Peace Education
:: Policy ::
Education International's policy in the role of education in promoting peace and democracy lies in the following World Congress resolutions:
- "Towards Peace, Disarmament and Peace Education" (1995)
- "Peace Education for Disarmament" (1998)
- "Global Campaign to Defend and Enhance Public Education" (1998)
- "Children and War" (1998)
- "The Elimination of Nuclear Arms" (1995, 1998)
- "Revision of the Distortion of History in Japanese Textbooks" (2001)
- "Educating in a Global Economy" (2001)
- "Nepal" (2001)
- "Palestine" (2001)
- "Violence, Education and the Peace Process in Sri Lanka" (2001)
- "Solidarity with SUTEP and the Peruvian People for Having Defeated the Dictatorship of Fujimori and Montesinos" (2001)
In these documents, EI states the importance of reaffirming the values of education in relation to personal development and to the rights and responsibilities of citizenship in democratic societies. This includes the imperative of gender equity and of non-discrimination on any ground as well as the need to respect diversity of culture, traditions and languages.
School is the place where all children, without segregation or discrimination, are educated and at the same time learn to respect and understand others, and contribute to the reduction of social, racial and cultural prejudices. In the context of the present global economy, populations are more mobile and intercultural education should be promoted. Respecting immigrants’ cultures and mother tongues, while facilitating their access to the host culture and language is of crucial importance.
A free quality public education provides all children and young people with equal opportunity, irrespective of the economic, social or cultural background of their parents. Diversity in the political, social and cultural backgrounds of teachers also helps to guarantee the respect for freedom of thought, and at the same time encourage young people to be open-minded and develop democratic and tolerant forms of behaviour.
For more information, please contact EI.