| Posted: Dec. 23 2004,06:39 |
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PROGRESS: Has your organization seen
progress toward a culture of peace and nonviolence in your domain of
action and in your constituency during the first half of the Decade? |
The
International Baccalaureate Organization is educating this year
approximately 200,000 children in 1,500 schools spread across 117
countries for a world that is free of violence and filled with
understanding where the rights of children and adults are respected.
The annual increase in IB schools and student numbers is 15%, so
our contribution has been spreading as the decade for peace moves on.
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OBSTACLES: What are the most important obstacles that have prevented progress?
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The
main obstacle to spreading our programmes in parts of the world more
prone to conflict (the developing world and poorer countries) is cost.
We are actively seeking donors to promote, not just our programmes per
se, but the philosophy on which they are based in less affluent
countries and we have had some success.
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ACTIONS: What actions have been
undertaken by your organization to promote a culture of peace and
nonviolence during the first half of the Decade?
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Our organization has developed three international educational programmes offered in English, French and Spanish as follows:
Primary Years Programme (PYP) -for children from 3 to 11 or 12 years
Middle Years Programme (MYP) -for children from 11 to 16 years (also offered in Chinese)
Diploma
Programme (DP) -for students in their final two years of secondary
education, this is an entry qualification to higher studies.
In this
way the International Baccalaureate Organization is educating this year
approximately 200,000 children in 1,500 schools spread across 117
countries for a world free of violence and understanding where the
rights of children and adults are respected. Public schools without any
tuition fees comprise almost half of the total number of schools. The
annual increase in IB schools and student numbers is 15%, so our
contribution will spread further as the decade for peace moves on.
In
addition, many of these schools undertake specific activities in their
local communities to promote intercultural understanding and respect
for others through a compulsory social service component of our
courses. These include survival skills programmes with street children,
helping children cope with parents with AIDS, utilising conflict
resolution skills in local disputes, assisting the elderly, undertaking
publicity campaigns and essay or art competitions for respecting human
rights, and so on.
The International Baccalaureate Organization also
offers a course entitled "Peace and Conflict Studies" which was
developed by one of the IB schools. A copy of this syllabus and
past examination papers are available on request.
The educational
philosophy underpinning these programmes is explained in the
publication "A continuum of international education." As seen
from the following excerpts, this philosophy supports the basic
principles of a culture of peace:
DEVELOPING CITIZENS OF THE WORLD -CULTURE, LANGUAGE AND LEARNING TO LIVE TOGETHER
The
IBO is unapologetically idealistic in believing that education can
foster understanding among young people around the world, enabling
future generations to live more peacefully and productively than
before. By emphasizing the dynamic combination of knowledge, skills,
independent critical thought and international awareness or
intercultural understanding, the IBO espouses the principles of
educating the whole person for a life of active, responsible
citizenship.
Developing the capacity for critical examination of
oneself and one's traditions, for living "the examined life" that
Socrates described, is the starting point from which all else follows
(Nussbaum, 1997). Encouraging students to examine critically their own
and others' customs and traditions is a necessary element for an
education that enables them to discern what is of value and what ought
to be cherished and retained.
The IBO has always embraced the
concept of an international community and its chief purpose is to
provide an educational environment in which anyone, anywhere, may
participate, may contribute, and may be encouraged by all to grow
individually, and with an understanding of others. The development of
"world citizenship" does not assume that local or national citizenship
is not of paramount importance, but that we must recognize and help
students to appreciate and understand the worth of human life wherever
it is lived, and that we share a bond with all other human beings by
virtue of our common humanity. Such a pluralist view is based on the
tenet that human diversity is intrinsically valuable and that because
there is a plurality of human identities, interaction among them brings
the possibility of greater mutual understanding. Developing in students
their ability to appreciate and to evaluate human diversity and its
legitimate boundaries can bring with it a strengthening of their
motivation to modify their behaviour accordingly (Orellana Benado,
1995).
Today, more than ever before, we are aware that many of the
issues facing young people require collaborative global solutions that
extend well beyond parochial and national boundaries. The prevalence of
discrimination, racism in all its forms, abuse of human rights, famine,
poverty and environmental destruction, require a much greater
understanding of what internationalism means in terms of our planet and
its inhabitants. Significantly, in each of the three programmes, the
learning experiences for students are designed to relate to the
realities of the outside world. Much emphasis is placed on the goal of
international understanding and a consciousness of common concerns as a
basis for a more peaceful, sustainable future for all. The challenge is
to foster development of citizenship at multiple levels - in the
immediate community, at a wider national level and beyond, in an
international sense - while at the same time encouraging the
development in students of a sense of their own identity.
One of the
practical ways in which IBO programmes develop citizenship is through
service to others that requires both action and reflection. The
inclusion of this area in the design of each programme is important and
each provides many opportunities for translating theory into practice
and for engendering the satisfaction that comes from giving, whether
that be within one's family, the school community, the local community,
one's country or the wider global community.
The description of the
educational aims of the organization outlined by the founding director
general, Alec Peterson, referring to the Diploma Programme, still holds
true today:
"[The aim is] to develop to their fullest potential the
powers of each individual to understand, to modify and to enjoy his or
her environment, both inner and outer, in its physical, social, moral,
aesthetic and spiritual aspects." (Peterson, 1987)
And today, as expressed in the IBO mission statement:
"Through
comprehensive and balanced curricula coupled with challenging
assessment, the International Baccalaureate Organization aims to assist
schools in their endeavours to develop the individual talents of young
people and teach them to relate the experience of the classroom to the
realities of the world outside. Beyond intellectual rigour and high
academic standards, strong emphasis is placed on the ideals of
international understanding and responsible citizenship, to the end
that IB students may become critical and compassionate thinkers,
lifelong learners and informed participants in local and world affairs,
conscious of the shared humanity that binds all people together while
respecting the variety of cultures and attitudes that makes for the
richness of life." (IBO Council of Foundation, 1996)
How effective
this statement is must be judged by its translation into the curriculum
and assessment of each programme and, in turn, into the teaching and
learning that takes place in IB classrooms. This issue has been
succinctly articulated by a former director general of the IBO, Roger
Peel:
"Is the IBO just another variant of the proliferation of
national systems around the world, or do we in fact provide a service
that transcends such boundaries in ways that are unique? The answers to
such questions depend to a large degree on our interpretation of
"international" and on how we choose to infuse it into our curriculum."
(Peel, 1997)
What is significant here is the underlying concept of
education of the whole person as a lifelong process, of which the
formal years of schooling are but a fundamental part. What is also
acknowledged, with the introduction of the PYP, is that education for
world citizenship needs to begin early, in fact as soon as young
children can engage in storytelling of home, of other places and of
other people. The development of world citizenship must take place at
every age (Nussbaum, 1997).
BUILDING AND REINFORCING STUDENTS' SENSE OF IDENTITY AND CULTURAL AWARENESS
Developing
an understanding of the nature and value of one's own culture is a
fundamental starting point for any educational programme claiming to be
international. From here the role of the study of others' cultures can
begin:
"From my own perspective, the honesty of the IBO stems from
the fact that we require all students to relate first to their own
national identity -their own language, history and cultural heritage,
no matter where in the world this may be. Beyond that, we ask that they
identify with the corresponding traditions of others. It is not
expected that they adopt alien points of view, merely that they are
exposed to them and are encouraged to respond intelligently. The end
result, we hope, is a more compassionate population, a welcome
manifestation of national diversity within an international framework
of tolerant respect. Ideally, at the end of the experience, students
should know themselves better than when they started, while
acknowledging that others can be right in being different." (Peel, 1997)
Giving
priority to students knowing and appreciating their own culture first
is essential in fostering their sense of identity with their own
traditions, customs and mores, and the joy and immense satisfaction
that this background provides to a growing child. Cultural roots are as
important as our basic needs for survival: they dictate all our
relationships, whether they be with family, community, nation or the
wider world. Most significantly, they also determine how we communicate
with others and how we share the experience of living. Less admirably,
however, they also determine how we exploit, exert power and destroy,
which is why the study of culture and language is fundamental to
learning to live together:
"Culture is a fundamental phenomenon. It
affects not only our daily practices: the way we live, are brought up,
manage, are managed, and die; but also the theories we are able to
develop to explain our practices. No part of our lives is exempt from
culture's influence." (Hofstede, 1997)
How students' understanding
of culture is developed is a major challenge for each programme's
curriculum design. How a curriculum can present students with major
questions, such as Hofstede's, for analysis in relation to the concept
of culture, is a significant task (Hofstede, 1997).
Such questions include:
* how power, authority and inequality are manifested in one's own culture and that of others
*
how one's own culture regards the relationship between an individual
and a group and how such a relationship is regarded by others
* the significance of gender in one's own culture and in that of others
* how one's own culture and others' deal with life's uncertainties and ambiguities
.
Developing
an understanding of culture ls critical to promoting an understanding
of others and an ability to relate cooperatively to them. This is what
each individual programme and the sequence of programmes seek to
achieve - to enable students to develop an awareness of themselves
first, while recognizing that others are different and that others "can
be right in being different" (Peel, 1997). Without an understanding of
the importance of diversity of culture in human life and an openness to
cooperative sharing of knowledge, students are unlikely to develop
tolerance and an acceptance that civilized life must be sustained
through living together peacefully.
The role of language, the mother
tongue, and the study of other languages, have a special place in each
programme's curriculum design. It is through language that we access
our own and others' culture. The potential of culture to foster
multilingualism from early childhood is fundamental to the sequence of
programmes.
FOSTERING STUDENTS' RECOGNITION AND DEVELOPMENT OF UNIVERSAL HUMAN VALUES
"...while we live, while we are among human beings, let us cultivate our humanity." (Seneca, in Nussbaum, 1997)
A
major focus underlying the philosophy of the IBO is the acknowledgment
of the diverse values inherent in the different cultures of the world.
Most important in this acknowledgment is the value placed on human
diversity and on intellectual, personal, emotional and social growth,
enriched by a strong civic sense and involvement in the local and wider
community.
In developing an awareness of the diverse values of
different cultures, it is, however, fundamental that students in each
IBO programme are exposed to those human values which are recognized as
universal; these are embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights, adopted and proclaimed by the General Assembly of the United
Nations in 1948. Implicit in the recognition of universal human rights
is the value placed on the role of education (Article 26 of the
declaration) to foster understanding and respect for life on earth and
for the best possible curriculum to be enjoyed by all who participate.
Of similar importance is the recognition that the quality of the
environment for learning in any school is critical, as the values and
attitudes of the school community will shape the kind of future in
which young people will live. A school's ethos which has a commitment
to social justice and equity will be readily apparent in the daily
life, conduct, management and leadership of the school.
We also
attached some photos of a teacher training programme in child-centered
education at elementary (primary) school level which we are undertaking
on contract with the government of Cambodia.
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Children participating actively in their education. Cambodia:
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ADVICE: What advice would you like to
give to the Secretary-General and the General Assembly to promote a
culture of peace and nonviolence during the second half of the Decade? |
Concentrate
on educating the young who can influence their parents and siblings;
this requires a unit on "education for peace" in all teacher training
institutions.
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PARTNERSHIPS: What partnerships and
networks does your organization participate in, thus strengthening the
global movement for a culture of peace? |
We have partnerships with
UNESCO
Peace Child International
International Peace Bureau
Earth Charter secretariat
Ecole Instrument de Paix
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PLANS: What new engagements are
planned by your organization to promote a culture of peace and
nonviolence in the second half of the Decade (2005-2010)? |
Our major goal is to provide more access to our type of education for those who are in less privileged circumstances.
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Postal address of organization
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Route des Morillons 15, Grand-Saconnex, Geneva, CH-1218, Switzerland
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E-mail address of organization
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ibaem@ibo.org
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Website address of organization
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http://www.ibo.org
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Highest priority action domain of a culture of peace
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education for a culture of peace
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Second priority action domain of a culture of peace
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Highest priority country of action (or international)
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international
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Second priority country of action (or international)
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