Hot topic: Peace

The past century has seen more death from war, famine, and other preventable causes than any other time span in history. Peace involves us all, whether as individuals or as members of groups.

Peace Week is an opportunity for schools throughout New Zealand to organise fun and informative peace activities and events based around a broad range of peace-related topics.

Peace Week (PDF 313KB) can be incorporated into the classroom in a variety of enjoyable and informative peace-oriented activities such as:

• cooperative games that encourage trust, respect, and self-esteem
• discussions on ways of solving problems non-violently at home, at school, in the community, as well as internationally
• practising conflict resolution through role-plays, simulated games, and interactive exercises.

Days of importance during Schools Peace Week include:

• August 6 – Hiroshima Day
• August 9 – Nagasaki Day
• August 9 – International Day for Indigenous Peoples

The Peace Foundation has suggested the following starters in planning for Peace Week:

• invite speakers to schools to introduce topics
• construct banners, murals, and artwork according to age levels
• write stories and poems or write and produce plays and mimes
• organise class and inter-class discussions, debates, and presentations
• invite local MPs, the local mayor, councillors, board of trustee members for any of the activities
• encourage joint activities with other nearby schools
• organise school delegations to present material to MPs, councils, overseas representatives, or any gatherings
• contact international youth organisations.

"There is no way to peace – peace is the way." Mahatma Gandhi.

The Peace Foundation is also calling for entries for the 2007 Media Peace Awards Ngā Tohu Rongomau Pāpāho. The closing date for entries is 8 August 2007.

A broad range of material will be considered including:

• a feature, experimental or short film
• a TV or radio programme or modular series
• an article or series of articles
• an advertising/public relations project.

Material must have been written/produced/directed by individuals or organisations working in or for a New Zealand-based organisation and, excluding student entries, must have appeared in the New Zealand public media between 1 August 2006 and 1 August 2007.

Download the 2007 Media Peace Awards entry form (PDF 109KB)

Resources on TKI

A Human Approach to World Peace

His holiness the 14th Dalai Lama gives his views on world peace. The site includes his acceptance speech for the Nobel peace prize, and other links.
http://www.dalailama.com/page.62.htm

Behind the News – Hiroshima: Peace Day

An activity sheet (Word 872KB) about Hiroshima Peace Day, supporting the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Behind the News programme. The sheet supports the social studies, English, and ESOL curricula.
>http://www.abc.net.au/tv/btn/teachers/activitysheets/ep21/0908hiroshima.doc

Children of War

The Children of War classroom activity from the Discovery Channel encourages students to read, analyse, and discuss excerpts from children's war diaries.
http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/activities/childrenofwar/index.html

Conflict and War

This ‘Conflict and War’ lesson plan on English Online includes poetic writing, transactional writing, and presenting.
http://english.unitecnology.ac.nz/resources/units/conflict_war/home.html

Hiroshima Peace Site

This is the official homepage of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.
http://www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp/index_e2.html

International Peace Bureau

The International Peace Bureau was founded in 1892 and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1910. Its website lists peace education resources.
http://www.ipb.org

Kids Peace Station – Hiroshima

The Kids Peace Station from the Hiroshima Peace Site. The site includes a story about Sadako with a timeline of her life and links to information about Japan and people's lives during the war.
http://www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp/kids/KPSH_E/top_e.html

Peace education pack

UNESCO has published an online peace education pack for primary teachers which includes a teachers handbook, posters, activity cards, and appeals written to world leaders.
http://www.unesco.org/education/asp/peace_pack.shtml

Peace Foundation

The Peace Foundation site has some inspirational words on the place of peace in our schools and homes, information about the mediation programme Cool Schools, and resources for students.
http://www.peace.net.nz

Peace movement Aotearoa

Check out how the peace movement in New Zealand protests to 'put the Peace back into Pacific'.
http://www.converge.org.nz/pma

Peace teaching resources

The Australian UNESCO Associated Schools project coordinated a Culture of Peace project to highlight and support the work of students and teachers in their involvement in the year for a ‘Culture of Peace’ (the year 2000). Schools across the world contributed to a rich online resource including peace activities and starters for planning for peace themes in the classroom.
http://www.cultureofpeace.org

War and Peace – the Battle for Vietnam

This is a War and Peace unit plan on the Vietnam War for level 1 social studies.
http://www.tki.org.nz/r/socialscience/curriculum/SSOL/vietnam/index_e.php

We Shall Overcome – Historic Places of the Civil Rights Movement

This site celebrates and records the places and personalities involved in the civil rights movement in the United States. The site features speeches from civil rights leaders and links to relevant resources.
http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/civilrights/

WickED: War and Peace – mini challenge

Provides activities on the International Day of Peace, people’s rights, symbols of peace, and sorting out differences.
http://www.tki.org.nz/r/wick_ed/topics/war-peace/mini1.php

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