Peace Education Enters Liberian Schools for the Second Year

After a rigorous ethnography survey on the causes of continues violence in Liberian schools and communities; CPE was able to develop proactive teaching packages for promoting the culture of peace.

The Center for Peace Education is focused on transforming Liberian children’s bad experiences into positive ones. Since CPE began teaching Peace Education as a subject in Liberia in 2009, school headmasters have informed CPE that students knowledge about understanding the causes of conflict have improved significantly. Schools headmasters indicated that students were able to identify and explain likely causes of everyday conflicts in their lives, schools, and communities.

Furthermore, Deans of students stated that students’ communication skills have improved greatly over the past year. Students demonstrated effective listening skills by accurately restating conflicting parties’ ideas and feelings without taking sides.

Even more importantly, school administrators stressed that students’ attitude were enhanced over the year. Students demonstrated extreme respect and acceptance for other students who were different from them in terms of religion and tribe; thus, fostering effective cohesiveness on campus and in their respective communities.

Over 15 schools have asked CPE to teach Peace Education as a subject in their schools. CPE is unable to reach all of the schools; notwithstanding, CPE added two of those schools to its current work load.

For the past two years, CPE has been self funded. All of CPE’s teachers are volunteers; however, CPE is kindly requesting your support in-kind and cash – to help our teachers with transportation cost from their homes to schools and also with teaching materials which includes, but not limited to:
Duster / Blackboard Eraser
Staplers; Reams of paper
Sharpeners
Correction fluid
Folders / files
Envelopes; Poster Sheets
Construction paper; Markers
Flip Chart Pads; Teacher’s Plan Books
Notebooks; Pencils /Pens
Chalk / Crayons

Thanks for your unwavering support!!!

Post-Conflict Reconstruction - through PeaceBuilding Liberia

Vacation Peace Education School Started off well and great!! The Themes for the three sessions are: “Peer Mediation for Peer Solutions” – for students/youths; “Learning Peace to Teach Peace” – for Center for Peace Education teachers; and “Be The Example of the Change you would like to see in Liberia” – for communities dwellers, politicians, religious leaders, etc.

Special “Thank You” to Prof. Nilani Ljunggren de Silva from Stockholm University, Sweden and Ms. Yves-Renne Jennings from George Masson University, Virginia, USA who helped tremendously with the teachings.

The Center for Peace Education (CPE) lessons are conducted through dance, art, drama, songs, poems, drawing, etc so as to portray a culture of peace, reconciliation, a world of tolerance, creative self-esteem and expression. Through CPE lesson presentations, students are not only learning that peace is possible, but even more importantly, how to make it possible.

For a generation deprived of childhood, for a generation accustomed to awarding violent behaviors, CPE teachings buffers the impact of war, enhances students inner peace, and brings cheerily expressions into their lives.

To our many supporters and friends, CPE says “Thank You” for you financial and materials support for making this year vacation peace-building training a success!! Please follow the links below for videos and pictures update: http://peacefulliberia.blogspot.com/ or http://www.peaceedu.org/

Peace Exhibit A Fundraiser

This summer CPE is pleased to announce that it will be receiving two volunteers for its Peace Building Summer Training – one from George Mason University, Virginia, USA and the other from Stockholm University, in Sweden.
CPE needs:
Housing and transportation for some of its international guests
Stipends for its local facilitators
Teaching materials
Refreshments
Transportation
Facilities
Publicities; etc.

Duster / Blackboard Eraser

Staplers

Reams of paper

Sharpeners

Correction fluid

Folders / files

Envelopes

Poster Sheets

Construction paper

Markers

Flip Chart Pads

Teacher’s Plan Books

Notebooks

Pencils /Pens

Chalk / Crayons
CPE is holding a Peace Exhibit as a fundraiser
When: Sunday, June 27, 2010
Where: Long Branch Community Center
8700 Piney Branch Road; Silver Spring, MD 20901
Time: 4pm – 7pm
Price: CHARITABLE DONATION

The Center for Peace Education (CPE) is a local non-governmental organization dedicated to teaching peace through mediation as a means of achieving harmony and a better life for Liberia’s future generations pleased. Currently the CPE is teaching peace education as a subject in various grade schools to 2000 students in Montserrado County, Liberia. Moreover, CPE is also teaching peace through mediation in several communities as a means fostering peaceful co-existence among community dwellers.
Since the inauguration of an elected government in January 2006, youth initiated violence continue to persist – because children who participated in war were brainwashed, drugged, and carried out destruction of lives and properties. Even children who did not participate in war witnessed death or torture of family members and friend became displaced or refugee in strange lands, some were falsely imprisoned or suffered torture and other forms of abuse. As a result, these children remain scarred from a life of unending violence.
For example:
the burning of the police stations in Bong, Margibi, and Nimba Counties – in some instances the accused detainees were set on fire
the destruction of the University of Liberia generator by students that resulted in the flogging of the electrical guard
the killing of seven people and the destruction of several religious and private buildings in Lofa
the burning of a Liberian police officer while in his uniform and the individual who came to his rescue.

I can go on and on listing various forms of youth initiated violence which has resulted in a significant number of deaths and destruction of property all over Liberia.

Mid-School Year Testimonials

Since the beginning of the school year (2009/2010), the Center for Peace Education (CPE) has been teaching Peace Education as a subject in several grade schools in Montserrado County, Liberia for the first time in the country history. CPE lessons are conducted through dance, art, drama, songs, poems, drawing, etc so as to portray a culture of peace, reconciliation, a world of tolerance, creative self-esteem and expression. Through CPE lesson presentations, students are not only learning that peace is possible, but even more importantly, how to make it possible. For a generation deprived of childhood, for a generation accustomed to awarding violent behaviors, CPE teachings buffers the impact of war, enhances students inner peace, and brings cheerily expressions into their lives. This form of Peace Education is imbedded in preventive and corrective education for personal growth and development. Center for Education method is not solely about teaching peace, but living PEACE each day. Below please find testimonials from school head masters.

Testimonies from Mr. Lasana Sessay
Principal, Mark J. Richards Memorial High School Bushrod Island, Liberia:
“Peace Education is a good for all schools in Liberia and I am asking the Ministry of Education to embrace it, accept it, and incorporate it in the national academic curriculum. All of our students were affected by the civil war and they have come to accept the concept of violence as a way of life. But with the introduction of Peace Education, it is helping our students to look beyond stereotype, cultural and religious barriers”. The Center for Education teaching is conducted through an interactive learning process which is directed towards helping students to understand one another better. Mr. Sessay stressed that “fighting has dropped significantly on campus and students’ behaviors have improved – they are now coming to school on time and following instructions. This is very good for our school. We are calling on everyone to please support the Center for Peace Education. Thank you!”

Mr. Titus Korngor
Principal, Pamela Kay High School, Montserrado County“Our students are taking peace education as subject in our school. Since the inception of peace education as a course, most of our students have changed in behavior.” The core aspect of the Center for Peace Education is to invite students to question their value, belief, and biases which they have come to develop as the result of the war. “Center for Peace Education learning process is helping our students to cultivate the culture of tolerance. As a result of the Peace Education, our campus is violence free. None of our students have been suspended or expelled. We are calling on the national government, international community, friends, and peace loving people to please buttress the effort of the Center for Peace Education in order to teach peace all over country. This will help to bring peace to Liberia. Because when our students learn peace, it means that Liberia and our global village is becoming peaceful. Thanks to the Center for Peace Education for teaching peace!”