Preamble and Background Philosophy |
Preamble The "Teaching and Learning for Peace" activities have been specifically designed to insight interest in some new thinking about peace education possibilities and future directions. Traditionally peace education has involved the exploration of issues related to peace highlighting the inequities and injustices that continue to prevail in our world. Despite our concerted efforts as educators to present and skill our young people in social justice initiatives, even when good solutions and actions are determined often our young people feel powerless to make any changes. Contributing to this are television, radio and newspapers which present the sensational or the exciting but “not so good” images of our world consequently defining it as unsafe and certainly not peaceful or able to sustain peace in any way. These new activities therefore have been created to counterbalance any helplessness young people may perceive and discontinue any prevailing negative thinking not only by them but by ourselves. Together if we can simply redirect our thinking and create images of a peace-loving world…a world we don’t allow to be defined by negative media images or the "not so good stories"...then perhaps we can create and sustain world peace...and it is important we all believe this to be possible. Background Philosophy These webpages present
some different thinking and action involving the development of some simple but workable
processes by members within communities, not just peace educators, who are focussed upon
the establishment of a meaningful and lasting peace for the world. This new way of
thinking relies primarily upon our imaginations and not on the effectiveness of expanding
nuclear arsenals or equitable laws or peace keeping forces or even the latest information
technology to establish peace. Thinking is free and is something everyone can actively
participate in. Perhaps we can also be challenged us to move beyond debating and arguing
about who is right and who is wrong and merely work with imagery instead. Leaving history
behind us and creating new ideals from peace-building experiences, ones that reflect our
heartfelt desire for peace that are designed to reinforce new understandings about
humanity, ones that allow for peace becoming a natural way of lifeis the key. By using our imaginations
we can create new thoughts and peace building experiences, then create activities and
stories we can share with each other about these wonderful peaceful possibilities that we
have imagined. Our imaginations cannot can 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 action our ideas in the real world.
Not only can we can 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 together. Then sharing these stories across cultural,
geographical and socio-economic boundaries means these understandings could also become
universal. Just as the magical Silicon Valley was initially created by powerful
imaginations perhaps a new peaceful and peace loving world can be as well. “Good news stories” also need to be created for and by our young people from new positive experiences that instill different and peaceful understandings. Such stories can begin being created by using the suggested activities in this programme. Discussing the importance of resolving all
issues non-violently and using peaceful processes throughout every minute of every day are
essential constituents to such processes. Non-violent resolution to conflict also involves
using “enabling” language (Montessori) which helps to sustain a belief that a
peaceful resolutions to issues are possible. We need to constantly be reminding ourselves: This is an extremely important understanding for without this belief then we will not positively work towards achieving any peaceful resolutions. We sincerely commit our thinking to this understanding that peace and happiness are possible for us all. Summary The Russian author Tolstoy wrote many years ago about a child’s search to find a green stick. This stick held the key to happiness and once found would ensure the child’s future would be peaceful and happy. The impact of existing Peace Education programmes which explore conflict resolution strategies or involve debate about the inequities and injustices that exist throughout our world might lead us away from discovering our own green sticks. Perhaps it is time for a new beginning to counterbalance our old ways of thinking. These activities provide an example of this new beginning and new way of thinking and it is one programme that simply and easily addresses not only the current need to incorporate information technology into our teaching and learning programmes but helps instill this new positive peace building thinking which may help to lead us happily and peacefully along a different road. Happiness is not elusive and neither is world
peace, but we must truly believe this to be so, and constantly nurture and reinforce our
belief that we all deserve happiness and world peace is possible. This programme
acknowledges every person’s responsibility in the peace building process. As we teach
and learn ourselves to focus on the “good things” happening and peace building
processes rather than the “not so good things” and violence, terrorism, racism
and war, then perhaps this simple beginning can help make this world a happier place for
us all to share. Most importantly, the challenge is for you also
to find your green sticks and place them securely together and build new peaceful
communities. Copyright Ann Mason July 2001. |