Peace Education Conference Press Release 2004

HAMILTON, ON, October 18, 2004 – If there is to be peace in our time, it is up to the educators to teach it to future generations. Of course, who will teach the educators? This is the main purpose behind the Third Annual Peace Education Conference in Canada at McMaster University, presented by the Canadian Centres for Teaching Peace this November.

This four-day conference has been a much-needed gathering place for the last two years – for not only peace researchers, educators, and activists – but people from all backgrounds, who recognize that the responsibility to cultivate a culture of peace in society belongs to all. Participants in the past have ranged from those who live in residence at McMaster to guests flying in from places as remote and distant as Cyprus.

This year’s conference is preceded by a three-day “Leadership and Peace Workshop” and is followed by a two-day “National Culture of Peace & Canadian Peace Initiative Symposium” totalling an unprecedented nine-day period of peace education seminars, discussions, workshops, and more.

Previous years’ conferences have led to the initiation of provincial and regional conferences across Canada over the last two years. Guest speakers have included: David Adams (http://www.culture-of-peace.info/adams.html), Shall Sinha (http://ssinha.com/bioss.htm), and Senator Douglas Roche (http://www.douglasroche.ca/) – all of whom are returning this year, with many other speakers.

Not only are established peace researchers and established educators attending, but many students from across the country attend, including many McMaster students from its undergraduate Peace Studies programme. “Two years ago, this conference sold me on my decision to go into peace studies at McMaster”, says Rob Porter, a Mac student in Honours Peace Studies and Theatre & Film Studies. “The conference attracts the international theorists and activists that helped craft peace studies into an academic discipline, who conceived the materials we read from first year and on in peace studies – and meeting them is an amazing experience.”

The conference has been organized by the leadership of Robert Stewart, a McMaster alumnus who graduated in 1973 with a Bachelor of Commerce. He is now a Chartered Accountant in public practice and Certified Management Consultant who has held many senior management positions in business and government over the past 31 years. Robert developed his 'passion for peace' through his membership in the Rotary Clubs.

“I believe we could easily have over 500 participants this year”, says Stewart, who since founding the Canadian Centres for Teaching Peace (CCTP) in 1997, has devoted himself to using his professional skills as a general manager and information manager to help advance peace education in Canada and internationally. “Promotion is where we need the most help right now…our conferences are really good, but they are still relatively unknown to the many who would be interested in coming.”

The Third Annual Conference on Peace Education in Canada will run from November 18 through 21, preceded by the Leadership and Peace Workshop from November 15 through 17, and followed by the National Culture of Peace & Canadian Peace Initiative Symposium from November 21 through 23.

Early-bird registration is $200 (or $25 for students, $50 for retirees) if submitted before October 31, 2004. Fees are used to pay the costs of the conference, and any surplus is contributed to the Canadian Peace Education Foundation to support future peace education efforts. Participants (*) will be also given a complimentary copy of Senator Douglas Roche’s book, The Human Right to Peace – regarded by CCTP as a must-read for all peace educators.