International Day of Peace 2024: Cultivating a culture of peace

Students in Germany using physical learning approaches to better understand global conflicts. Photo © Berghof Foundation

To celebrate Peace Day, read how our colleagues and partners use peace education as a tool to foster nonviolence throughout schools and universities.

Twenty-five years ago, when adopting the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace, the United Nations General Assembly defined that peace is “not merely the absence of conflict, but also requires a positive, dynamic participatory process where dialogue is encouraged and conflicts are resolved in a spirit of mutual understanding and cooperation.”

To support this process, we must nurture a culture of peace within our societies. Our team works relentlessly to promote empathy and embed the ideals of peace in the minds of children and communities using peace education methods and approaches.

For this year’s International Day of Peace, we asked our colleagues and partners to share how they help cultivate a culture of peace, whether through educational programmes on peace and conflict, toolkits on media literacy, mentorship programmes, or visual storytelling as an approach in civic and nonviolent education.

Watch our colleagues offer insight into how they foster learning, growth and peace engagement.

Melanie Seitzer, who works at the Service Centre for Peace Education, shares why it is important to teach young people what they can do to help facilitate peace.

Senior Advisor Musa Al Munaizel discusses our work fostering civic and nonviolent education at schools and universities in Jordan in order to help facilitate a peaceful coexistence in the country.

Peace education trainer Leban Serto, who is based in India, explains that by applying peace education approaches people from different walks of life can be brought together.

Louise Beisel who is also working with our Service Centre for Peace Education elaborates on the importance of creating spaces where young people can talk about wars and conflicts.

Anne Kruck and Nicole Rieber, who are heading our Peace Education Unit, explain how peace education can help young people better understand peace and conflict and dismantle conspiracy theories and disinformation.

Together with UNESCO, we co-hosted an online event highlighting the transformative power of dialogue in cultivating a culture of peace. We brought together esteemed experts who shared insights and lessons learned from implementing dialogue initiatives in a number of countries in Asia and Africa. Watch the recording.

This article was updated on 26 September 2024.

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