Transcript Bob Stewart, Rotary Club of Okotoks, Alberta, Canada

PRESENTATION TO RECIFE, BRAZIL PEACE EDUCATION CONFERENCE
FEBRUARY 18, 2005
► One
Rotarian’s Path
to Peace
And
► THE
CANADIAN
PEACE EDUCATION
EXPERIENCE
The Bob Stewart perspective:
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Historically, Canada has
been in the middle of the
pack when it comes to
Peace Education.
The bottom line = there is
a lot of opportunity for
improvement + there is a
lot of opportunity for
me and Rotary to make
a difference.
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A major reason for the lack
of peace education
resources – there has been
a lack of motivation and
action.
To those who proclaim an
interest in peace, the
challenge is, “Show me
the money.” It is not
there in any significant
way.
Canadian Centres for Teaching
Peace:
I had difficulty getting the
information that I needed to do
something to contribute to peace.
So I created my own: Canadian
Centres for Teaching Peace, a
virtual centre at
http://www.peace.ca
► Since incorporation in 1998, we
have had over 1,000,000 visitors to
the site,
► We are currently averaging over
50,000 visitors per month, from
around the world,
► We are the best (most active)
peace web site in Canada and one
of the best in the world (in plain
language, suitable for all readers),
►
Canadian Centres for Teaching
Peace:
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We host National and
several Provincial Peace
Education Conferences
annually,
We host several email
listservers, to provide tools
for communication,
networking, dialogue and
information dissemination.
The web site works for
peace even when I am on
vacation
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In the process, I have
developed some significant
expertise in peacebuilding,
peace education and
leadership.
I am pleased to offer my
service to others, in the
spirit of Rotary’s motto
“Service Above Self”.
(a perfect example of
servant leadership; I
recommend the book
Servant Leadership by
Robert Greenleaf)
Canadian Peace Education Strategy:
►
At our First Annual Peace Education
Conference in Canada, at McMaster
University in Hamilton, we developed a
Canadian Peace Education Strategy:
to get peace education onto the
Canadian agenda in the near term, and
► to get peace education integrated into
all schools and curricula within the
decade.
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This is consistent with the Hague Appeal
for Peace Global Campaign for Peace
Education, and United Nations/UNESCO
research. Ultimately, all children need to
learn peaceful means to manage conflict
and prevent violence.
►
Available online at
http://www.peace.ca/conference2002su
mmary.htm
Canadian Culture of Peace Program:
At our Third Annual Peace
Education Conference in Canada
this past November (2004), we
gave birth to a new Canadian
Culture of Peace Program, which I
chair.
► Its mission is to advance a
Culture of Peace and Nonviolence, at home and abroad.
► It is a National Culture of Peace
Program linked to the United
Nations’ International Culture of
Peace and Non-violence Program
for the Children of the World (we
are currently at the mid-point of the
Decade for a Culture of Peace).
► We enjoy the benefit of UNESCO’s
valuable research.
►
Canadian Culture of Peace Program
(“CCOPP”):
The CCOPP” is a Civil Society
initiative, open to everyone and all
institutions in Canada.
► It is an institution gathering people
and organizations who have
accepted the common purpose
of building a Culture of Peace,
and a common discipline to
guide the pursuit of that purpose,
to the end that each involved
person reaches higher fulfillment as
a person, through serving and
being served by the common
venture, than would be achieved
alone or in a less committed
relationship.
► You can get more information at
http://www.peace.ca/canadiancultu
reofpeace.htm
►
VALUES, ATTITUDES AND
BEHAVIORS COMPARISON:
CULTURE OF WAR AND VIOLENCE
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CULTURE OF PEACE AND NON-VIOLENCE
Belief in power that is based on
force
Having an enemy
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Education for a culture of peace
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Authoritarian governance
Secrecy and propaganda
Armament
Exploitation of people
Exploitation of nature
Male domination
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Tolerance, solidarity and
international understanding
Democratic participation
Free flow of information
Disarmament
Human rights
Sustainable development
Equality of women and men
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Our Pledge (Manifesto 2000):
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Because the year 2000 must be a new
beginning, an opportunity to transform - all
together - the culture of war and violence into
a culture of peace and non-violence,
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Because this transformation demands the
participation of each and every one of us, and
must offer young people and future
generations the values that can inspire them
to shape a world based on justice, solidarity,
liberty, dignity, harmony and prosperity for all,
►
Because the culture of peace can underpin
sustainable development, environmental
protection and the well-being of each person,
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Because I am aware of my share of
responsibility for the future of humanity, in
particular to the children of today and
tomorrow, …
Our Pledge (Manifesto 2000):
I pledge in my daily life, in my family,
my work, my community, my
country and my region, to:
Respect the life and dignity of
each human being without
discrimination or prejudice;
► Practice active non-violence,
rejecting violence in all its forms:
physical, sexual, psychological,
economical and social, in particular
towards the most deprived and
vulnerable such as children and
adolescents;
► Share my time and material
resources in a spirit of generosity to
put an end to exclusion, injustice
and political and economic
oppression;
►
Our Pledge (Manifesto 2000):
Defend freedom of expression
and cultural diversity, giving
preference always to dialogue and
listening without engaging in
fanaticism, defamation and the
rejection of others;
► Promote consumer behavior that is
responsible and development
practices that respect all forms of
life and preserve the balance of
nature on the planet;
► Contribute to the development of
my community, with the full
participation of women and respect
for democratic principles, in order
to create together new forms of
solidarity.
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How to build a Culture of Peace:
► CCOPP
Stakeholder
Web – a network of
stakeholders that
scrutinizes and
attempts to influence
Canada’s behavior with
respect to peace and
violence.
► CCOPP’s role is one of
catalyst and facilitator.
► Refer
to
http://www.peace.ca/CCOPPorganizatio
n2004.htm
Transformation:
The United Nations Culture of Peace
Program tells us that we need to
transform all institutions from a
Culture of Violence to a Culture
of Peace.
► Stakeholder webs are a powerful
force for transformation.
► They actively investigate, evaluate,
and seek to change the behaviors
of institutions (such as corporations,
governments, educational
institutions, religious organizations,
NGOs, etc.) to achieve better
alignment with the values and
interests of their participants – in
this case, a Culture of Peace.
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How to build a Culture of Peace:
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Filling in the Peace and
Education Gaps.
What we found in doing an
environmental scan of the
peace industry in Canada
and the world was an
information void, a
leadership void, a resource
void, and an educational
void preventing the
building of a Culture of
Peace and Non-violence.
Our purpose is to fill those
key voids.
►
Refer to
http://www.peace.ca/CCOPPpeaceeduca
tion.htm
Course examples:
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understanding macropeace, or
the ‘big peace picture’,
how to teach peace (peace
pedagogy),
peace leadership and servant
leadership,
peace psychology,
relationship building,
critical and creative thinking,
self-sufficiency, independence,
cooperation, competition,
community and citizenship,…
Course examples (cont.):
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conflict transformation,
open space technology (how to
make every conference and
classroom open to maximum
participation),
having difficult and crucial
conversations,
peace education at the family
level and good parenting, etc.
How many of these courses are
currently taught in your
schools?
Conclusions:
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The Bad News: it is not
that we do not know what
to do, it is that we do not
do it.
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"The world is dangerous
not because of those who
do harm, but because of
those who look at it
without doing anything." Albert Einstein
Conclusions:
► The
Good News: since
9/11, the Iraq War and
the Bush Doctrine,
there has been more
Peace Education than
ever before in the
history of mankind.
►I
hope that our
evolving Canadian
Model will provide you
with food for thought.
► Questions?
► Thank
► Bob
you
Stewart
► [email protected]
► www.peace.ca