Teaching-Learning Approaches and Strategies to Peace Education

According to Navarro-Castro and Nario-Galace (2008) there are five compatible teaching-learning approaches to the goals of peace education namely (1) holistic, (2) participatory, (3) cooperative, (4) experiential and (5) humanist.

When it comes to compatible strategies with the above approaches, there are several teaching-learning strategies that teachers can choose from. The list is as follow: (1) discussion, (2) pair share, (3) visualization/imagination exercise, (4) Perspective-talking, (5) role-playing, (6) simulation games, (7) problem-solving, (8) considering positions/issue poll (9) encouraging action, (10) reading or writing quotation, (11) web-charting, (12) use of film and photographs, (13) telling stories, including personal stories, (14) song/poem analysis, (15) sentence completion, (16) journal writing/individual reflection, (17) go-round, (18) teachable moments, (19) interviews/research, (20) expert resources, (21) reciprocal teaching, (22) twinning projects, (23) dialogues, (24) exposure trips, (25) use of globes and maps, (26) brainstorming, (27) reading quotations, (28) use of charts and graphs, (29) case studies, (30) collage-making, (31) show and tell. (Navarro-Castro & Nario-Galace, 2008)

RE as content can be delivered through these approaches and strategies mentioned above. However, teachers must avoid indoctrinating the students. Since the literature provides significant criticisms about the indoctrination aspects of both RE and peace education. In addition, it is important to clarify the distinction between “Peace Education” and “Peace Studies.” Though the two concepts can be overlapped sometimes; thanks to Harris and Morrison (2003) a clear difference has been made between peace education and peace studies. Here is a short summary:

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“Peace studies tend to focus on the causes of war and alternatives to war; whereas peace education is more generic, attempting to draw out of people their natural inclinations to live in peace. Peace researchers identify processes that promote peace; whereas peace educators, educating people about those processes, use teaching skills to build a peace culture” (p. 80).

This study regards both the pedagogical efforts (peace education) and researches on peace as solid lessons for Haiti to embrace a culture. Now let us explore some works done in peace studies.

2.3.2.5 The Role of Teaching RE in Building a Culture of Peace: What Lessons for Haiti In this study, the teaching of RE takes an educational rather than a faith-oriented approach. Many pluralist multi-faith societies have taken this path, since the climate of change in RE has involved a major shift towards multi-faith, educationally oriented programmes (Hobson & Edwards, 1999).

Haiti is a multi-faith society where individuals interact on a daily basis with a variety of conflicting belief systems resulting in many divergent contradiction, such as, faith difference, fear of the others who share a different belief, religious intolerance and conflict, difference in opinion on moral values and so forth. What can ‘teaching RE’ do in such culture? Certainly, in the case of Haiti RE is an indicator that creates this cultural context. Therefore, it becomes imperative that Haitian schools, especially those with RE programmes take such issues into account.

A culture of peace involves “the aspirations of human society for a life in peace that had been trapped in a culture of war and violence” (UNESCO, 1999; Reardon, 2001, p. 19). According UNESCO’s Culture of Peace Project education is imperative in achieving a culture of peace. Thus, those [schools and institutions] who want to promote a culture of peace include peace education

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in their teacher education curriculum. Since it is believed that “teachers are the most responsible, influential and significant agents in the schooling process” (Reardon, 2001, p.19), therefore, teacher preparation is required to achieve such a culture. To answer the above question ‘what can teaching RE do in such a culture? A culture characterizes by conflict and intolerance towards religion. I believe that the RE curriculums in Haiti could be revised to promote the attitudes, behaviors, and values stipulated in the nine areas of the UNESCO culture of peace; particularly dialogue, peaceful resolution of conflict, and the building of consensus.

Peace education is the channel to achieve a culture of peace. In the case of this study, teaching RE takes a peace education path. According to Harris and Morrison (2003) “peace education is the pedagogical effort to build a better world, including the teaching of the skills and techniques of conflict management – skills that aren’t traditionally taught in such fields as international studies or world order studies” (p. 66). In Haiti, schools haven’t implemented education addressing social problems such human rights, environment, internal, conflict resolution, development. While such problems are the main cause of our daily sufferings; thus, this study sees schools [and religious groups] in Haiti as agents capable of addressing these issues.

2.3.2.5.1 Implications for Teaching and Learning

One of the fundamental roles of education is to aid the fulfilment of personality; therefore, a dialogic approach to RE can help students to understand each other since they are all from different religious backgrounds. The concept of dialogue has its roots in a variety of disciplines, for example, philosophy, rhetoric, psychology, and relational communication. The theologian Martin Buber has been considered by most to be the father of the modern concept of dialogue. Buber suggested that

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dialogue involves an effort to recognize the value of the other-to see him or her as an end and not merely as a means to achieving a desired goal. Buber suggested that individuals should view others not as objects—the “I You”, but as equals—the “I Thou” (quoted from Kent & Taylor, 2002).

Alternatively, Carl Rogers’ perspective on dialogue, outlined in his formulation of client-centered psychology, suggested that any effective therapist-client relationship must be characterized by a stance of “unconditional positive regard for the other” (Kent & Taylor, 2002). As Paulo Freire advocated, dialogue among human beings will lead to a better understanding about the world. I think a critical dialogue on religion would empower students to promote an understanding between people from different beliefs. I also encourage schools in Haiti to teach multi-faith education based on Freire’s ideology that has stipulated that ‘education is never neutral’ (Freire, 1994b, p.189).

Whether we admit it or not, the transmission of knowledge (RE) of different [religious] groups in the society follows specific [political] agenda. Thus confirms Freire’s claim on the relation of education and politics, both are inseparable. If education is not neutral, why should RE be neutral and/or be excluded from the school curriculum? Therefore, a problem posing RE may be used as an important instrument to change or recreate a culture of peace and understanding between Christians, Vodouists, Atheists, and others, which will hopefully lead to a consciousness rising as human beings sharing the same country and same world.