The following suggestions are based on Unesco's rich experience in education for peace and international understanding. They should be integrated into any teaching program that is already underway. They should also be integrated into actions for peace and justice in which young people are already involved. After all, people learn from experience more than they learn from reading, listening to lectures, or preparing for examinations.
1. Listen to and learn about the values and concerns of young people. Most young people already believe in the values on which a vision of peace can be constructed: understanding and respect for all peoples, cultures, civilizations, values and ways of life; awareness of the increasing global interdependence of peoples and nations, and the need for international solidarity and cooperation. Most young people are afraid of the threat of war and violence. And they are angry that the world is threatened with injustice and war.
2. Young people welcome the opportunity to share in the creation of an optimistic vision for the future. The myth that war is part of human nature is an obstacle to the development of such a vision. By discussing the Seville Statement on Violence and the scientific evidence supporting it, you can help them remove this obstacle and work together on the creation of a vision of peace for the future.
3. Encourage action. Young people are aware not only of their rights, but also of their duties. They are usually ready to participate in solving the problems that face their community, country and world at large. Learning about the Seville Statement should be combined with action. By taking action, young people can put their values into practice and express their anger in a constructive way. They can reduce their fear and develop courage by taking part in constructing the future.
4. As a teacher you can be a role model by taking action yourself and telling your students about what you have done. You can also tell your students about actions for peace by other role models. The photos of Mead, King, Gandhi, Freud, and Einstein are included here because they can serve as role models. You may wish to contact some of the organizations listed on pages 34 and 35 that have endorsed or disseminated the Statement.
5. Encourage young people to work together. It is important for them to learn how to work in a group, and to develop their abilities to communicate with others. As the Seville Statement says, the task of inventing peace rests upon each of us, but the most important tasks are institutional and collective. That means we must work together to get then done. Fortunately, our species is even more capable of cooperation than aggression.
6. Help young people integrate their work for peace with every other aspect of life, with their families and communities, religious affiliations, and their jobs and work relationships. The task of inventing peace will require the cooperation of everyone and it will take many years to accomplish.
7. Help young people develop a global perspective and solidarity with people throughout the world, and to integrate it with the loyalties to nationality, ethnic group and family. Show how the enemy image is an artificial construction and not a constant human trait. Use the Seville Statement on Violence and other activities of Unesco as examples of how people from around the world can work together for peace.
