Peace and Violence Education

Ronald Allan S. Mabunga

UNESCO ASPnet National Coordinator
Professor in Peace Education, PNU
On Human Nature

Are human beings

inherently
GOOD or EVIL?
Casualties of World War I
Casualties and losses

Military dead: Military dead:

5,525,000 4,386,000
Military wounded: Military wounded:
12,831,500 8,388,000
Military missing: Military missing:
4,121,000 3,629,000

Over 40 million casualties

including approximately 20
million military and civilian
deaths
 Casualties of World War II

Casualties and losses

Military dead:
Military dead:
Over 14,000,000
Over 8,000,000
Civilian dead:
Civilian dead:
Over 36,000,000
Over 4,000,000
Total dead:
Total dead
Over 50,000,000
Over 12,000,000
 Images of Genocide

Armenian Genocide - 1915-1918 - 1,500,000

Deaths
The Holocaust
 Images of Genocide

Genocide in Cambodia (mid 70s) – over 1 million deaths

(Source: Kuperman, Alan J. Rwanda in Retrospect. 2000, p. 101)
The Maguindanao Massacre 2009
Individual Characteristics Theory:
The Psychoanalytic Theory of Violence

-human conflict fed on the innate

aggressive drive lying within us all;

- human aggression is linked to ‘death

instinct’ and ‘tension reduction;’

-human aggression is a reaction to

certain socio-cultural formations and
Sigmund Freud
frustrations
1856 -1939
 Theory of Human Character

•Aggression and destructiveness are not innate

but ‘reactive’ to the basic problem of meaning
and meaningless in the human condition.

2 forms of aggression:
biologically adaptive aggression which
Erich Fromm
serves life, and which humans share with all
1900 - 1980 other animals;

malignant aggression which is rooted in

character and society, and is unique to
humans.
 The Seville Statement 1986

Declaration 1: It is scientifically incorrect to say that we have

inherited a tendency to make war from our animal
ancestors.
Declaration 2: It is scientifically incorrect to say that war or
any other violent behavior is genetically programmed into
our human nature.
Declaration 3: It is scientifically incorrect to say that in the
course of human evolution there has been a selection for
aggressive behavior more than for other kinds of behavior.
Declaration 4: It is scientifically incorrect to say that human
have a “violent brain.”
Declaration 5: It is scientifically incorrect to say that war is
caused by “instinct” or any single motivation.
 Understanding Peace & Violence

PEACE

- peace + peace

PHYSICAL VIOLENCE STRUCTURAL

-war, torture, murder VIOLENCE
-homicide, massacre -poverty, unemployment,
-genocide, rape, etc… -injustice, ecological violence
-racism, intolerance, etc…

VIOLENCE
LEVELS AND DIMENSIONS OF VIOLENCE AND CONFLICTS

GLOBAL/PLANETARY

NATIONAL

FAMILY
COMMUNITY

INTRA
PERSONAL

WORK PLACE
SCHOOL

REGIONAL

INTERNATIONAL
Issues on Peace and Violence
War in Iraq and Afghanistan
Armed conflict in Egypt
Armed conflict in Libya
Conflict in Syria
Ongoing armed conflicts in the world…

Conflict in Algeria

Conflict in Burundi
 Conflict in Congo

Conflict in Somalia
Conflict in Sudan

Conflict in Uganda
 Conflict in Russia

Conflict in Colombia
Conflict in Pakistan and India

Conflict in Indonesia – Aceh

(Resolved via peace agreement)
 Conflict in Nepal

Conflict in the Philippines

Major Causes of Armed Conflicts in the
Philippines based on the NUC
Consultations (1992-1993)

• Massive poverty and economic inequity

• Political inequity
• Injustice, abuse of power
• Poor governance
• Exploitation and marginalization of
indigenous cultural communities
 6 Paths to Peace
1. Pursuit of social, economic, and political reforms (that
address the roots of the armed conflicts)
2. Consensus-building and empowerment for peace
3. Peaceful, negotiated settlement with the different rebel
groups
4. Programs for reconciliation, reintegration into
mainstream society, and rehabilitation
5. Addressing concerns arising from the continuing armed
hostilities
6. Building and nurturing a climate conducive to peace
Ronald Allan Salazar Mabunga

Doctor of Philosophy in Conflict Analysis and Resolution (Candidate)

Nova Southeastern University
Fort Lauderdale, Florida U.S.A.
(Fulbright Scholar)

Professor in Peace Education

Philippine Normal University, 1991 – present

Master of Education
University of New England
New South Wales, Australia, (AusAID Scholarship 1995-1996)

BSE Social Science (Cum Laude), PNU, 1990

Master of Arts in Social Science Teaching PNU

UNESCO Associated Schools Network

National Coordinator