Peace and Conflict Resolution Education

The course introduces the fundamental and holistic concepts related to peace. It will also discuss the contemporary issues of war and many other forms of violence at the personal, interpersonal, national and global levels, including their consequences on the human condition and the planetary situation.

The course deals with the psychological knowledge that is behind peace, such as the psychological causes and consequences of violence; personal, family and community lifestyles and practices that contribute to peace; challenging bullying and discrimination; changing attitudes into more peaceable ones.

The course provides a critical understanding of the philosophical, spiritual and ethical foundations of nonviolence. It will also study the socio-political movements that have brought about nonviolent change and transformation around the world. Finally, it will present ways by which nonviolent strategies can be more effectively utilized.

In this course, students will learn to analyze conflicts as well as develop skills and practical strategies in conflict prevention, resolution and transformation.

The course will focus on the fundamental knowledge base, skills and value orientations that comprise this field of transformative education. Hence, it will provide a comprehensive study of the content, teaching-learning strategies, attributes of the peace educator, the whole school approach and related topics. Because this is the final course in the certificate program, students will be asked to reflect on their vocation as a peacebuilder in an integrative essay.