the world in various formal and informal ways in formal and in-formal education settings, by youth-serving organizations, businesses, faith-based organizations, governmental and non-governmental organizations.
The United Nations suggests that: "Many teachers are already practicing peace education without calling it by name. Historically, in various parts of the world, peace education has been referred to as Education for Conflict Resolution, International Understanding, and Human Rights, Global Education, Critical Pedagogy, Education for Liberation and Empowerment, Social Justice Education, Environmental Education, Life Skills Education, Disarmament and Development Education, and more. These various labels illuminate the depth and diversity of the field. Using the term peace education helps co-ordinate such global initiatives and unite educators in the common practice of educating for a culture of peace" (United Nations Cyber School Bus, n.d.).
Children and Violence
- According toThe United Nations Secretary General's Study on Violence Against Children (Office of the United Nations High Commission on Human Rights, et al., 2005): 20-65% of children had been bullied within the past 30 days according to the Global School-based Health Survey.
- The World Health Organization estimates that in 2002, almost 53,000 children died due to homicide worldwide. (Office of the United Nations High Commission on Human Rights, et al., 2005)
- More than 300,000 children (under 18) around the world are actively participating in more than 30 armed conflicts. Children are often more easily manipulated because of their psychological and physical immaturity, making obedient, cheap, and disposable soldiers (Youth Advocate Program International, 2004).
What can CRE and PE programs achieve?
- CRE reduces antisocial behavior in school-aged children (Garrard, 2007).
- CRE decreases aggressiveness and increases academic achievement and performance (Jones, 2002).
- CRE increases awareness of violence and appropriate reactions to it by teachers, schoolchildren, and parents (International Network on School Bullying and Violence, August 2005).
- CRE decreases violence among school children (International Network on School Bullying and Violence, August 2005).
- CRE decreases problem behavior at school observed by teachers (International Network on School Bullying and Violence, May 2005)
- CRE decreases the attractiveness of gangs and help vulnerable students resist them by creating a school climate that makes every student feel valued and establishing CRE as part of the school curriculum (Burnett, 1999).
PE Quick Facts:
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) describes peace education as schooling and other educational initiatives that (United Nations Cyber School Bus, n.d.):
- Function as 'zones of peace', where children are safe from violent conflict
- Uphold children's basic rights as outlined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)
- Develop a climate that models peaceful and respectful behaviour among all members of the learning community
- Demonstrate the principles of equality and non-discrimination in administrative policies and practices
- Draw on the knowledge of peace-building that exists in the community, including means of dealing with conflict that are effective, non-violent, and rooted in the local culture
- Handle conflicts in ways that respect the rights and dignity of all involved
- Integrate an understanding of peace, human rights, social justice and global issues throughout the curriculum whenever possible
- Provide a forum for the explicit discussion of values of peace and social justice
- Enable children to put peace-making into practice in the educational setting as well as in the wider community
- Generate opportunities for continuous reflection and professional development of all educators in relation to issues of peace, justice and rights
Who is working on furthering CRE/PE?
There is legislation, mandates and/or standards on CRE and PE in all of the worlds regions. Examples of the range of topics include curriculum integration of CRE into various subject areas, integration of mediation and conflict management skills training into teacher preparation, the use of restorative justice practices for youth in the community through the courts, or a national mandate to have bullying prevention mission statements and policies in place in all schools.
There are hundreds of government and non-government organizations (NGOs) working on CRE and PE worldwide. Below is a sampling of these organizations. Please visit our growing Directory to find out more!
- European Center for Conflict Prevention (ECCP) http://www.conflict-prevention.net/
- Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC) http://www.gppac.net/index.html
- The Organization of American States (OAS) http://www.oas.org/
- Teaching Peace, Longmont Community Justice Partnership http://www.teachingpeace.org/
- The United Nations http://www.cyberschoolbus.un.org
- The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) http://www.unicef.org/index.php
- United States Institute of Peace (USIP) http://www.usip.org/
Resources:
- Burnett, Gary. (1999). Gangs in Schools. ERIC Digest [Online]. Retrieved September 21, 2007, from http://www.oecd-sbv.net/Templates/Article.aspx?id=340
- Education Commission of the States. (2007). Citizenship Education. Retrieved September 21, 2007, from http://www.ecs.org/html/issue.asp?issueid=19
- Garrard, Wendy M. (n.d.) Does Conflict Resolution Education Really Reduce Antisocial Behaviors in Schools? The Evidence Says YES!. Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN.
- Hague Appeal for Peace. (2005). Home. Retrieved September 14, 2007, from http://www.haguepeace.org/
- International Network on School Bullying and Violence. (August, 2005). Development of good inter-personal relationships. Retrieved September 21, 2007, from http://www.oecd-sbv.net/Templates/Article.aspx?id=354
- International Network on School Bullying and Violence. (May 2005). PALS - a School-wide Program for Positive Behaviour, Support, Interaction and Safety. Retrieved September 21, 2007, from http://www.oecd-sbv.net/Templates/Article.aspx?id=340
- Jones, Tricia S. (2004). Conflict Resolution Education: The Field, The Findings, and the Future. Conflict Resolution Quarterly, Fall-Winter, 22 (1-2), 233-267.
- Jones, Tricia S. (2002). Proven benefits of conflict resolution education research. Retrieved September 21, 2007, from http://www.creducation.org/catalog/SPT--FullRecord.php?ResourceId=27
- Office of the United Nations High Commission on Human Rights (OHCHR), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and The World Health Organization (WHO). (2005). The United Nations Secretary General's Study on Violence Against Children. Retrieved September 21, 2007 from http://www.violencestudy.org/IMG/pdf/English-2-2.pdf
- United Nations Cyber School Bus. (n.d.). Peace Education, Global Educators. Retrieved September 21, 2007 from http://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/peace/index.asp
- United Nations Cyber School Bus. (n.d.). UNICEF, Retrieved September 14, 2007 from http://www.cyberschoolbus/peace/index.asp
- Youth Advocate Program International (YAP). (2004) Children Affected by Armed Conflict/Child Soldiers. Retrieved September 21, 2007 from http://www.yapi.org/conflict/index.htm
Related Resources
Below you'll find a randomized listing of up to 20 related items (we may have more...) drawn from our Resource Catalog.
| Resource Title | Description | Links |
|---|---|---|
| Encyclopedia of peace education | Online resource which, "provides a comprehensive overview of the scholarly developments in the field to date as well as new insights from across the globe from the various actors involved in advancing peace education internationally. Thus, this online resource serves as a living reference guide that traces the history and emergence of the field,...(see more) | Catalog Listing Direct Link to Resource View in Browser |
| Peer mediation training for schools: Best practice guidelines (UK) | 8-page Word document which presents best practice guidelines developed by the Peer Mediation Network in the UK. Paper begins with a definition of peer mediation and then outlines best practices for many aspects of training. | Catalog Listing Direct Link to Resource View in Browser |
| Inter-agency peace education programme: Skills for constructive living: Overview of the programme | 46-page pdf document which provides an overview "of the components of the Peace Education Programme and the implementation structure of the programme. It is designed for education managers of ministries dealing with both formal and non-formal education and from agencies who may be implementing education activities on behalf of the government ......(see more) | Catalog Listing Direct Link to Resource View in Browser |
| How to run a student mediation conference | 22-slide Powerpoint presentation given at the Sustaining Conflict Resolution Education: Building Bridges to the Future conference in Fairfax, VA, which provided "an overview of the conference planning and offer the nuts and bolts information on how to organize and run a successful conference in your community." | Catalog Listing Direct Link to Resource View in Browser |
| To be or not to be: Conflict resolution as a discipline | Pdf article reprinted from the February/March 1995 Issue (Vol 55) of The Fourth R, The Newsletter of the National Association for Mediation in Education discussing conflict resolution as an academic discipline. | Catalog Listing Direct Link to Resource View in Browser |
| Recommended standards for school-based peer mediation programs | Twenty-eight page document presenting standards for school-based peer mediation programs that are designed to enhance quality and stimulate thought among youth and adult participants in peer mediation programs. Aids in the creation and implementation of programs, designing curricula and evaluation procedures, funding and promoting programs,...(see more) | Catalog Listing Direct Link to Resource View in Browser |
| Conflict resolution and peace education policy examples: Resource pack developed for the Balkan | 24-page pdf resource book developed for the Balkan Regional Conference on Peace Education and Conflict Resolution in Schools. Includes 7 page list of policy documents for peace education as well as evaluations of peace education programs, a review of literature and the status of research into peace education and a look at the different...(see more) | Catalog Listing Direct Link to Resource View in Browser |
| Managing interethnic relations manual | 104-page manual whose purpose is to fill the informational and methodological gap in addressing interethnic relations, it also intends to combat the passive attitudes held by many regarding the improvement of interethnic relations in Georgia, the book is meant for all specialists working on the issue of interethnic relations or those intending to...(see more) | Catalog Listing Direct Link to Resource View in Browser |
| Cultivating Peace - Taking Action | This 66-page pdf is a curriculum packet developed for use in Canadian classrooms. "This resource encourages students to examine their own beliefs regarding the need for change in our world and their personal responsibility in taking action. The preconditions necessary for a culture of peace are explored through the examination of global issues in...(see more) | Catalog Listing Direct Link to Resource View in Browser |
| Changing the world: Youth mediators across the globe | 17-page Powerpoint presentation given to middle school mediators at the Sustaining Conflict Resolution Education: Building Bridges to the Future conference in Fairfax, VA, which discussed peer mediation programs around the world. | Catalog Listing Direct Link to Resource View in Browser |
| Grace to heal | Volume 1, number 1, of newsletter published by Grace to Heal a conflict resolution organization in Zimbabwe. | Catalog Listing Direct Link to Resource View in Browser |
| Conflict Resolution Education in Indonesia: Mapping Adaptations and Meanings | This study, available as a pdf, examined the ways professors in teacher education departments in two universities in East Java translated and adapted Conflict Resolution Education (CRE) methods. To map the ways they adapted and understood cooperative learning (CL) and non-coercive classroom management (NCCM), a critical ethnography (a blend of...(see more) | Catalog Listing Direct Link to Resource View in Browser |
| Practicing peace: A peace education module for youth and young adults in Solomon Islands: 4th draft | 99-page word document developed "to help people resolve interpersonal and inter-group conflict through productive and peaceful strategies, and to teach young people how they can participate in public life. The module is intended for use with youth and young adults in community and school settings in Solomon Islands." Skill areas include:...(see more) | Catalog Listing Direct Link to Resource View in Browser |
| Manejo y la resolución de conflictos, El. Una competencia para la vida en la educación básica | Spanish langage presentation of the value of teaching conflict resolution education in schools. | Catalog Listing Direct Link to Resource View in Browser |
| Programa Fortalecimiento de la convivencia democratica, derechos humanos y resolucion pacifica de | Powerpoint presentation that outlines peace and conflict resolution education initiatives developed in Columbia. | Catalog Listing Direct Link to Resource View in Browser |
| Integration and development center (IDC) for information and research | Information about the IDC (Integration and development center) in Ukraine. | Catalog Listing Direct Link to Resource View in Browser |
| Conflict resolution education in teacher education: Expanding CRE programs and resources | 22-page Powerpoint panel discussion presented at the Sustaining Conflict Resolution Education: Building Bridges to the Future conference in Fairfax, VA, which "provided an overview of the CRETE (Conflict Resolution Education in Teacher Education) project ... [a] program to provide pre-service teachers and school-based teaching mentors with...(see more) | Catalog Listing Direct Link to Resource View in Browser |
| Commentary considering conflict resolution education: Next steps for institutionalization | Commentary that suggests the process by which conflict resolution education can become institutionalized, with future research suggestions and a bibliography. | Catalog Listing Direct Link to Resource View in Browser |
| Evaluation report: Life skills project implementation in the Armenian education system | 45-page Word report which "represents an evaluation of implementation of the Life Skills Project being conducted in the Armenian education system as [a] component of an overall effort in education reform ... the project was piloted in the first and fifth grades in 16 schools in 1999-2000. In 2000-2001 the project was expanded to 100...(see more) | Catalog Listing Direct Link to Resource View in Browser |
| Model in the Caucus’ for Inter-Ethnic Relations (Georgia), A | 64-page Powerpoint presentation given at the Second International Summit on Conflict Resolution Education which "review[s] the project, "Management of Interethnic Relations in Georgia," consisting of three main modules: (1) training (2) problem solving workshops, and (3) a creation of a code of ethics for interethnic relations." | Catalog Listing Direct Link to Resource View in Browser |
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