Conference 2003 Outcome Document Detail

$ Acc[ording] to everyone’s opinion and suggestions we should try to take actions on them. I know it’s not possible to do it alone and without support of others. For this we should organize more conferences. We should focus on the points where we can take actions instantly, as compared to the plans which could be done but not very easily.

$ more promotion, marketing

$ annual conferences

$ online post conference message boards

$ more emphasis on peace education in schools

$ get as many people involved

$ need process facilitator

$ consensus on “ground rules”

$ get this on the agenda

$ policy to get a human face

$ see it through

$ give people the tools with which they can discover their education. Don’t propose to feed the learners, but give them the resources to explore their passions.

$ “language of communication” based on “virtues” curriculum>knowledge>understanding>tolerance>family (parent collaboration). “Teach language of communication”

$ link together as peace educators. Tired of getting together with such wonderful...groups as today and then going home and feeling unsupported.

$ Redistribution of the money put into education. More dialogue re: how $ is spent – in a non-hierarchical manner re decision making.

$ use public governmental education programs in schools: Canadian and provincial programs for energy reduction, for water, for car pollution...etc.

$ set up dialogues at policy level (provincial) to “get a sense” of how to get peace education curriculum in all educational institutions

$ sharing of (pooling of) ideas/resources/people! Across US/CAN border; To do: keep in touch with U.S. and work collaboratively

$ International Day of Peace to celebrate nationwide (September 21), as we do for March 21 (International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination), International Women's Day (March 8) etc..

$ Listen to students, avoid condescension, recognize the grass roots problems with violence and peace

$ Focus on all streams of education; public, private, alternative, religious, etc.

$ Dialogue with everyone. Do not attempt to convert, rather learn from each other to discover dialogical truth.

$ teachers need to read newspapers, educate themselves globally as citizens of the world. Being too busy should not be an excuse for not being involved.

$ teacher training ; incorporate training of how to teach peace education (importance of peace education) in teacher’s college

$ this is UN decade for a culture of peace & non-violence for children of world. (Up to 2009) there is a program of action adopted by UN general assembly. How can teachers be informed of this?

$ In Ontario, highschool students are required to complete 40 hours of volunteer work/community service. Use this to the advantage of the world. Encourage this in all provinces and nations of the world.

$ teach history as peace interrupted by conflict, not war interrupted by peace. Follow some existing models–there are a few

$ get field experts to speak to schools either by class or by assembly; governments, NGO’s, activists, others

$ Use interdisciplinary approach to teaching content. Respect the opinion of youth as equal to any other opinion; encourage them, associate with them, respect their opinion, HELP THEM.

$ teachers should make more phone calls to parents (establish relationship, not antagonistic)

$ recognition of the responsibility of not only the parents and teachers, but the youth as well.

$ education is not enough – students must have a plan of action (how to take it one step further) -> rights and responsibilities

$ 1. McMaster students need to unite for peace, that is build a unity/solidarity among the various groups – Problem posing question: How to? 2. Then, conference students + need to help Canadian university students unite for peace, that is build a unity/solidarity among the universities across Canada. – Problem posing question: How to?

$ Encourage and aid in the creation of youth peace groups both in schools and in the community

$ parent collaboration to teach them (i.e. youth) the language of communication to talk about peace

$ parents cannot absolve themselves of responsibility for their child’s education -> they must be supported

$ peace gardens work ; peace garden in every school

$ partnerships with unlikely groups eg media -> everyone who has a stake must be part of the process, therefore have vested interest in the solution

$ get media involved, advertise successes.

$ partnerships with unlikely groups. Eg. Educators with a newspaper.

$ each level involved: UN, corporations, individual; give info to each level.

$ Push UNESCO to go forward, they have & so let’s use the knowledge bases.

$ community-based peace ed working groups – to incorporate voices of victims of war for curriculum development i.e. African immigrants

$ Use the resources and experiences of our new Canadian citizens who have experienced war, conflict, reconciliation etc.

Long Term Action Items to Advance Peace Education

$ Make teaching literacy not testing literacy a priority. Frustrated learning is not conducive to peace.

$ women must be in the “power tents” equal to men; getting women into the decision-making positions

$ change (Ontario) “public school” curricula to reflect teachers’, parents’, and students needs, as well as society’s needs.

$ ask the children, the students, what they want, what they want to learn and how.

$ students should have a say in curriculum

$ media awareness and cooperation to create public awareness

$ include [peace education] as a generic part of all “courses” in public education, via “under the radar” if necessary.

$ creating critical thinkers. (Educating with this as a goal) so that people (as adults or before) will see things as they are.

$ create partnerships between students, teachers and parents

$ create a social justice/interpersonal skills requirement for teacher education

$ problem posing instead of banking education (Paulo Freire)

$ More Teaching Assistants ("T.A.’s") especially in special ed. Teach – Model a way to be “at peace”.

$ peace program material for presentation to libraries – public and to schools and library resources for teachers.

$ How do we get peace administrators?

$ encourage youth! To start up own autonomous groups for social justice without adults.

$ adult educators -> also teach/include subject as parenting, conflict res, peace ed...

$ PD days

$ Human Rights focus in UN

$ don’t teach curriculum, teach young people

$ include peace education in teacher education programmes

$ use this same conference (focus) as a professional development day for parents and teachers. Advertise it as specifically for parents to get interest)

$ throw out standardized curriculum

$ lobby the Canadian Council of Ministers of Education

$ recognize that each student is coming from a unique/diverse social context.

$ smaller classes, overburdened teachers have their hands tied and their efforts to teach peace are destroyed.

$ teachers trained in conflict prevention and resolution.

$ lobby parent and community members for peace education. PD days for parents (parenting, peace ed)

$ Incorporate peace into all areas of education at all levels of education IN ADDITION to a core peace curriculum (peace classes)

$ If we take care of the earth/ treat it well, then we will all live better (people, plants & animals)

$ Start from yourself. Have peace within yourself and start with the message of peace with the immediate people who influence your life

$ Try and promote; bring up and advertise the smallest work that you are doing to promote peace and join hands with the peace promoters-- collaborate.

$ Communication: networking, advertising, collaborating, sharing, media contacts, press releases. Empower women and involvement of youth & children, parents, ...??

$ Use our skills in promoting peace. Everybody has the capacity to contribute in his/her own possible way

$ cultural competence needs to be addressed as Canada is a land of immigrants and there are lots of issues that will lead to peace education.

$ we need to revitalize traditional educational institutions to teach good global citizenship, not just to teach trades and work ethics.

Suggestions/Recommendations Related to Next Year's Peace Education Conference

$ contact faculty of education’s in Ontario ++, also child youth programs & ECE programmes, child psychology, law, medicine – I’d be happy to compile a list of email addresses & programme names for you to contact en masse, they can send out conference dates/times on internal listserves. This way more FUTURE educators may choose to attend.

$ extend invitations to a broader group to come to conferences. Eg. Parents groups, community groups, leaders, staff, police officers, daycares, social workers, homeschool groups, engineers,....