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effective way to reconcile those in conflict is to enable them to work together on a common goal (see box).
Along with his colleagues on the Peace Committee, Dr Wessels has decided to devote their work to the promotion of a culture of peace. The Committee brings together psychologists working for peace from every continent. They planned to send a delegation of specialists for the recovery of children from trauma to develop a project with the National Culture of Peace Programme in Burundi.
At the American Psychological Association, which is one of the major organizations included in the IUPS, Dr Wessels hosted a presentation by the Culture of Peace Programme during their 1995 annual meeting in New York. In particular, activist work for a culture of peace is carried out by the organization Psychologists for Social Responsibility.
Peace researchers
The culture of peace is increasingly the subject of scientific and scholarly study by peace researchers. In this regard, the International Peace Research Association (IPRA) took up this theme at its biennial meeting in Malta in 1994. As a result of a plenary discussion of the topic, including a presentation by the UNESCO Programme, and the ensuing discussions, the Association established a new Commission, the 'Peace Theories Commission'. The Commission is devoting its initial activity to the systematic study of the theoretical foundations for a culture of peace. It includes peace researchers from Guatemala, Norway, India, the Russian Federation, the United States, Germany, and representatives from UNESCO.
IPRA unites peace researchers - both organizations and individuals - from around the world in a network of co-operation designed to:
• promote national and international studies and teaching related to the pursuit of world peace;
• facilitate contacts and co-operation between scholars and educators throughout the world;
Take 22 white, middle class, 11 year old boys who did not know each other, and send them on a 'summer camp experience' at the Robber's Cave State Park in Oklahoma... The boys were unwittingly the star cast in a classic experiment conducted in the 1950s on building positive intergroup relations, conducted by psychologist Muzafer Sherif. Although they were unaware of it, Sherif had divided the boys into two groups of 11... and arranged experiences that would amplify, then resolve destructive conflict between them...
In the first stage ... each group spontaneously developed its own rules, leadership and identity...near the end of this stage, each was made aware of the other's presence in the camp... By design, Stage Two amplified the competition between the young 'warriors' ... through a series of contests... By the end, hostilities ran extremely high.
Stage three aimed at resolving the conflict... To build peace, it was necessary to induce co operation on shared goals. A series of urgent problems were devised which the boys could solve only by working together. The camp's water was cut, for example, and staff announced a possible leak in the supply pipe. The boys had to inspect the 1.6 km pipe, and finally discovered a clogged valve at the tank. They rejoiced together when the problem had been solved. On another occasion, they had to join forces to start a truck which had broken down. By the time the third stage had ended the boys had become reconciled...
This conclusion has far reaching implications for building a culture of peace. Simply stopping the fighting or bringing hostile groups together is not enough. Rather, hostile groups must be encouraged to work together on shared goals. Co-operation must be nourished at diverse levels in the social system, building the sense of positive interdependence that lies at the heart of a culture of peace.
Excerpts from article by Dr Michael Wessels in UNESCO Sources, October 1994.
Social sciences such as psychology provide scientific principles for the work of constructing a culture of peace.