Redepaz » Meeting 2000 - The Future of Our Children - PDF


The first "International Meeting of the Education for Peace Global Network"

took place in Geneva, Switzerland, from September 4 to 8, 2000, dedicated to the Future of Our Children. It counted with the participation of 22 countries, from 4 continents. The meeting was sponsored by UNESCO and the University of Geneva; it is part of the celebration of the United Nations' International Year of the Culture of Peace.

It also received the formal support and participation of UNICEF, UNCTAD, OIT, UNHCR, Red Cross International, Inter American Development Bank - BID and the Brazilian National Council of Education Secretaries- CONSED.

 The Education for Peace Global Network is a Brazilian initiative born in 1993 during the International Conference on Education of the Future, that took place in the Latin-American Parliament and at the Latin American Memorial. This network has been made operational by the Institute for Future Studies, whose purpose is to open space for innovation in the learning process, study the new dimensions in the creation of knowledge, and foster the integration of values that can support changes committed to a culture of peace.

The Meeting's set-up included plenary sessions in the morning, and in the afternoon presentation of relevant projects that have been implemented in several countries. Among the key-note speeches we must highlight those of Mrs. Kaisa Savolainen, Head of the the Education Department for a Culture of Peace - UNESCO; Ambassador Rubens Ricúpero, General Secretary of UNCTAD; Professor Ubiratan D'Ambrosio, President of the Institute for Future Studies, and Dr. Ervin Laszlo, President of the Club of Budapest.

Based on the presentations, three reflection groups were formed, and their main conclusions are stated below:

Peace is an attitude and a way of living that we learn by coexisting and having close relationships with other human beings; it starts in the process of conception and pregnancy and goes on during infancy, adolescence, and one's whole life. This involves creating opportunities for developing the human being as a whole, and in this connection quality of education is a fundamental element. This requires a change of paradigm that includes the offer of creative opportunities of how to learn, and not solely transmission of knowledge, strengthening the relational dynamics with the community. This education must include new values, capable of regenerating the social tissue and nurturing life in its several forms, combined with new processes for building knowledge.

CREATING NEW LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

The wealth of reflections presented by the speakers led to the importance of committing to the creation of learning dynamics and environments marked by:


  • Dialogic ethics - democratization of relationships giving empowerment to each one and legitimizing the diversity.
  • Cognitive affective ecology - to foster new relationships in the process of building knowledge
  • Re-dimensioning corporal awareness - acknowledging the body as a source of knowledge, carrier of the past and of the vital forces that lead to the future
  • Responsible sex life - capable of leading to self-knowledge, healthy relationships, and responsible maternity/paternity.
The congregation of instruments and methods coming from different cultural traditions and the contribution of new technologies can allow the creation of these learning environments.

 Financial Report


People or institutions willing to get in touch with the Education for Peace Global Network, please contact: redepaz@redepaz.org

 

Building a Planetary Culture -redepaz@redepaz.org