NOVEMBER 24 - 28, 2005

McMASTER UNIVERSITY, HAMILTON, ONTARIO, CANADA

DETAILED AGENDA & CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS

Rotary Club of Okotoks

                                                                  REGISTRATION FORM - click here to register

                                                                     PRESS RELEASE

October 5, 2005                                                 CLICK HERE FOR POSTER 

Prospective Conference Participants,

We have a number of events planned to coincide with the International Day for Children (November 20).  Our Detailed Agenda follows this letter (below).

With respect to the Fourth Annual Peace Education Conference in Canada at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario November 24 – 28, 2005, our Planning Committee discussions highlighted the following plans:

• We saw merit in expressing the Theme for this years Conference a bit differently, as follows – “Advancing a Peace Education Strategy: What Is Needed To Support and Help Peace Educators In All Walks Of Life”.    We had previously been talking “Peace Pedagogy: Educating Educators to Teach Peace”, but felt non-formal peace educators (and everyone is a potential peace educator) may feel excluded.  Many of the highlights that follow are designed to demonstrate that the conference is relevant to the wider audience.  The theme is intended to provide the opportunity to identify issues or problems impeding peace educators in schools, universities, NGOs, families, individuals, etc.; and the opportunity to brainstorm and develop solutions that we can facilitate as a group.
• The main part of the Conference is Saturday, November 26 and Sunday November 27.  We intend to start each day with a Keynote and Inspiring Speaker.  The majority of Saturday and Sunday is planned to be in a ‘World Café’ format (  http://www.theworldcafe.com ), to maximize participant interaction and collaboration in discussing issues and solutions needed to support peace educators.  I think you will find this ‘World Café’ format a good progression from our previous ‘Town Hall’ format to more of an ‘Open Space’ format.  Over the two days, we expect to have 4 or 5 – 1.5 hour dialogue sessions with as many as 25 to 30 tables, and hence we trust we will cover a lot of topics of interest to participants.  With the Theme above in mind, you are invited to submit topics that you would like to see discussed at a series of round tables.  As a minimum, we expect there will be tables and/or rooms of particular interest for teachers, university and college faculty, NGOs, students, and others.  We expect a large number of topics may be selected prior to the conference, but there will be room for topics that are placed on the table for discussion at the conference.  We will converge Sunday afternoon to present summary conclusions and recommendations.  It is hoped, for example, that our recommendations could be submitted to Governments, Teachers’ Colleges, Provincial Peace Education Conferences, etc. for consideration and advancing.  Many recommendations may be acted upon by individual participants in their own spheres of influence.  We will be asking for volunteers to host/facilitate each roundtable dialogue.
• Friday November 25 will provide space for presentations of ‘Best Cases/Practices’ in peace education.  This (and the Trade Fair Saturday and Sunday) will provide opportunity for people to disseminate information on innovative new and best practices in peace education, and will provide the opportunity for the audience to learn new methods, obtain new materials and ask questions, trade notes, etc.
• Thursday November 24 is our Youth Day.  Last year we had approx. 250 young people from a number of schools in southern Ontario .  You should read their report at http://www.peace.ca/Youth%20Peace%20Conference%20-%20Nov18-04.pdf  to see the magic that happened.  We will again have Leslie Higgins facilitating an Open Space ( http://www.peace.ca/ost.htm ) conference, building on last year’s success.  The theme for the youth is "Building a Culture of Peace, the issues and opportunities for youth"....  Your help to spread the word to schools would be appreciated, as we would like to have more schools represented for cross-fertilization of ideas.  Schools will be invited to bring peace art, displays and musical presentations (we end with a peace culture hour).  Hamilton ’s Hillfield Strathallan College students will again help Leslie with Youth Day arrangements.
• The Peace Education Conference will be preceded by a three-day Leadership and Peace Workshop on Monday November 21 to Wednesday November 23.  I will facilitate the Workshop, which will include elements about Situational Leadership, Servant Leadership, current leadership issues, and discussions about how we can share and improve leadership in all institutions in building a Culture of Peace, utilizing the experience gained with the Canadian Culture of Peace Program.  This workshop is an overview of what is designed to be a University course on Leadership in a Culture of Peace (see linked summary agenda).
• The McMaster Centre for Peace Studies and The Peace and Conflict Studies Society (PACSS) are pleased to invite you to CAREERS NIGHT, Monday, November 21, 7:30 pm in the Health Services Centre HSC-1A4.  "What Can I Do With a Degree in Peace Studies?"  Featuring: Colonel Chris Corrigan, Peacekeeping Operations (Retired); Frank Denton, Assistant Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Finance, Province of Ontario; Saleha Khan, Race Relations and Adult Education Unit, Ontario Police College.  Everyone is welcome to attend.   Click here for a related article on Career Paths “What Can You Do with a Peace and Conflict Studies Degree?” prepared by Mount Saint Vincent University.
• For those who can stay for Monday November 28, that day is planned to evaluate what we have learned over the course of the past week and formalizing future action planning to advance the Peace Education Strategy in Canada and elsewhere (if appropriate).
• I am pleased to report that Rob Porter porterrg[at]mcmaster.ca will be helping to administer the conference, with the support of Mark Vorobej, Director and Kim Squissato , Administrator of the McMaster Centre for Peace Studies.  Those of you who have attended past conference will recognize that Rob was a McMaster Peace Studies student who has been participating since our first year.  Rob is now a Graduate Student, resident in Hamilton , who will be more or less dedicated to building the success of this year’s conference and helping with the transition to the team at the McMaster Centre for Peace Studies to administer future conferences.  I can not thank the people at the McMaster Centre for Peace Studies enough for the support they have provided, and will continue to provide.  Rob would appreciate any assistance anyone can provide to help with promoting the conference, home boarding program, registrations, etc, etc.  The Hamilton Culture of Peace Network will also be supporting the Conference.  With help, we are hoping to attract over 500 participants this year.
• We are planning to scale the Registration Fees based on ability to pay, and there will be ‘per day’ fees for those who can only come for one day.  (We never want to have anyone not come due to affordability, and hope this will make it easier for people to participate.)
• The Rotary Clubs of South-West Ontario and North-West New York State are planning to participate with two sessions planned to attract their members.  It has been our wish to attract area service clubs, NGOs, religious organizations, etc. to partner with us in hosting the Conference, to attract a wider participation.  Collaboration is a key word guiding our efforts.  Click Link to Rotary Invitation.

Your consideration and suggestions would be appreciated:  

1. on topics for the ‘World Cafés’, with the Theme “Advancing a Peace Education Strategy: What Is Needed To Support and Help Peace Educators In All Walks Of Life” in mind,
2. on any of the above plans for the Conference

I hope you will plan on joining us in Hamilton for this important Conference.

See you in November,
Bob Stewart, Conference Coordinator              and                Rob Porter
email: stewartr[at]peace.ca                                                   porterrg[at]mcmaster.ca
http://www.peace.ca

BACKGROUND/ISSUES PAPERS

Participants at the Conference are invited to submit articles and papers addressing our Conference Theme - “Advancing a Peace Education Strategy: What Is Needed To Support and Help Peace Educators In All Walks Of Life”.  The desired outcome is the enhancement of a vision and action (initiated in 2002) to advance peace education in Canada, to help build a world fit for children, and/or ‘World Café’ themes.  It is recommended that you read these articles prior to the Conference.

1. Peace and Social Justice: Pedagogy and Practice, the curricula notes for a course taught by Dr. Sue McGregor, Mount Saint Vincent University

2.  "Modelling Education in a Culture of Peace" Background References

3.  "Advancing the Peace Education Action Plan: Who, What, Where, When and How?" Background References The Executive Summary Vision and Action Plan from our 2002 Conference.

4. Evolving Canadian Model for Culture of Peace Program and Peace Education 2005