The Grains of Peace team, made up of Delia Mamon, President and Founder (center), surrounded by Tiemele Kouassi, National Coordinator of Grains of Peace in Côte d’Ivoire, Jean-Pierre Raffarin, President of the Leaders for Peace Foundation, and Sorana Secasiu, Program Manager for Grains of Peace in West Africa.
Launched in January 2019, this prestigious award recognizes Graines de Paix for its innovative and replicable pedagogical work. Of the 30 applicants, the NGO Graines de Paix was the one with the most well-developed pedagogy for fostering peaceful behavior and preventing violent behavior, particularly in early childhood (ages 2 to 7). The jury that selected Graines de Paix was made up of eminent members of the international board, including Jean-Pierre Raffarin, former French Prime Minister and President and Founder of the Foundation, Ban Ki-moon, former Secretary-General of the United Nations, Tertius Zongo, former Prime Minister of Burkina Faso, and Assia Ben Salah, Goodwill Ambassador of King Mohammed VI Morocco. It also included experts in education and impact assessment.
“Integrating peace education as part of basic education seems essential to change mentalities and make future generations more pacifist and concerned by the stability of the world” writes Leaders for Peace.
Delia Mamon, President and Founder of Graines de Paix, and co-designer of the pedagogical principles, was joined by Sorana Secasiu, Head of West Africa Programs, and Tiemele Kouassi, National Coordinator for Côte d’Ivoire, in a round of applause. The Smart Peace Prize was symbolized by the presentation of a work of art by sculptor Anilore Banon during the ceremony.
Delia Mamon, president and founder of Graines de Paix with the Smart Peace Prize
The award recognizes the work of Graines de Paix for its innovative educational pedagogy and its implementation, as well as its ability to replicate it, as it is already doing in several countries in Africa, Switzerland and France. In Côte d’Ivoire, Graines de Paix’s pedagogy has been adapted to meet an important need: reducing violence in the school environment and ensuring quality education for all pupils. The program has been evaluated by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Their study clearly shows the positive results relating to violence in terms of changing teachers’ behavior towards their pupils.
Graines de Paix is the Ministry’s technical partner for in-service and initial training of preschool and primary school teachers. It also develops pedagogical resources that provide teachers with solid support for school development, violence prevention and societal peace.
Graines de Paix in figures
23,500 teachers trained in the values, contents, postures and pedagogical practices that promote a culture of peace in Côte d’Ivoire between 2012 and 2019
More than 1,000,000 children benefited from the program in Côte d’Ivoire between 2012 and 2019
500 teachers trained in Grains of Peace pedagogy integrating the values, contents, postures and practices of a culture of peace in Switzerland for the start of the 2019-2020 school year
80,000 students benefited from educational exhibitions in Switzerland
SUPPORT GRAINES DE PAIX AND ITS ACTIONS
The video report
Read other articles about the Smart Peace Prize
The announcement on the Leaders for Peace Foundation website
AtlasInfo
La Tribune Afrique
Le Temps