Sustainable peace and better-living together

Building sustainable peace in a post conflict area remains a difficult challenge.  Failure to consolidate peace, using solely conventional peace-building mechanisms, is common and often results in far greater levels of human rights abuses than in the prior conflict (Call & Cousens, 2008).

The same is true for developed countries that are increasingly experiencing strained community relations, extremist activities and disengaged youth populations.

In response, international agencies and Governments are growing in their recognition of the indispensable role that education plays in sustainably preventing violent conflict (UNICEF, 2014).

Education that allows children to learn and experience respect for their human rights is not only desirable but also mandatory for successful living together.   As demonstrated through neurological research “something that we experience often becomes strongly embedded in the neurobiological programming of our actions.  Mirror neurons thus offer great potential for initiative a spiral of nonviolence…rather than a spiral of violence, as being natural and if we regularly experience non-violent action and consciously perceive it as such” (Niermann 2012, 73).

Graines de Paix’s programmes builds the foundations for sustainable peace and better-living together by:

• Creating spaces that model peace competencies, where children can experience the normality of a culture of peace.
• Empowering children with the competencies and opportunities to practice creative and non-violent ways to deal with conflict.
• Helping teachers and students overcome habitual patterns of violent behaviour.
• Teaching and practicing the values and competencies of inclusiveness, non-discrimination, critical thinking and empathy in schools.
• Building peace reflexes
• Transferring these competencies to community and family relationships