GE 6

THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD

MODULE 5

Overview:
This module introduces students to understand,
analyze, and evaluate the contemporary world by examining the
multifaceted phenomenon of globalization, among which are the
economic, social, political, technological, and other phenomena
that have created an increasing awareness of the
interconnectedness of peoples and places in the global
community. It also tackles the greatest resource for building a
culture of peace for the people themselves, for it is through them
that peaceful relationships and structures are created.
Module Outcome
At the end of the module, the students must have:

 defined peace education and explain its key themes,

 determined the contribution or importance of peace
education,
 described the attributes of a peaceable classroom and
teacher, and;
 applied effective learning approaches in peace education.
 applied effective learning approaches in peace
education.

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 PEACE EDUCATION:
A Transformative
Response
To Major Societal Change

INTRODUCTI
ON
The greatest resource for building a culture of peace are the people
themselves, for it is through them that peaceful relationships and structures
are created. Hence, educating people toward becoming peace agents is
central to the task of peace building. Peace building refers generally to the
long-term project of building peaceful communities, a desirable goal.

A HOLISTIC UNDERSTANDING OF PEACE

A new way of thinking about peace is important today. The power of
our own understanding and views of peace both as a condition and as
a value cannot be underestimated. It is because our ideas shape our
feelings and our actions, as well as how we live and how we relate with
others. The simplest and the most widespread understanding was that
of absence of death and destruction as a result of war and
physical/direct violence.

However an alternative view started to emerge, beginning with late

1960’s. Attention started to shift from direct to indirect or structural
violence, i.e., ways in which people suffer from violence built into a
society via its social, political and economic systems (Hicks, 1987).

It was realized that it was not only war and direct violence that caused
death and disfigurement. Structural violence also led to death and
suffering because of the conditions that resulted from it: extreme
poverty, starvation, avoidable diseases, discrimination against minority
groups and denial of human rights. It was further realized that a world

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 marked by said conditions is a world devoid of peace and human
security; it breeds anger and generates tensions leading to armed
conflict and war.

There is now a consensus that we need to have a comprehensive and

holistic understanding of peace if we are to move toward a genuine
peace culture. Johan Galtung explains that peace is the absence of
violence, not only personal or direct but also structural or indirect. The
manifestations of structural violence are the highly uneven distribution
of wealth and resources as well as the uneven distribution of power to
decide over the distribution of said resources.

Hence, he says that peace is both the absence of personal/direct

violence and the presence of social justice. For brevity, he prefers the
formulations “absence of violence” and “presence of social justice”,
thinking of the former as one that is not a positively defined condition
and has called it negative peace, whereas the latter is positively
defined condition (egalitarian distribution of power and resources) and
has called it positive peace (Galtung, 1995).

Negative peace refers to the absence of war or physical/direct

violence, while positive peace refers to the presence of just and non-
exploitative relationships as well as human and ecological wee-being,
such that the root causes of conflict are diminished. Peace with nature
is considered the foundation for “positive peace” (Mische, 1987). It is
because the earth is ultimately the source of our survival, physical
sustenance, health and wealth; it is not possible to provide for human
survival if nature’s capacity to renew itself is impaired.

PEACE

NEGATIVE PEACE POSITIVE

PEACE
Absence of direct/physical Presence of conditions of
well-being
Violence (both macro and micro) being and just
relationship: social,
economic, political,
ecological

DIRECT VIOLENCE STRUCTURAL

VIOLENCE
E.g., war, torture, child and woman E.g., poverty,
hunger

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 Socio-cultural Violence
E.g., racism,sexism,religious
intoler

Ecological
Violence
E.g.,pollution,
overconsumption

VIOLENCE

Our understanding of peace should also include the various levels of

relationships, beginning with personal peace and expanding to wider circles.

PEACE THEM I:

UPHOLDING HUMAN DIGNITY

Upholding human dignity is at the center of the values system that we
associate with social peace. Human Dignity is defined as the fundamental
innate worth of a human being, a principle that is now universally accepted
but has not taken root in the actual practice of many governments,
communities and other non- state actors.

PEACE THEM II. CHALLENGING PREJUDICE and BUILDING TOLERANCE

Prejudice is the negative feeling or attitude towards a person or a group
even if it lacks basis.
Stereotype refers to the negative opinion about a person or group based on
incomplete knowledge.

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Discrimination refers to negative actions toward members of a specific
social group that may be manifested in avoidance, aversion or even violence
(Franzoi, 1986).

Building tolerance and respects for diversity has become an imperative in a

world where intolerance for differences has become a justification for
violence.

Types of Prejudice
There are various forms of prejudice:
 Racism - the belief that one’s own cultural or racial heritage is
innately superior to that of others, hence, the lack of respect or
appreciation for those who belong to a ‘difference race’.
 Sexism – a system of attitudes, actions, and structures that
subordinates others on the basis of their sex where the usual victims
are women.
 Heterosexism – negative attitudes towards lesbians and gay men.
 Classism – distancing from and perceiving the poor as ‘the other’
(Lott, 1995)
 Linguicism – negative attitudes which members of dominant
language groups hold against non- dominant language groups (Chen –
Hayes, Chen & Athar, n.d.)
 Ageism – negative attitudes held against the young or the elderly.
 “Looksism” - prejudice against those who do not measure up to the
standards of beauty. The usual victims are the overweight, undersized,
and the dark – skinned (Nario – Galace, 2003).
 Religious Intolerance – prejudice against those who are followers of
religious other than one’s own.

Education for Tolerance and Respect

One effective way to challenge prejudice is by teaching tolerance. Tolerance
is not just tolerating what is unjust but it is respecting, accepting and
appreciating the rich diversity of cultures and various forms of human
expression (?UNESCO, 1995). Education for tolerance aims to counter
influences that lead to fear, discrimination and exclusion of others. Tolerance
recognizes that others have the right to be who they are.
Tolerance is taught because according to UNESCO, education is the most
effective means of preventing intolerance. There is a need for schools to
educate citizens not to accept hateful propaganda about the ‘different other’
and instead appreciate other cultures and respects cultural differences.
Major religious traditions call on their adherents to treat others with the
same respect and dignity they give themselves.

PEACE THEME 3: PROMOTING NONVIOLENCE

Nonviolence is the refusal to do harm to other humans as life is sacred and is
an absolute value. It is anchored on the belief that humans have the
potential to change.

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Why Nonviolence?
 It is both an ethical and moral choice.
 Destruction is not the law of humans (Gandhi, 1935).
 Nonviolence is a practical use. Tools and effects of violence are costly.
 Nonviolence works. The classic examples of success stories of
nonviolent direct actions are those initiated by Mohandas Ghandi in
India, by Martin Luther King in the United States, and the ‘ People
Power’ that overthrow the regime of Ferdinand Marcos in the
Philippines.

PEACE THEME 4: CHALLENGING the WAR SYSTEM

War is classical or international if it is between states, or civil or internal, if it
occurs between rival groups or communities within state. Groups of non-
state armed actors are considered “political communities”, since they have a
political purpose. Aggression and major armed conflicts are interchangeably
used with the word war.

Possible Causes of War

 Territorial disputes have been regarded as the more common causes
of war. Territorial disputes is defined by Huth (1998) as the
disagreement between states or groups within a state over where their
homeland or borders should be fixed.
 A lack of tolerance for difference is an emerging source of conflicts.
Differences may be in nationality, clan membership, ethnicity, or
religious affiliation.
 Ideological or power struggles are sources of power in various
countries. An ideology is asset of beliefs which serves as guide on how
power should be allocated or how society should function.
 Another cause of armed conflicts is a history of colonialism and the
process of decolonization.
 War may also be caused by competition for resources, extreme abuse
of human rights, desire of leaders to stay in power, narrow or extreme
nationalism, and sympathy for kin across borders.
The Effects of War
 War result to massive death.
 War result in the communication of atrocities.
 Wars also cause people to flee their homes.
 Wars cause weapons to proliferate.
 Wars hold back development as huge amounts of government budgets
are allocated for defense.
 People lose their livelihoods and their access to food supply.
 Wars cause the loss of investments, destroy property and the
environment, and raze opportunities for tourism.
 Wars disrupt children’s education, and create fear and trauma among
the population.

PEACE EDUCATION THEME 5: SHARING the EARTH’S RESOURCES

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There are a huge number of people who live in extreme poverty, while there
are those who are extremely wealthy, demonstrating the great contrast and
financial divide between these groups.
This highly uneven distribution of wealth and resources is a situation of
violence known as structural violence. This violence refers to the systems,
institutions and policies that meet some people’s human needs, rights, or
wants at the expense of others. Hunger and poverty are symptoms of this
violence. These systems, institutions and policies are well- entrenched in a
global economic international order controlled by powerful nation – states;
international agencies, and transitional corporations where inequitable trade
practices prevail resulting in more tragic gaps between the rich and the poor.

Causes of Poverty
 War and other armed conflicts disrupt the people’s livelihood and all
productive activities.
 Political systems created by local political elite that have combined
with profit – motivated economic systems that reduce opportunities for
most people to earn enough to meet their basic needs.
 Inequitable distribution of wealth and resources.
 Environmental conditions. Some places are blessed with more
abundant resources while others have to contend with lands that
cannot yield crops.
 Lack of opportunities for employment
 Lack of education
 Corruption
 Over consumption
 Greed

PEACE THEME 6: RESOLVING and TRANSFORMING CONFLICTS

Conflict is from the Latin Word conflictus which means striking together
with force. It occurs when one’s actions or beliefs are unacceptable to and
resisted by the other (Forsyth, 1990). Conflicts occur in dyads, groups or
larger social structures.
In dealing with conflicts, two variables are generally considered by
disputants. One is the relationship with the adversary. The other one is the
importance of the issue at hand. Below are some options to choose from
when faced with conflicts.
 Avoidance/ withdrawal.
 Aggression
 Accommodation
 Compromise
 Collaboration or collaborative problem solving.

What is a Peaceable Classroom?

A peaceable classroom is characterized by affirmation, cooperation,
communication, appreciation for diversity, appropriate expression of feelings

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and peaceful conflict resolution. It is a classroom where students feel safe
and secure. It is a placed where they grow as persons without threats of
being ridiculed, marginalized or hurt.
There are some ways to help create the atmosphere of love and acceptance
in our classrooms. These are:

 Declare your classroom as a zone of peace and establish rules to

achieve it.
 As the teacher, let this peace begin with you.
 Affirm your students
 Express feelings appropriately and encourage students to do so.
 Encourage respect for and acceptance of differences.
 Employ more cooperative than competitive activities.
 Teach students how to resolve conflicts peacefully and constructively
 Practice students’ skills of communication

Attributes of a Peace Educator

Teachers have the power to affect the lives of children and youth. Peace
educators must serve as models for the qualities and skill they are helping
young people to develop in the peaceable classroom and school. This means
first and foremost, that there is a need to take challenge of personal
transformation so that they can be credible agents of the peace message.
Betty Reardon (2001), well – renowned peace educator gives the
attributes of a peace educator:
 The teacher of peace is a responsible global citizen, an
intentional agent of culture of peace, person of vision, capable of
hope and the imaging of positive change.
 S/He is motivated by service and is actively involved in the
community.
 S/He is a lifelong learner, one who continues to improve one’s
own learning abilities and to keep abreast of the field.
 S/He is a seeker of mutually enhancing relationships that nurture
peace and a sense of community.
 S/He is gender sensitive and alert to any possibility of gender
bias in self or students.
 A teacher of peace is intentionally develops the capacity to care
by knowing the learners in their change as individuals.
 She is an inquirer
 S/He has the skills of reflective learning through which s/he
applies what is learned from teaching to deepen his/her own
understanding of the students and the learning processes.
 A teacher of peace has the skills of communication and conflict
resolution.
 S/He practices cooperative learning by encouraging cooperative
learning tasks and discouraging negative competition or in -
group – out – group behavior (exclusion) among students./

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  A teacher of peace inspires understanding of alternative
possibilities for the future and for a cultural of peace.

Teaching – Learning Approaches and Strategies in Peace Education

The teaching approaches that are compatible with peace education are:
 Holistic education
 Participatory Education
 Cooperative learning
 Experiential education
 Humanist education

The teaching learning – strategies that are compatible with the

approaches to peace education are:
 Discussion
 Pair share
 Visualization/ Imagination Exercise
 Perspective – taking
 Role- playing
 Simulations games
 Problem –solving
 Encouraging action
 Web – charting
 Snow and Tell

TYPES OF VIOLENCE
Betty Reardon, a peace educator who has made significant
contributions to the field, defines violences “humanly inflicted harm
(Reardon, n.d.).

A Typology of Violence
(Adopted from the conceptual map formulated by Toh Swee-Hin and Virginia
Cawagas)

Form of
Violence/ Personal Interpersona National Global
Level l/ Community
Direct/ Suicide Domestic Civil war Conventional
Physical Drug abuse Violence Violent crimes War
Violent Crimes Human Rights Nuclear War
Abuses Human Rights
Abuses
Structural/ Powerlessne Local National Global
Economic, ss inequalities inequalities inequalities
Political Alienation Poverty, Poverty, Poverty,
Socio- Low Self- Hunger Hunger Hunger
cultural esteem Prejudice/ Prejudice/ Prejudice/
Psychologic Anxiety enemy images enemy images enemy images
al Cultural Cultural Cultural

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 domination domination domination
Racism Racism Racism
Sexism Sexism Sexism
Religious Religious Religious
intolerance intolerance intolerance

Ecological Over- Over- Over- Over-

consumption consumption consumption consumption
Pollution Pollution Pollution
Chemical and Chemical and
Biological Biological
Warfare
Nuclear Power
radiation

PEACE EDUCATION AS TRANSFORMATIVE EDUCATION

Peace education, or an education that promotes a culture of peace, is

essentially transformative. It cultivates the knowledge base, skills, attitudes
and values that seek to transform people’s mind-set, attitudes and
behaviours that, in the first place, have either created or exacerbated violent
conflicts. It seeks this transformation by building awareness and
understanding, developing concern, and finally, challenging personally and
social action that will enable people to create conditions and systems that
actualize nonviolence, justice, environmental care and other peace values.

This means that the learning process that is utilized in peace education
is holistic and tries to address the cognitive, affective, and active dimensions
of the learner.

The figure below illustrates the process in graphic form.

The Peaceable Teaching – Learning Process

Cognitive Phase
(Being Aware, Understanding)

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 Active Phase Affective Phase
(Taking Practical Action) (Being Concerned, Responding
Valuing)

Education for peace will give us in the long run the practical benefits that we
seek. As stated earlier it is expected to build a critical mass of people who
will demand for address the needed personal and structural changes that will
transform the many problems that relate to peace into nonviolent, humane
and ecological alternatives and solutions.

Peace education challenges the long- held belief that wars cannot be
avoided. Often this belief is based on an underlying view that violence is
inherent in human nature.

Educating for peace is an ethical imperative considering the negation

of life and well-being caused by all forms of violence. The ethical system of
the major world faith traditions, humanitarian ethics and even primal and
indigenous spirituality have articulated principles that inspire the striving for
peace. These ethical principles include the unity and value of life, not only of
human life but also other life forms in nature; respect for human dignity;
nonviolence; justice; and love as a social ethic. They are principles that are
highly encouraged for actualization because they are expected to bring us to
the common good.

PEACE EDUCATION’S SCHEMA OF KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND

ATTITUDES/VALUES

The following schema is an attempt to list the key knowledge, skills and
attitudes/values that are integral to peace education. The list is based on a
survey of peace education literature and of key informants/peace educators
that was done by the

Center for Peace Education of Miriam College. The list is not exhaustive and
is expected to evolve, as peace education practice and experiences as well
as corresponding reflections and insights on these experiences increase.

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 ATTITUDES/VAL
UES
1. Self-respect
2. Respect for
KNOWLEDGE others
1. Holistic Concept of Peace 3. Gender
2. Conflict & Violence-causes Equality
3. Some Peaceful 4. Respect for
Alternatives Life/
Disarmament Nonviolence
Nonviolence-Philos.& 5. Compassion
Practice 6. Global Concern
Conflict Resolution, 7. Cooperation
Prevention 8. Ecological
Human Rights concern
Democratization 9. Openness & SKILLS
Development Based on Tolerance 1. Reflection
Justice 10. 2. Critical Thinking
Sustainable Development 11. & Analysis
responsibility 3. Decision Making
12. 4. Imagination
5. Communication
6. Conflict Resolution
7. Empathy
8. Group Building

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 SUMMAR
Y
Peace education is an important educational response in the light of
major social problems that we currently face. It seeks changes in
society’s ethos, values and structures which, in turn, should eventually
led us to a world that is more non-violent, just and sustainable.

Peace education is considered transformative education not only

because of its purpose and content but also because of the teaching
learning process it upholds. The knowledge, skills, and value-
orientation that are cultivated are meant to inspire personal and social
action toward a peaceable society.

ACTIVITY

 Make/compose your own BINALAYBAY about our topic which is

Peace Education. Think of your own tile also. There is a
mechanics at the back of this module for your reference.

ASSESSM
ENT
I. True/False.
Directions: Write TRUE if the statement is a true and FALSE if otherwise.

1. Peace education is considered transformative education not only

because of its purpose and content but also because of the teaching
learning process it upholds.
2. The knowledge, skills, and value-orientation that are cultivated are
meant to inspire personal and social action toward a peaceable
society.
3. Education for peace will give us in the long run the practical benefits
that we seek.
4. There is now a consensus that we need to have a comprehensive
and holistic understanding of peace if we are to move toward a
genuine peace culture.

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 5. The power of our own understanding and views of peace both as a
condition and as a value cannot be underestimated.
6. The teaching process that is utilized in peace education is holistic
and tries to address the cognitive, affective, and active dimensions
of the learner.
7. It was further realized that a world marked by direct violence is a
world devoid of peace and human security.
8. Affective Phase means Taking Practical Action.
9. Our ideas shape our feelings and our actions, as well as how we live
and how we relate with others.
10. Active Phase means taking practical
actions.

II. ESSAY
Direction(s): Explain the following based on what you have studied in
this lesson.

1. Why is there a need for peace education?

2. Differentiate negative peace and positive peace.
3. In what way is peace education practical and ethical?
The discussion/ essay of the students will be graded using the rubric
below

CRITERIA 5 4 3 2
The essay is The essay is The essay isThe essay
focused, focused on the focused on the poorly
FOCUS(Main purposeful, and topic with topic with looselyaddresses the
Point) reflects clear relevant ideas. related ideas. topic with
insights and irrelevant
ideas. ideas.
Effectively Organize ideas Some Little or no
organize ideas in to build an organization of organization of
ORGANIZATI a logical and argument. ideas to build an ideas to build
ON OR coherent argument. an argument.
FORMAT argument
Distinctive Sufficient Very little No
experimentation experimentation experimentation experimentati
ORIGINALITY of language and of language and to enhance the on or
usage to enhance usage to concepts. enhancement
concepts. enhance of concepts.
concepts.

REFERENC
ES
Chapter IV: Peace Education: A Transformative Response To
Major Societal Challenges
The Contemporary World by; Lisandro E. Claudio and Patricio N.
Abinales

PAGE 14
The Contemporary World by; Dr. M. Ariola, LLB. , Ed.D. , L.P.T.

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