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Proposals for a Culture of Peace
(a) Training and practice of conflict resolution and mediation in school systems, among staff and students, and extension through community involvement to the rest of society.
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In the Declaration on Education for Peace Human Rights and Democracy adopted by the ICE, ministers agreed to base education on principles and methods that contribute to the development of the personality of pupils, students and adults who are respectful of their fellow human beings and determined to promote peace, human rights and democracy' and pledged to take steps to ensure that educational institutions become 'ideal places' to practice tolerance.
The education ministers drafted an Integrated Framework of Action to define procedures for implementing the Declaration, which is being submitted to UNESCO's 1995 General Conference for approval. The Framework recommends including lessons on peace, human rights and racial equality into curricula at all education levels, formal and non formal. It also seeks to reform teacher training by assuring the participation of people experienced in peace, human rights and democracy. In countries undergoing crisis or conflict, emergency measures should include appropriate training for teachers, security forces and the police.
A number of innovative projects for a culture of peace have been initiated through the UNESCO Associated Schools Project (ASP). The ASP has launched an interregional ASP pilot project No to violence!, with a view to preparing a brochure in each of five participating countries and a synthesis in the form of a booklet for international diffusion. The participating countries are Brazil, Estonia, Haiti, Sri Lanka and Zaire.
In observance of the 50th Anniversary of the United Nations and of UNESCO, as well as the United Nations Year for Tolerance, UNESCO has organized in 1995 a series of sub regional children's culture of peace festivals. The festivals, which are being held in Greece, Grenada, Zimbabwe, Cook Islands, Jordan, Costa Rica and Thailand, are sponsored jointly by the Culture of Peace Programme and the ASP. Children between the ages of 11 and 13 from different countries, gather at these festivals for activities, discussion and debate. It is expected that this will launch an educational process which will inspire children to promote peace in their own societies as well as in the rest of the world. As a follow up to the festivals, multi-media teaching materials will be prepared and shared between countries/regions.
Through festivals and other activities at their schools, children in the Associated Schools Programme of UNESCO are helping to cultivate a culture of peace.