History

In 1982 the first IIPE was held at Teachers College, Columbia University.  It was organized by Professors Betty A. Reardon, Willard Jacobson and Douglas Sloan in cooperation with the United Ministries in Education.  Each of these professors, working in different fields and disciplines, came together to apply their collective knowledge, wisdom and experience toward a problem that threatened the extinction of the human race and all life on the planet – nuclear proliferation.  The first IIPE experience examined the practical and theoretical contributions of education to world order and nuclear and general and complete disarmament.  In doing so it addressed the political and personal dimensions of the task of disarmament, inquiring into worldviews, beliefs and attitudes that sustain and make possible a highly militarized system of global security.

From 1982 the Institute evolved in parallel to other developments in the peace research and peace studies fields and the work of the IIPE founder, Dr. Reardon.  Rather than an exclusive focus on disarmament education, the IIPE began to examine peace and violence more holistically.  Complementing this systemic and holistic view, the Institute organically developed into an annual, international program that is hosted, cooperatively planned and co-coordinated by a partner academic or non-governmental institution.  This internationalization of the IIPE enables it to be inclusive of the multiple, socio-cultural perspectives and concerns of peace and violence and exposes participants to a multitude of educational approaches and transformative pedagogies of peace that are practiced in different socio-cultural contexts.  Furthermore, it has enabled the Institute to be adaptive and flexible in its form and in the content chosen that frames each year’s program.

From 1982 to 2007 the IIPE secretariat was housed at the Peace Education Center at Teachers College, Columbia University.  The IIPE secretariat has since been housed at Global Education Associates (2007-08) and the National Peace Academy (2009-2014).   The Judith Herb College of Education at The University of Toledo was the home of the IIPE secretariat in 2014.  Since 2015 the IIPE has operated independently with a U.S. 501c3 non-profit fiscal sponsor.

Below is a list of past IIPE host institutions, locations and themes where available. When underlined, reports are available for download in adobe .pdf format.

2000: Mahindra World College. Pune, India 

Theme:“Education for a Culture of Peace: A Human Security Perspective”
Co-Sponsored by: Ashta No-Kai (women’s literacy and development NGO)

1999: University of Calgary, Alberta & Nakoda Lodge, Morely First Nation, Treaty Seven Territory. Canada

Theme:”Renewing Ancient Wisdoms for the Next Millennium”
Co-Sponsored by: Athabasca University Native Studies; Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations; Stoney Nation, Morely; Center for International Education and Development, University of Alberta; Institute of Peace & Global Education, University of Alberta; Regional Partnerships of Schools and Colleges, New York; Sustainability Education Centre, New York.

1997 (Aug. 7-14) : University of El Salvador, El Salvador

Theme: “Education for Reconciliation and Reconstruction”
Co-Sponsored by: International Center for Solidarity in San Salvador; Culture of Peace Program, UNESCO.

1997 (May 19-30) : Noordelijke Hogeschool. Leeuwardem, Netherlands

1996: International Christian University. Tokyo, Japan

Theme: “Education for a Culture of Peace”

1995: Kansas City, Missouri

Co-Sponsored by: University of Missouri, Kansas City, and Avila College.

1994: Fordham University. New York, NY

1994 (Aug. 16-21): University of Alberta, Edmonton. Alberta, Canada

Theme: “Uprooting Violence”

1994 (June): Noordelijke Hogeschool. Leeuwardem, Netherlands

1993 (July 25-31) : University of Hawaii. Honolulu, Hawaii

Theme: “Education for Diversity and Democracy: Ethnicity and World Community”
Co-Sponsored by: University of Hawaii, Matsunaga Institute

1993 (June 23-30) : Noordelijke Hogeschool. Leeuwardem, Netherlands

Theme: “Education for Diversity and Democracy: Ethnicity and World Community”

1992: Tokyo, Japan

Theme: “Peace Education: A Global Movement”

1991: University of Oregon

1989 (November): Earlham College, School of Religion. Richmond, VA

1989 (September): Union Theological Seminary. New York, NY

1989 (July 23-29): Teachers College, New York

Theme: “Education for Global Responsibility”

1989 (April): Chapman College, Orange, California

1989 (Jan. 13-15): University of S. Florida, Tampa, Florida

Theme: “Issues of Race and Ethnicity in our Schools”
Co-Sponsored by: Suncoast Area Teacher Training Honors Program at the University of S. Florida.

1988 (Dec. 3-7): Sibol ng Kapayapaan at Kalinangan. Manila, Philippines

Theme: “Emerging Approaches to Peace and Development”
Co-Sponsored by: The World Council on Curriculum and Instruction, WCCI Philippines Chapter; and Notre Dame University

1988 (July 4-9): The University of Alberta, Edmonton. Canada

Theme: “Peace Education: Now and for the Next Generation”
Co-Sponsored by: The faculty of Education, University of Alberta; Alberta Teachers Association

1988 (June 3-5): Teachers College, New York

Theme: “The Earth in Crisis: the Ecology of Peace”
Co-Sponsored by: The United Ministries in Education; the Environment and Conservation Education Program of New York University; the Consortium on Peace Research, Education and Development; the International Council on Adult Education; Global Education Associates; and Educators for Social Responsibility NY Metro.

1988 (January 15-17): Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, Florida

Theme: “Human Rights Inquiry”
Co-Sponsored by: The Eckerd College Education Program and Suncoast Area Teacher Training Program (USF)

1987: University of California, Irvine

1986: United Nations University, Tokyo, Japan

Theme: “The International Consultation on Peace Studies in Higher Education”

1985: Manhattan College, New York

Theme: “Dimensions and Practice of Peace Education”

1984: Florida

1983: Teachers College, New York

Theme: “Perspectives on Peace”
Co-Sponsored by: The Peace-Making, Militarism and Education Program of United Ministries in Education; the Teachers College Peace Education Concentration; the Teachers College Office of Continuing Education; Auburn Theological Seminary in cooperation with the World Council for Curriculum and Instruction

1982: Teachers College, New York

Co-Sponsored by: The Peace-Making, Militarism and Education Program of United Ministries in Education; the Peace Education Commission of the International Peace Research Association; and the World Council for Curriculum and Instruction