Importance of peace education during the times of crises
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Young people react to global crises in various manners just like adults do. During the past decade we have witnessed global pandemics, inflation and war in Europe, and global warming and its consequences like extreme weather. All these affect how secure or insecure young people feel, how they envision their future and what kind of attitudes they have towards other people.
It is important to remember that global crises affect us all in various ways and we have to keep global issues in mind when we work with individuals and groups. The war, pandemic, climate change, and complexity of contemporary crises in the world impact young people’s thinking on their role in society and their capacities to meaningfully participate in issues concerning them.
Peace Education has traditionally focused on the quality of interaction. In this online course, before we move to the important themes of building equality and justice in interaction with others, we want to go a bit deeper in creating space for safety and connection. Us humans work in such a way that when we are troubled, it is more difficult to be present for someone else. For this reason, the course starts with self-care and internal safety – and then continues to how to interact and work from that space in the world of crises in a sustainable way.
Taking care of oneself is the number one responsibility. In the aeroplane, you are advised to put the oxygen mask on yourself before helping others. Sometimes we tend to forget this when things get rough. But it is exactly in the face of difficulties when we actually need self-care the most. We need ways to come back to ourselves: to allow ourselves to see what is going on within, to feel what needs to be felt, and to support ourselves in order to find safety for ourselves and for those around us. When we know how to do this ourselves, it is possible to care for others, and truly and fearlessly listen to what they need – be the safe anchors the youth need, especially in times of crisis. This does not mean we have to know it perfectly: taking care of ourselves and each other is a learning path for life.
In addition to building capacity for inner safety, this course provides you with tangible and practical tools to help you dismantle racism and discrimination in a youth work setting. Creating safer and more inclusive spaces is even more important in times of crisis. As adults we can lead our communities from reacting from fear towards safety, sharing, and interaction. This work is gradual and takes commitment, and this course will provide stepping stones for this rewarding journey.
In order to have a chance at tackling the global crises our planet is facing today, we need more conscious and gentle ways to interact with all life (all other species as well as other humans). This online course aims to build a more sustainable and peaceful future for our planet and all life through means of respectful, dialogical communication while staying in contact with oneself in the process.
To bring safety and peace to your community and surroundings starts from peace within. This is the starting point, and this is the end. Yourself is where the most important work happens. We welcome you warmly to take this path with us and explore the beautiful possibilities of a safer and more peaceful way of life