International Conference “INSPIRING PEACE IN TIMES OF WAR”

It is not easy to promote peace education and competences for dialogue when an aggression war is taking place in our continent, and everybody is required to show unconditioned support to the aggressed country. Nevertheless, cultivating the capacity to enter into a positive dialogue is more necessary than ever. One day, hopefully soon, the war will finish and people will have to start talking again, rebuilding not only the devastated physical infrastructure, but the foundations of a new culture of peace. It happened after the second world war, throwing the basis for what is now the European Union, it will happen again. 

The role of education is fundamental to reconstruct the capacity for dialogue, to build a new time of peace. Peace, dialogue, and democratic citizenship competences are often not developed enough at school, other priorities have prevailed for several decades.

The first mission of the Education Inspiring Peace Laboratory in Sanremo is to support the school system, teachers and learners in effectively cultivate these competences. In this moment, it is particularly important to remind that violence is often the result of lack of social and relational competences, of the incapacity of many individuals to accept that different groups, different cultures and different states have legitimate positions and interests, in a local context and in the international scenario.

Disqualifying diversity may easily lead to violence and war rather than opening the mind to positive transformation of potential and existing conflicts. Educating the new generations in a way that inspires peace, dialogue and positive conflict transformation is key to avoid not only future wars, but every form of physical and psychological violence that can be observed in everyday life. It is not only about new contents to be taught  referring to the forms and principles of our democratic states, but about applying participatory methods that educate to respect diversity and to apply democratic principles at school. Educating to peace and democratic citizenship should become a school project in every school, with its own specificities and approach.