Peace Education:

Promoting
Non-violence
Here is where your presentation begins
 What is
NONVIOLENCE?
 What is NONVIOLENCE?
•Nonviolence or ahimsa is the refusal to do harm to other humans
as life is sacred and is an absolute value. It is anchored in the belief
that humans have the potential to change.

AKKAPKA or Aksyon para sa kapayapaan at katarungan/

Action for peace and justice 1987 define it as a "principle a
way of life or tool for change that consider the human person
as the highest created value which must not be destroyed. It's
aim is to seek the truth and produce justice and the possibility
for solidarity and reconciliation. Its aim is to liberate the
oppressed and the oppressor through moral percussion,
pressure and forms of nonviolent direct action“.
Mohandas
"Mahatma"
Gandhi
The man who led people of India out
of British subjugation.
•As long as people accept exploitation, both exploiter
and exploited will be entangled in injustice but once
the exploited refuse to accept the relationship,
refuse to cooperate with it, they are already free.

•Nonviolence and cowardice do not go together.

Possession of arms implies an element of fear, if not
cowardice.

•A person and his/her deeds are two distinct things.

Hate the sin but not the sinner.
•If we fight back(in a violent way), we will become the
vandal and they (oppressors) will become the law.
•An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind.
•Nonviolence is more powerful for converting the
opponent and opening his ears which are otherwise
shut to the voice of reason.
•Nonviolence demands that the means used should be
as pure as the ends sought.
•Two wrongs will not make one right.
•“ If the end is good the means must also be good.”
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR., believed in the same
principles Gandhi held on to.

• Nonviolence does not seek to defeat or humiliate the

opponent but to win his friendship and understanding.
• Nonviolence seeks to defeat injustice, not people.
• Nonviolence thrives on love rather than hatred.
• Nonviolence requires willingness to suffer and
amazing discipline in the midst of provocation.
• Nonviolence holds that suffering can educate and
transform
 Why Nonviolence?
It is both an ethical and moral choice.
Lao Tzu -- founder of Taoism taught that “weapons are
instruments of evil and not of a good ruler.”

Buddhism – Everyone is believed to have been born

with a Buddha nature so “ no one has the right to take
the life of another.”
 Why Nonviolence?
•Destruction is not the law of humans (Gandhi,
1935)

•Nonviolence is a practical choice.

•Tools and effects of violence are costly.

•Nonviolence works.
 What is Nonviolent Direct Action?
GENE SHARP (2005) has identified 198 methods of
nonviolent action. Below are some examples of Sharp
methods;
● Nonviolent Protest And Persuasion – seeks to
produce awareness of the dissent.
● Nonviolent Noncooperation – presents the
opponent with the difficulties in maintaining the
normal operation of the system
● Nonviolent Intervention – challenges the opponent
more directly.
 THE GOALS!
Seeks to dramatize the issue of injustice to put
01 pressure on the adversary to confront the issue.

02 Seeks to create a tension/crisis that would liberate

victims from silence and helplessness.

03 Seeks to gain attention, and

consequently, support from the
larger community.
 THE STEPS IN DOING NONVIOLENT
DIRECT ACTION

Collect data to ascertain Raise consciousness of

that injustice exists. people about the issue.

Organize constituents Employment of the various

and build coalitions. methods of nonviolent
action.
Peace Education:
Challening War
System
The War System and
How to Challenge it
War is classical or
international if it is
between states, or civil or
internal, if it occurs
between rival groups or
communities within a
state.
Aggression is defined by the United Nations as the
used of the armed force by a state against the
Sovereignty, territorial integrity, or political
independence of another state, or in any other
manner (www.un-documents.net).

A major armed conflict, on the other hand, is defined

by Project Ploughshares (2006) as a political conflict
in which armed fighting involves the armed forces of
at least one state (or one or more armed factions
seeking to gain control of all or part of the state), and
in which 1,000 people have been killed by the
warfare during the course of the conflict.
 Possible Causes of War
• Territorial Disputes have been regarded as the more
common causes of war. Huth (1998) defines territorial
disputes as the disagreement between states or groups
within a state over where their homeland or borders
should be fixed.
Ex. Israel and Palestine, MILF

• Lack of tolerance for differences. Differences may be

in nationality, clan membership, ethnicity or religious
affiliation.
Ex. tension between Tutsis and Hutus
 Possible Causes of War
• Ideological or power struggles. Ideology is a set of
beliefs which serves as guide on how power should be
allocated or how society should function.
Ex. CPP-NPA

•History of colonialism and the process of

decolonization. The transfer of power becomes
problematic with groups within the country
competing for control and authority.
Ex. widespread fighting in Africa
 The Effects of War

•massive death
•commitment of atrocities
•cause people to flee their homes
•wars cause weapons to proliferate
•wars hold back development
•wars see children tread the battle
zones
 The Effects of War
Other consequences : people
lose their livelihoods, access to
food supply, loss of investment,
and raze opportunities for
tourism, disrupt childrens'
education, and create fear and
trauma among the population.
 Peace Education and the
War System
"If wars begin in the minds of men (and women), then it is in
the minds of men (and women) that the defenses of peace
must be constructed."
—UNESCO Preamble
"Peace education seeks to develop a global perspective
on the problems and understanding that humans are a
single species"
(Reardon and Cabezudo,2002)
Peace Education and the War System
 Peace education seeks to teach the concept of the oneness of
the human race.
 Education should also help alter thoughts with regard to the
inevitability of war. Humans should understand that waging war is a
choice, not a manifest destiny.
 Teaching students peaceful conflict resolution skills will also
help learners understand that conflicts may be approached
constructively and that there are better workable alternatives to
aggression. Peace education programs include the teaching of the
theories of nonviolence and the practice of nonviolent direct
action.
Peace Education:
Resolving and
Transforming
Conflicts
Conflicts and How
to Resolve them
 CONFLICT
 Is from a Latin word conflictus which means striking
together.
 It occurs when one’s actions or beliefs are
unacceptable to and, are, hence resisted by the other.
 It can occur in dyads, groups or larger societal
structures.
 What Prevents Us
from Resolving Our
Conflicts?
 Fear, pride, anger and desire for
revenge
 Indifference or apathy
 Lack of common interests
 Lack of communication
ANGER
 More commonly experience
emotion when parties are in
conflict.

 Is not merely irritation or

disappointment but a combined
feeling of disappointment,
anxiety and indignation that
signal our body to prepare for
fight.
 How Do We Manage Our
Anger?
• Recognize that you are angry.
• Distance yourself from the situation
• Release anger physically in direct forms
• Relaxation Techniques
• Calm your mind
• Therapeutic techniques
•Spiritual Aids
•Social Support
 How do we directly express our anger?
 Describe the behavior that angers
you
Describe how you feel about the
behavior
Describe the reason for your feeling
How do we deal with other people's
anger?
o Allow expression. Listen
o Do not counter-attack o Stand in the shoe of other
o Help him/her to calm down
o Paraphrase/Clarify
o Explain your Situation
o Look into options together
o If you can’t deal with the other person’s wrath, ask
for help
 Main options in Dealing with
Conflicts
 FLIGHT- when the person has no power to change the situation
 FIGHT- when the person considers the issue important and will
use power to achieve his/her goal.
 ACCOMODATE- when a person gives up to preserve harmony in
the relationship.
 COMPROMISE- when both parties cannot get what they want
fully and they usually meet in the middle.
 FACE/COLLABORATE- when both issue and relationship are
important to the parties.
 Steps in the Collaborative Problem
Solving
exchange information on Think of all possible options that
what happened can reconcile needs

Story Telling Thinking UP

01 02 03 04

Focusing Concurring
focus the discussion on Evaluate alternatives and
each other’s underlying agree on the best option.
needs and interest
 What is Mediation?
• An effective way of resolving disputes
without the need to go to court.
• It involves an independent third party - a
mediator - who helps both sides come to an
agreement
There are characteristics or qualities essential to
a good mediator;
 Mediators have to be impartial to establish trust among parties in
conflict.
 They should be nonjudgmental and understanding.
 Mediators must be flexible and creative.
 They should know how to reframe situations and broaden
perspectives.
 Mediators should be good at analysis.
 Mediators should show regard and concern for the parties in conflict.
 They should be trustworthy and optimistic.
 They should anticipate a positive outcome and influence adversaries
with such hope.
 They should encourage the disputants to try again
From Conflict Resolution to Conflict
Transformation
THANK
YOU!