Celebrating 40 years!

Founded in 1982

What is the IIPE?

The International Institute on Peace Education (IIPE) is a weeklong residential experience for educators hosted in a different country every other summer. The Institute facilitates exchanges of theory and practical experiences in teaching peace education and serves to grow the field. In serving the field, the IIPE operates as an applied peace education laboratory that provides a space for pedagogical experimentation; cooperative, deep inquiry into shared issues; and advancing theoretical, practical and pedagogical applications.

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IIPE 40th Anniversary: Living History, Global Voices

The IIPE 40th Anniversary Celebration of “Living History, Global Voices” took place via zoom on Saturday, March 18, 2023. This special virtual event was a “night of a thousand stars,” gathering participants from the first 4 decades of the IIPE to share their experiences in an interactive format. Video of the event is now available.

watch the video of the 40th anniversary celebration!

History

The IIPE was founded by Betty Reardon in 1982. The first Institute held at Teachers College, Columbia University, explored nuclear and general and complete disarmament. 

The IIPE has since been hosted in 18 different countries, exploring critical issues of peace and justice, and bringing together thousands of experienced and aspiring educators, academics, professional workers, and activists in the field of peace education from around the world.

HISTORY

IIPE Pedagogy

The IIPE is always learning and its pedagogy is ever-evolving, drawing from and reflecting upon experiences and insights of a diverse community of peace educators from all world regions, each working in different contexts and addressing particular manifestations of violence.

What has emerged over the 40-year history of the IIPE is an adaptive form of critical participatory peace pedagogy pursued in an intentional learning community.

PEDAGOGY

Support the IIPE

Please consider making a contribution to support the IIPE. Donations support our operations, enable innovations, and seed our scholarship fund that supports the participation of educators from around the world. 

The most effective way to support a sustainable future of the IIPE is to become a recurring donor! By donating just a few dollars a month, you can help us to plan effective actions for the future. 

DONATE

IIPE 2022: Mexico

The 2022 International Institute for Peace Education (IIPE) was held in Mexico City from July 24-31, 2022.  IIPE Mexico was co-organized by the IIPE Secretariat in partnership with Colectivo Tomate and a network of former IIPE participants and hosts from across Mexico and the Americas.

IIPE Mexico explored the theme of “Weaving Together Intercultural Peacelearning.” This theme framed a shared inquiry for pursuing the possibilities of intercultural peacelearning and community building, and of embracing a plurality of forms of knowledge to address present-day global challenges as well as their local manifestations. Participants, including community leaders, educators, researchers, artists and activists inquired together into transformative practices for fostering constructive interconnectedness and interdependence that engage the balance of thinking-feeling, cognitive-emotional, “sentipensar” processes.

learn more about IIPE mexico

Projects & Partnerships

People of peace education

People of Peace Education seeks to elevate the work of peace education by providing glimpses of the lives and work of peace educators from around the world.  Profiles explore the motivations, challenges, successes, and insights of peace educators working in different contexts. People of Peace Education is a joint project of The Association for Historical Dialogue and Research (AHDR) and the IIPE in partnership with the Global Campaign for Peace Education.

MEET the people of peace ed

Mapping Peace Education

“Mapping Peace Education” is an online resource providing data and analysis of formal and non-formal peace education efforts in countries around the world. The project is a global research initiative coordinated by the Global Campaign for Peace Education in partnership with several leading peace education initiatives, including the IIPE.

Mapping peace ed

Peace Knowledge Press

Peace Knowledge Press (PKP) is a publishing imprint of the IIPE in partnership with the Global Campaign for Peace Education (GCPE).  PKP focuses on publishing scholarship advancing the holistic fields of peace knowledge: peace research, peace studies, peace education & peace action. All net proceeds from PKP sales support the IIPE & GCPE.

Peace knowledge press

There is no peace without peace education!

The participants of IIPE 2019 in Cyprus shared a simple message: “there is no peace without peace education!”. Watch the video above.

The 2019 International Institute for Peace Education, organized in partnership with the IIPE Secretariat and the Association for Historical Dialogue and Research (AHDR), was held in Nicosia, Cyprus from July 21 to July 28, 2019. The Institute explored the theme of “Educating for a Culture of Peace in Divided Societies:  History, Dialogue, and Multiperspectivity Toward Reconciliation.”

What participants are saying…

Being able to share my vision of peace education with the IIPE community has given me a sense of legitimacy, support and useful feedback without which no peace educator can thrive.
Oliver Rizzi Carlson, (Costa Rica / Switzerland)
That [IIPE 2006] experience still benefits my work and I am trying to build on those links for launching worthwhile peace studies programs at Centre for International Peace and Stability in Pakistan.
Dr. Zahid Shahab Ahmed, (Pakistan)
I believe the sense of community is created to support one another not only by praising the work but also by challenging or questioning. This “safe” atmosphere is, I feel, unique to IIPE.
Yuriko Yabu, (Japan)
[Via] experiences participating in 5-6 IIPEs, I have learned a lot [that] I’ve applied in my professional practice… topics, ideas, and strategies. We’ve organized conferences and followed the structure and elements of the IIPE model.
Éva B. Nagy, (Hungary)
… the horizontal methodology (community learning) allows learning from all participants. The fact that everyone learns and facilitates a session is a great way to [gain] insight of what each is doing… and opens the door for future collaborations.
Cécile Barbeito Thonon, (Spain)
In a globalized world it is an unique opportunity to meet, challenge, develop and create pedagogic solutions together with participants from different countries and with different experiences of education.
Anne Margrete Halvorsen, (Norway)
Thanks to IIPE, the Schools for Peace Foundation (Fundación Escuelas de Paz) has made multiple strategic alliances that have lead to sharing experiences, projects and activities in national as well as international levels.
Raquel Amada Benavides de Pérez, (Colombia)
[IIPE] was an important milestone in my own journey as an educator because my participation… strengthened my resolve to be a peace educator and to do what I can to promote education for peace and nonviolence in my country and beyond.
Loreta Navarro-Castro, (Philippines)
Core to the community is the community itself… creating a temporary village with far-reaching implications. Participating with this dedicated and diverse team… one feels another world IS possible.
Susan Gelber Cannon, (USA)