In celebration of the International Day of Peace, the National Peace Academy is launching a free online curriculum, “Peace, Peacebuilding and Peacelearning: A Holistic Introduction.” This study guide designed for budding peace and community change leaders from children to adults. It is intended for both seasoned practitioners and those who are new to peacebuilding and who wish to create significant, meaningful and sustainable change in their personal lives, their communities, and the world at large.
The study guide is divided into three units, one each for children, youth and adults. The curriculum provides exercises and resources appropriate for the primary (elementary) and secondary (youth-adolescents) classroom. The adult curriculum is intended as an introductory self-study guide.
The 90-day curriculum is divided into 12 weekly lessons, requiring between 45-90 minutes to complete. Two weeks are given to each of the 5 spheres of peace of National Peace Academy’s program framework. The first lesson provides an introduction to all 5 spheres and the final lesson holistically weaves the 5 spheres together through practical applications.
The first 3 lessons for children, youth and adults are now available. Other lessons will be released weekly. A Teacher’s Guide is also available.
- Lesson 1 Adults: Towards a Holistic Conception of Peace
- Lesson 1 Youth: Memories of Peace: Remembering Right Relationships
- Lesson 1 Children: Peace is Right Relationships: Seeing the Big Picture
This curriculum is designed to support Push4Peace, a 90-day global media campaign also launched on the International Day of Peace. Over the past few decades, there has been an exponential growth of peacebuilding efforts quietly emerging around the world. This emergence has spread over multiple sectors of society and across a continuum ranging from inner to international peace. Under the banner of Push4Peace, a group of strategic partners is working to catalyze a worldwide celebration of these diverse efforts as part of a growing wave of peace. Their aim is to reach one billion people and inspire a billion actions for peace. Take the “pledge for peace” today! This curriculum is the National Peace Academy’s contribution to this effort.
Each year the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on 21 September. The General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples.
Sustainable Peace…
This year, world leaders, together with civil society, local authorities and the private sector, met in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development to renew political commitment to long term sustainable development.
It is in the context of the Rio+20 Conference that “Sustainable Peace for a Sustainable Future” is the theme chosen for this year’s observance of the International day of Peace.
There can be no sustainable future without a sustainable peace. Sustainable peace must be built on sustainable development.
…From Sustainable Development…
The root causes of many conflicts are directly related to or fuelled by valuable natural resources, such as diamonds, gold, oil, timber or water. Addressing the ownership, control and management of natural resources is crucial to maintaining security and restoring the economy in post-conflict countries.
Good natural resource management can play a central role in building sustainable peace in post-conflict societies.
…For a Sustainable Future
The International Day of Peace offers people globally a shared date to think about how, individually, they can contribute to ensuring that natural resources are managed in a sustainable manner, thus reducing potential for disputes, and paving the road to a sustainable future, the “Future We Want“.