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Principles and practices of peace education
Principles and practices of peace education

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3 Next steps

A critical middle step between identifying spaces in need of transformation and working for change is the capacity to move from the perceived to the possible—the ability to imagine other than what is.

(Standish, 2018, p. 3)

In this last section you will draw up a plan for what you might do on the next stage of your development as a peace educator or peaceful school community. If planning for your school community, you should begin by considering your own sphere of influence and what you might usefully do within that as a first step. You might also consider how your aspirations for peace education might align with any plans you or your educational setting already have in place.

CPD sessions

If working with a group, you might finish by formulating a plan together using the suggested questions. Participants might begin by making a ‘wish list’ of areas they might want to concentrate on, then agree priorities and responsibilities as a group. You might also consider what you spend most of your time on – peace making, peace keeping or peace building as a starting point.

Activity 3 Making a plan

Timing: The timing for this activity is up to you, and you may find yourself returning to it as you reflect on the course

Part 1

Use the response box below to start sketching out your first ideas about what you would like to work towards as a result of taking this course. You can download all of the notes you have made to help you think about this [navigate down the left-hand side of any page and click on the link under ‘My answers’].

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Part 2

Use the responses to the activities you have carried out in this session to prioritise a particular area for development.

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Part 3

Next, decide on a format for creating your action plan. It helps to create timelines for actions and to break them down into small, realistically achievable steps. Try and avoid overly complicated formats that might become onerous. Your plan should be a useful tool on your peace journey rather than a form to fill in! If your school has a tried and tested planning format, use that.

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Part 4

Now create your plan for the next steps on your peace journey.

Think about what you might achieve within your current sphere of influence, whatever that might be. Your plan may be for you as a peace educator, or for the team or group you work with. The following is a list of questions that might help you formulate your plan.

Researching

  • What do we want to achieve?
  • What do we need to find out?
  • Who do we need to talk to?
  • What issues might need to be resolved?

 

Acting

  • What actions do we need to take?
  • Why will these actions support our goals?
  • What are the risks and barriers?
  • How will we mitigate these?
  • Who will be responsible?
  • What is a realistic time scale?

 

Evaluating

  • How will we know if it’s working?
  • What might we need to adjust?

Above all, remember to pay attention to the wellbeing of all those on your peace journey, and celebrate every achievement.

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Some final words from course co-authors Izzy and Ellis...

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Video 3
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