The International Institute on
Peace Education
Institute Philosophy
Purpose
The institutional and social purposes of the IIPE
are directed toward the development of the field of peace education in theory,
practice and advocacy. In addition to the important learning of contextually
relevant issues and pedagogical approaches, the purposes of the IIPE are threefold.
First, the IIPE seeks to further develop the substance of peace education through
exploration of new and challenging themes to contribute to the on-going development
of the field – each
year focusing on issues and educational frameworks, particularly relevant to
the host institution and region. Second, the IIPE seeks to build strategic
international institutional alliances among universities and agencies involved
in peace education thereby increasing the benefits of shared expertise on substance
and practice as well as advancing educational reform initiatives. Finally,
the IIPE works to encourage regional cooperation toward the maximization of
resources, cooperation in pedagogical and substantive developments and increasing
regional perspectives on the global issues that comprise the content of peace
education. This is accomplished through significant involvement of regional
organizations and participants with an annual goal of 50% of the participants
from the region.
Participation & Process
The Institute draws on the experiences and insights of diverse
peace educators and advocates from all world regions helping us learn from
each other's experiences and strategies in achieving human rights and women's
rights, working towards demilitarization, and resolving conflicts. It attempts
to practice the principles of peace education by engaging all in the short
term learning community in an experience of participatory learning in which
all can learn from all the other participants. As such, the program is made
as participatory as possible, where all presenters and participants are requested
to make every effort to create an inclusive, highly interactive climate in
all parts of the program.
Each component of the program serves a particular function in
the learning experience of the Institute: the orientation, the plenaries, the
workshops and seminars, the excursions and the reflection groups. At the orientation
participants are introduced to the purposes and process of IIPE, beginning
the process of acquaintance from which we will build our learning community.
The plenaries provide a common substance for all in the community and a basis
for the specific consideration of some of the workshops and seminars. The excursions
permit us to have some direct experience of our host country, its landscapes
and the issues of justice and peace which ts citizens are addressing. The reflection
groups are the heart of the learning experience, the base at which we share
our daily learnings and reflect upon how we will apply them in our respective
professional and personal lives.
The workshops are intended to be participatory, hands on sessions
that provide participants with practical strategies and materials for educating
others about the theme issues and or practical action strategies to deal with
the problems at hand as well as some knowledge of the issues. The participants
are usually a mix of educators and activists, some graduate students and representatives
of agencies and NGOs.
In the daily plenary panels participants hear various perspectives
on theme issues. We also try to make these as participatory as possible, calling
for the formation of group questions and comments rather than the traditional
Q&A.
The reflection groups meet daily to allow participants to share
their learnings and help each other to think through possible application of
these learnings to their own respective situations. Participants meet with
the same reflection group throughout the entire length of IIPE and present
group reports in the last plenary.
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