click on the banner above to return to the homepage
program

 

 

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS OUR 2005-2006 YEAR END ACTIVITY SUMMARY

All of our work is motivated by the principles of peace education, nonviolence and a culture of peace. Please refer to the descriptions below for more information.

What is Peace Education? Peace education is an engaged and constantly evolving process of learning. It focuses on issues related to conflict management and the underlying roots of conflict.

NVN programs focus on gaining a deeper understanding of all aspects of conflict. In addition to examining interpersonal conflict, we also look at larger scale global conflicts. Our programs also focus on developing positive and creative strategies for dealing with conflict.

Peace education discussion topics include, but are not limited to:

      • Interpersonal Conflict
      • Discrimination
      • Poverty
      • Privilege
      • War
      • Violence
      • The Justice System
      • Human Rights
      • Sustainable Development
      • Environmental Issues

What is Nonviolence? The idea of nonviolence has been in existence for many centuries. Awareness of it grew, however, as a result of the actions and teachings of notable figures such as Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Hannah Arendt, and Desmond Tutu. Nonviolence is not a specific action, it is a way of living ones life which rejects the use of violence and which encourages individuals to embrace diversity, seeking of the truth, and living sustainable lives.

A Culture of Peace: A culture of peace is a concept established in 1989 at an international conference in Côte d’Ivoire. It called for the United Nations to adopt and implement a new vision of a more sustainable "peace". Since then, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has developed a philosophy based on core values and projects that are essential to building this "peace".

The UN defines a culture of peace as "a set of values, attitudes, modes of behaviour and ways of life that reject violence and prevent conflicts by tackling their root causes to solve problems through dialogue and negotiation among individuals, groups and nations" UN Resolution A/RES52/13