"Peace education is a unifying and comprehensive concept that seeks to promote a holistic view of education. However, its relevance is inextricably part of and is highly dependent on contextual specificity. UNESCO literature states that Peace Education is more effective and meaningful when adopted according to the social and cultural context and the needs of a country. It should be enriched by its cultural and spiritual values together with the universal human values. It should also be globally relevant. Given such a framework, it is hard to find a universally accepted definition. As such, Peace Education is characterized by its many definitions." 

“Peace education is an attempt to respond to problems of conflict and violence on scales ranging from the global and national to the local and personal. It is about exploring ways of creating more just and

sustainable futures” - R. D. Laing (I978)

“Peace education is holistic. It embraces the physical, emotional, intellectual, and social growth of children within a framework deeply rooted in traditional human values. It is based on philosophy that teaches love, compassion, trust, fairness, co-operation and reverence for the human family and all life on our beautiful planet” - Fran Schmidt and Alice Friedman (1988)

“Peace education is skill building. It empowers children to be creative and adopt non-destructive ways to settle conflicts and to live in harmony with themselves, others, and their world . . . Peace building is the task of every human being and the challenge of the human family” - Fran Schmidt and Alice Friedman (1988)

"Peace Education is process of developing knowledge, skills, attitudes, behaviors and values that enable learners to:

• identify and understand sources of local and global issues and acquire positive and appropriate sensitivities to these problems

• resolve conflicts and to attain justice in a non-violent way

• live by universal standards of human rights and equity by appreciating cultural diversity, respect for the earth and for each other"

**all of the above from: (Abebe, Gbesso, & Nyawalo, 2006, p. 14).

"Peace education in UNICEF refers to the process of promoting the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values needed to bring about behaviour changes that will enable children, youth and adults to prevent conflict and violence, both overt and structural; to resolve conflict peacefully; and to create the conditions conducive to peace, whether at an intrapersonal, interpersonal, intergroup, national or international level" (Fountain, 1999, p. 1).

In addition, international documents such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) and the World Declaration on Education for All (1990) denote education for peace as a basic human right (Fountain, 1999, p. 2). 

"Peace education is the process of teaching people about the threats of violence and strategies for peace. Peace educators try to build consensus about what peace strategies can bring maximum benefit to a group" (Harris, 2008, p. 15).

"Peace Education means to learn about and to learn for peace.

Learning about peace means obtaining knowledge and understanding of what contributes to peace, what damages it, what leads to war, what does 'peace' mean on each level anyway, what is my role in it, and how are the different levels connected?

Learning for peace means learning the skills, attitudes and values that one needs in order to contribute to peace and help maintain it. For example, this means learning to deal with conflicts without the recourse to violence, learning to think creatively, learning to apply the methods of active non  violence or learning to deal with cultural differences in a constructive way" (Space for Peace, 2010).

"Peace education can be defined as: the transmission of knowledge about requirements of, the obstacles to, and possibilities for achieving and maintaining peace; training in skills for interpreting the knowledge; and the development of reflective and participatory capacities for applying the knowledge to overcome problems and achieve possibilities" (Reardon, 2000, p. 399).

According to Reardon, the purpose of peace education is "to provide the development of an authentic planetary consciousness that will enable us to function as global citizens and to transform the present human condition by changing the social structures and the patterns of thought that have created it" (Harris, 2002, p. 14).

"Schooling and other educational experiences that reflect UNICEF's approach to peace education should:

• Function as 'zones of peace', where children are safe from conflict in the community;
• Uphold children’s basic rights as enumerated in the CRC (Convention on the Rights of the Child);
• Develop a climate, within the school or other learning environment, that models peaceful and rights-respectful behavior in the relationships between all members of the school community: teachers, administrators, other staff, parents and children;
• Demonstrate the principles of equality and non-discrimination in administrative policies and practices;
• Draw on the knowledge of peace-building that already exists in the community, including means of dealing with conflict that are effective, non-violent, and rooted in the local culture;
• Handle conflicts--whether between children or between children and adults--in a non-violent manner that respects the rights and dignity of all involved;
• Integrate an understanding of peace, human rights, social justice and global issues throughout the curriculum whenever possible;
• Provide a forum for the explicit discussion of values of peace and social justice;
• Use teaching and learning methods that promote participation, cooperation, problem-solving and respect for differences;
• Allow opportunities for children to put peace-making into practice, both in the educational setting and in the wider community;
• Provide opportunities for continuous reflection and professional development of all educators in relation to issues of peace, justice and rights" (Fountain, 1999, p. 5-6).

"Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace" (United Nations General Assembly, 1948, p. 6).

John Dewey's Definition:

A curriculum "which will make it more difficult for the flames of hatred and suspicion to sweep over this country in the future, which indeed will make this impossible, because when children’s minds are in the formative period we shall have fixed in them through the medium of the schools, feelings of respect and friendliness for the other nations and peoples of the world" (Dewey, 1923, p. 516).

In natgu language on Temotu Nendo, the concept of peace is termed as nowe which connotes a calm sea or still crystal water. This implies that the calmness of the heart embraces open-arm interaction in the community.

http://www.educatejournal.org/index.php?journal=educate&page=article&op=viewPDFInterstitial&path[]=231&path[]=217 

REFERENCES:

Abebe, T.T., Gbesso, A., & Nyawalo, P.A. (2006). Peace Education in Africa. Addis Ababa: University for      Peace. Retrieved      from http://www.africa.upeace.org/documents/reports/Peace%20Education,%20FInalReport.pdf 

Dewey, J. (1923). The Schools as a Means of Developing a Social Consciousness and Social Ideals in      Children. Journal of Social Forces I.

Fountain, S. (1999). Peace Education in UNICEF. New York: UNICEF. Retrieved      from www.unicef.org/girlseducation/files/PeaceEducation.pdf

Harris, I.M. (2002). Peace Education Theory. Retrieved from                    http://www.eric.ed.gov:80/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/1b/3d/0b.pdf

Harris, I.M. "History of Peace Education" (2008). In M. Bajaj (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Peace Education. Charlotte:      Information Age Publishing. Retrieved      from http://www.tc.edu/centers/epe/PDF%20articles/Harris_ch2_22feb08.pdf)

Reardon, B. (2000). Peace Education: A Review and a Projection. In B. Moon, M. Ben-Peretz & S. Brown      (Eds.), Routledge International Companion to Education (397-425). London: Taylor & Francis. 

Space for Peace. (2010). Peace Education: A Working Definition. Retrieved      from http://www.spaceforpeace.net/pe.phtml

United Nations General Assembly. (1948). Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Retrieved      from http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/043/88/IMG/NR004388.pdf?OpenElement