Caring for each other in a Peace Club.Each teacher has a favorite dream for the first weeks of the new school year: a calm and peaceful classroom. Each year as we reflect on the tragic incidents of violence and school shootings
Chowne, Parson Stoyle terrorizes parish; kidnaps children. [Br. Lit.: The Maid of Sker, Walsh Modern, 94–95] Claypole, Noah bully; becomes thief in Fagin’s gang. [Br. Lit. and harassment Ask a Lawyer Question Country: United States of America State: Nevada I recently moved to nev.from abut have been going back to ca. every 2 to 3 weeks for med. , such noble goals seem remote and unrealistic. We believe there is a way to succeed through the concept of an in-class Peace Club. A Decade of Peace: 2001-2010 Under the broad umbrella of the United Nations, an International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Nonviolence for the Children of the World was launched to include 200 countries around the world (UNESCO UNESCO: see United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. UNESCO in full United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization , 2000). The Peace Club was one of many models suggested as appropriate for a whole school, a classroom, or family. Many resources are available for a teacher and children launching a Peace Club (see Online Resources). The Model for a Peace Club Starting with their first steps into their schools and classrooms, all teachers and children hope their school lives will be free from violence and aggression. Sadly, that has not been the case. Since 1996, there have been 48 school shootings throughout the world (Infoplease.com, 2007). Growing numbers of communities have been deeply affected by violence at all levels of education. The most recent incident at Virginia Tech called to mind other murders of professors, advisers, principals, teachers, and children of all ages throughout the world, all carried out by a fellow student or deranged de·range tr.v. de·ranged, de·rang·ing, de·rang·es 1. To disturb the order or arrangement of. 2. To upset the normal condition or functioning of. 3. To disturb mentally; make insane. adult from the community. Here are the basic facts for starting a Peace Club: A teacher and children linked together in the classroom usually share a mutual goal--providing a safe, secure place for peaceful relationships within the school. Hopefully, bullying, aggression against others, put-downs, teasing teasing the act of parading a male before a female to see if she displays estrus, and is therefore in a state where mating is likely to be fertile. , and harassment would cease while efforts are made to resolve conflicts without violence. Children would be taught how to use the tools of mediation mediation, in law, type of intervention in which the disputing parties accept the offer of a third party to recommend a solution for their controversy. Mediation has long been a part of international law, frequently involving the use of an international commission, that would bring about a peaceful solution to the dispute. For example, in the primary grades, children's literature children's literature, writing whose primary audience is children. See also children's book illustration. The Beginnings of Children's Literature The earliest of what came to be regarded as children's literature was first meant for adults. could be one way to introduce how to resolve conflicts. The Dino Pals, three books in one, show how both sides in a dispute can work out their problems with a mediator mediator n. a person who conducts mediation. A mediator is usually a lawyer, or retired judge, but can be a non-attorney specialist in the subject matter (like child custody) who tries to bring people and their disputes to early resolution through a conference. or a peacemaker (Online Resources). All children participating in the Peace Club could choose to celebrate different "Cultures of Peace Days," such as Earth Day, CoOp Day, or Human Rights Day. Illustrations can be printed out, all related to each celebration of peace. ACEI ACEI Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitor ACEI Association for Childhood Education International ACEI Association of Consulting Engineers of Ireland As an International Model for Peace Within our own organization, ACEI has given us solid evidence and praiseworthy praise·wor·thy adj. praise·wor·thi·er, praise·wor·thi·est Meriting praise; highly commendable. praise inspiration for introducing Peace Clubs in the classroom. On an international level, ACEI has led the way in campaigns for peaceful coexistence Peaceful coexistence was a theory developed during the Cold War among Communist states that they could peacefully coexist with capitalist states. This was in contrast to theories, such as those implied by some interpretations of antagonistic contradiction, that Communism and . ACEI has underscored the potential dangers of violence through several position papers, such as Banning Corporal Punishment corporal punishment, physical chastisement of an offender. At one extreme it includes the death penalty (see capital punishment), but the term usually refers to punishments like flogging, mutilation, and branding. Until c. of Children (Paintal, 2007) and Children and War (Law, 1973), as well as a Resolution on Children and War (2002), a Resolution on Child Soldiers (2003), and a Resolution for Peace (2004). All of these initiatives validate the concept of in-class Peace Clubs for children, with activities that can be integrated into the school day without replacing the required curriculum. Peace activities for language arts language arts pl.n. The subjects, including reading, spelling, and composition, aimed at developing reading and writing skills, usually taught in elementary and secondary school. , art, music, poetry, and children's literature form the foundation for activities integrated during the school day. Teachers should also fulfill the required state standards in the required content areas. Philosophy of Education Creates a Foundation The principles of a Peace Club format for children have a solid foundation in the philosophy of education that most teachers studied for their degrees in education. These principles are reflected especially in the writings of the noted philosopher Nel Noddings Nel Noddings (1929– ) is an American feminist, educationalist, and philosopher best known for her work in philosophy of education, educational theory, and ethics of care. (2007). First, she based her theory on the principles embodied em·bod·y tr.v. em·bod·ied, em·bod·y·ing, em·bod·ies 1. To give a bodily form to; incarnate. 2. To represent in bodily or material form: by the values of an "ethic of care" (Noddings, 1992). All would be linked by a common bond, sharing the space of a classroom with others and learning to treat each other as fellow humans while engaged in mutual experiences (Noddings, 1992, 2002). Hopefully, teachers would recognize the need to integrate modeling an atmosphere of care. At the same time, the teacher needs to bring into the classroom the skills of a human relations human relations npl → relaciones fpl humanas advocate, melding together diverse personalities through cooperative experiences. This is the goal for a Peace Club community that is based on caring and peacemaking Peacemaking See also Antimilitarism. Agrippa, Menenius Coriolanus’s witty friend; reasons with rioting mob. [Br. Lit.: Coriolanus] Antenor percipiently urges peace with Greeks. [Gk. Lit. . The underlying motive is for all children to experience acceptance, respect, and understanding within the caring community of the classroom. First Steps for Forming a Peace Club Here are basic steps for knitting together these threads of caring and peacemaking: Permission: Obtain consent for forming a Peace Club from the principal, outlining sample activities that could be integrated into various content areas. List of Peace Club Activities: Prepare a list of activities that will serve as examples, based on integration of content areas over a two-week period. Here are a few suggestions. You and your children can create additional ones. * Language Arts: Emphasis on reading and writing--Compose a brief essay on what it means to be a Peaceful Person. Create a statement on "A Caring Classroom" that includes children's suggestions. Encourage children to use art and poetry to also share their ideas. * Math: After researching online accounts, create a bar graph showing the approximate number of children living in war-torn countries. The teacher can selectively share with children some of the hardships faced by children in Darfur, Nigeria, and Iraq from online sources, such as New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of Times.com (see Resources). Explore a possible humanitarian project: Clean Water in Haiti, Food for Darfur's children, etc. The class could earn money to contribute a modest sum. Use a bar graph to exhibit amounts they earned. * Social Studies: Identify leading peacemakers This article is about the pacifist organization. For other meanings, see Peacemaker (disambiguation). Peacemakers was an American pacifist organization. from the past (Peace Jam, 2007). Assemble Visual Display Boards created by cooperative learning cooperative learning Education theory A student-centered teaching strategy in which heterogeneous groups of students work to achieve a common academic goal–eg, completing a case study or a evaluating a QC problem. See Problem-based learning, Socratic method. groups with background information on the lives and contributions of a specific peacemaker (e.g., Nobel Peace Laureates--see PeaceJam-Online Resources). Share with classmates Classmates can refer to either:
* Integration of Children's Literature: Read the book How the Children Stopped the War by Jan Wahl (Wahl, 1973, 2007) and share ideas from children. * Science: Review some of the science themes (and state standards) for your grade level. Can you create a new variety of fruit, vegetable, or food product that would improve the lives of children? Could you demonstrate a new way of conserving energy? Announce the Club: Children in cooperative learning groups can create colorful posters that should be displayed throughout the school, sharing news of their class's Peace Club. Launch Club Activities: Initially, plan at least two weeks of activities. In subsequent weeks, add a few activities each week that could be integrated into your curriculum, if possible. Even if it is just sharing a Peace Education book, the basic goals for peaceful living together can be reinforced. Review each day the idea that ALL should be alert to positive actions they observe taking place with their classmates (devote a bulletin board to list these contributions). Remind them that any signs of bullying, harassment, cruel remarks, etc. should be reported confidentially so that conflict resolution methods can be used to solve the differences. (Consider setting up a Peace Table where those in conflict have a neutral place to discuss their differences and pose a solution.) The teacher may need to be available as a mediator. All of these activities involve a unique experience for children that can possibly lead them to an acceptance of peacemaking as a viable way of resolving differences. Hopefully, these shared experiences may plant the seeds of acceptance for alternative ways to soothe soothe v. soothed, sooth·ing, soothes v.tr. 1. To calm or placate. 2. To ease or relieve (pain, for example). v.intr. To bring comfort, composure, or relief. hurt feelings and stop insults, put-downs, ridicule, and other degrees of cruelty that have become too commonplace and acceptable among today's children Today's Children was the first nationally syndicated radio soap opera in the United States. Created and written by Irna Phillips, it aired from flagship station WMAQ in Chicago from 1932 to 1938, and later in national syndication (without the involvement of WMAQ) from 1943 . These conditions have already created an atmosphere of fear and discrimination that resulted in the horror of violence and death from Columbine columbine, in botany columbine (kŏl`əmbīn), any plant of the genus Aquilegia, temperate-zone perennials of the family Ranunculaceae (buttercup family), popular both as wildflowers and as garden flowers. High to Virginia Tech. Taunts and insults from classmates may have planted the seeds of hatred that motivated the tragic actions of Dylan Klebold, Eric Harris Eric Harris may refer to:
References Association for Childhood Education International. (2002). Resolution on children and war. Olney, MD: Author. Association for Childhood Education International. (2003). Resolution on child soldiers. Olney, MD: Author. Association for Childhood Education International. (2004). Resolution on peace. Olney, MD: Author. Association for Childhood Education International. (2006). Position statement on human rights. Olney, MD: Author. Infoplease.com. (2007). A timeline of recent worldwide school shootings. Retrieved from www.infoplease.com/ipa/ AO777958.html Law, N. R., & Association for Childhood Education International. (1973). Children and war. A position paper. Olney, MD: ACEI. Noddings, N. (1992). The challenge to care in schools. New York: Teachers College Press. Noddings, N. (2007). Philosophy of education (2nd ed.). Boulder, CO: Westview. Paintal, S., & Association for Childhood Education International. (2007). Banning corporal punishment of children. A position paper. Olney, MD: ACEI. UNESCO. (2007). The International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence for the Children of the World (2001 to 2010). Retrieved June 30, 2007, from www.unac.org/ peacecp/decade/background.html Wahl, J. (1973, reissued in 2007). How the children stopped the war. Berkeley, CA: Triangle Press/Ten Speed Press. Online Resources: Books for Peace: Collection of popular books with peace themes www.celebratingpeace.com/BooksForPeace.htm Children as the Peacemakers Foundation: Join a Peace Club www.peace-kids.org Communities of Peace Foundation: Project for Peace Clubs (Children's Cloth of Many Colors) www.communitiesofpeace.org/programs/childrens_cloth.html Culture of Peace--United Nations Initiatives www.uac.orgpeacecp/decade/background.html Dinopals Book: Teaching Conflict Resolution www.cultureofpeace.org/dinopals/cooldown New York Times. Newspaper articles have access to past writings in an Archives. www.newyorktimes.com Peace Clubs: How to Start a Peace Club www.cultureofpeace.org PeaceJam: Nobel Peace Laureates working with youth groups www.peacejam.org/ Peace Treaties: Children-created peace treaties in the 1980s. www.peacetreaties.net/initiative/index.php Rotary Club Support for Peace Education Activities www.peace.ca/rotar/peaceeducation.html We Want Peace: Peace Clubs www.wewantpeaceonearth.com/lbook/p-chl8htm Young Peacemakers Club Young Peacemakers Club began in 1992 with an all volunteer staff and seven children in Sioux City, IA. Since that time, Young Peacemakers Clubs have started all over the world by people who believe that each life makes a difference in the world. : Learn Peace Skills www.celebratingpeace.com/peacemakers.htm --Aline Stomfay-Stitz and Edyth Wheeler |
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