Peace Education Center in Ghana
an article by Nina Meyerhof

The 2004 OPATAFO Peace Builder Program (Opatafo meaning peace maker in Twi) is focused on 3 core concepts: Peace, Conflict Transformation, and Leadership Youth will learn peace-building skills and then train other youth from the local areas.

The Apeadu Children's Peace Center is the first peace center in Ghana, and perhaps in Africa. This Center provides young people with a refuge from the demands of daily life in Africa and is a place of beauty and hope. The Center brings young people together to learn peace-building, peace-making, peace-keeping, and most of all, peace-being skills.

In August of 2002 the first international leadership conference of 50 young people from around the world, 25 international and 25 local youth from Ghana, seeded the beginnings of this Center. These youth committed to action in support of building this center, as well as other action plans which further peace.

The 2003 International Youth Leadership Program was offered at the end of June and focused on Health and HIV-Aids as a part of Peace education. This program was followed by a Teacher Education retreat.

The Center is now only a beautiful piece of open land gifted by Chief Osei Boakye Yiadom II as a tribute to her late husband who died in a UN peace mission. Chief Nana Apeadu (her other name) is also known as the Peace Maker and Earth Mother. As the spiritual leader of her community she has full support of the local people as well as the Ministry of Education of Ghana for this endeavor.

The Center's mission is to abide by the pledges of the Manifesto 2000 for the Culture of Peace and Non-Violence: Respect all life, Reject violence, Share with others, Listen to understand, Preserve the planet, Rediscover solidarity. Further information is available at the website of Children of the Earth.

DISCUSSION

Question(s) related to this article:

Peace Studies in School Curricula
What would it take to make it happen around the world?

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SCHOOLS AND PEACE EDUCATION

Latest reader comment:

As PhD student in a Faculty of Education in Brazil, I find very important the discussion on the contribution of education to a peaceful world.

I think peace curriculum is possible since there is respect for cultural diversity, such as ethnical, religious, race, sex, gender and others in school's curricular and pedagogical practices as a means of building/developing values of tolerance and respect. There should be space in curriculum for students's voices, experiences and contributions. This way they will feel respectable and will also learn to respect the others.

Education may contribute a lot since it may help children and youth to become sensitive toward the importance of promoting peace among individuals, groups and nations.

This report was posted on November 17, 2003. The moderator is Danny.

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