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Organization: NGO Women for Development, Armenia
The following information may be cited or quoted as long as the source is accurately mentioned and the words are not taken out of context.
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Postal address of organization/institution

6a Shahinyan str., apt. 16, Gyumri 3118, Armenia

E-mail address of organization/institution

goharmarkosyan@yahoo.com

Website address of organization/institution

www.wfd.am

Telephone of organization/institution

Tel/Fax:(+374 312) 3 30 07
Mobile: (+374 91)43 01 61

PRIORITIES: All of the organization's domains of culture of peace activity

EDUCATION FOR PEACE
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
HUMAN RIGHTS
WOMEN'S EQUALITY
DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION
INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY

TOP PRIORITY: The organization's most important culture of peace activity

EDUCATION FOR PEACE

PARTNERSHIPS AND NETWORKS: What partnerships and networks does your organization participate in, thus strengthening the global movement for a culture of peace?

INCREPE -  International Network on Conflict Resolution Education and  Peace Education

GPPAC -  Global Partnership For the Prevention of Armed Conflict  International Network

IPRA-   International Peace Research Association. Member of the Council Peace Education Commission.

PJSA - Peace and Justice Studies Association
                                       

Mobile Peace Academy OMNIBUS 1325

ACTIONS: What activities have been undertaken by your organization to promote a culture of peace and nonviolence during the ten years of the Decade? If you already made a report in 2005, your information from 2005 will be included in the 2010 report.

Starting from 2002 "Women for Development" NGO is implementing "Peace Education and Conflict Resolution in Schools of Gyumri" project in frames of the International Decades for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence for the Children of the World.
The main goal of the project is formation of the ideas of peace culture and conflict resolution among teachers and schoolchildren with an objective of integrating Peace Education as a separate subject in the school curriculum. The project is funding by German EED and ICCO, The Netherlands organizations.

Organization’s strategy for integrating Peace Education subject in the school curriculum is comprised of 3 major components:  

1. Organization of peace education process in schools and Gyumri State Pedagogical Institute,
2. Teacher training, raising awareness of parents and increasing their participation.
3. Cooperation with the National Institute of Education of RA Ministry of Education and Science.  

As the result of the activities implemented during past 7 years Peace Education Centers were established in 10 schools and Gyumri State Pedagogical Institute; more than 450 schoolchildren, 220 in-service and 120 pre-service teachers were directly trained on the issues of peace and conflict resolution and acquired a solid base of knowledge and skills; more than 2000 pupils from 18 schools became involved in peer-to-peer education process; more than 3000 parents became aware of the main principles of the project.


        Peace Lesson in Gyumri school # 9


        "Gender and Conflict" lesson in Gyumri school #26


        "Peace and Conflict" lesson in Gyumri school #40

In 2006-2007, as the result of cooperation between the RA Ministry of Education and Science and “Women for Development” NGO, initial/basic ideas of peace and conflict resolution education were integrated in the study curriculum and standards of Social Science subject.

In 2007 “Women for Development” NGO and National Institute of Education of the Ministry of Education and Science signed a Memorandum on collaboration  having an agreement to develop the country’s policy on “Peace and Conflict Resolution Education” to include it in the school’s curriculum. In April 2008 the NGO WFD together with the National Institute of Ministry of Education and Science RA published a handbook Peace and Conflict Resolution Education envisaged for teachers.  The handbook is comprised of two parts: Conflict Management and Peace Lessons. During the process of the handbook development middle school educational materials of international organizations and institutes such as UNESCO, UNIFEM and USIP, as well as materials from Education Departments (mainly US Education Department) and research centers (Global Issues Recourse Center) were utilized.  It includes 41 themes to be taught 1 hour per week. The handbook is envisaged for training schoolchildren mainly aged 12-15, but it can be used for an older age group as well.
Based on the gained experience and lessons learnt, we have worked out a model of Peace Education Center, which can be used to establish a Peace Education Center in any school.

Trainings were organized for Pre service teachers (2005-2009)

During 2005 – 2009 120 Pre service teachers participated in a 20-hour long P&CRE training organized by the NGO “WFD”; numerous events, meetings, round tables and discussions were organized. Students were granted with the opportunity to apply acquired knowledge and skills during their internships in the schools and in the capacity of peer-to-peer educators among students from different departments of the Gyumri State Pedagogical Institute.

Training courses with different duration are designed for in service teachers (2005-2007):
Thus:
1. P&CRE training course designed for the teachers of high schools. 20 teachers from 10 beneficiary schools have been trained. The aim of the training was to provide teachers with skills and concepts on peace education and peaceful conflict resolution; ensure project’s sustainability by having trained teachers in schools.
2. One day workshop on P&CRE was designed for the teachers working especially with “Peace Education Center” members, which aims to enhance teachers’ awareness on the project being implemented in schools, teach P&CRE basic skills and concepts, provide their active participation in the peaceful resolution of intra-school conflicts, etc.
3. Seminars on the topic “Managing and Resolving Conflicts Effectively in Schools and Classrooms” have been organized for more than 220 teachers from 10 schools. The basis of the seminar is the on-line training course material “Managing and Resolving Conflicts Effectively in Schools and Classrooms” worked out in June 2006 by the National Training and Technical Assistance Center for Drug Prevention and School Safety Coordinators, through a contract with the U.S. Department of Education’s Safe and Drug Free Schools Office. Online course was translated into Armenian and provided to the teachers - participants of the seminar.

Reports reflecting the results of peace and conflict resolution projects implemented by the organization were presented during several international conferences and events; workshops were organized, articles and reports were published. Below is the list of the workshops, which were conducted during past several years at various international conferences and events:  

• Experience of Peace and Conflict Resolution Education in Schools of Gyumri Armenia,  Second Annual Conference on Conflict Resolution Education, 2005 Columbus, Ohio USA
• Formation of Peace Culture in Schools of Gyumri, Armenia, Global Symposium: “Towards a New World Civilization”, 2006,  Lucknow,  INDIA. http://www.wmgd.net/symposium/2006.html
• Peace and Conflict Resolution Education in Armenia: from Practice to Policy. Inter-American Summit on Conflict Resolution Education in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, 2007. www.creducation.org
• "Effective Methods of CRE in Armenias Schools: Peer" to Peer Education Implemented by NGO “Women for Development”, Dr. Gohar Markosyan, NGO "Women for Development", 2nd International Summit on Conflict Resolution Education (CRE) Youth and Conflict: Global Challenges " Local Solutions March 28th- 29th, 2008, Cleveland, Ohio, USA, (www.creducation.org).
• "Peace and Conflict Resolution Education at school of Armenia", Dr. Gohar Markosyan, NGO Women for Development, International Peace Research Association (IPRA) conference, "Building Sustainable Futures - Enacting Peace and Development", Leuven, Belgium, 15-19 July 2008.
• 6 years experience in teaching “Peace and Conflict Resolution Education in Armenia”, Eighth Annual Peace Education Conference in Canada hosted by the Canadian Centre for Teaching Peace (CCTP). Hamilton, Ontario, 2009 November.

In December, 2007 “Peace and Conflict Resolution Education for Peace Building” conference was organized in Gyumri, Armenia with participation of the representatives of both local and international organizations working in the sphere of education, school principals, teachers, educational officers from the Regional Department of Education of Shirak, RA Ministry of Education and the National Institute of Education. During the conference, proposals in terms of organizing the process of peace and conflict resolution education among schoolchildren and teachers were discussed.  http://www.wfd.am/images/CONFERENCE%20REPORTeng.pdf

In February-April 2009 a survey was conducted among more than 180 in-service and 37 pre-service teachers, 10 school principals and approximately 120 parents with the goal of evaluating “Peace and Conflict Resolution Education in Schools” project implemented by WFD NGO in 2002-2007 as well as increasing the efficiency of education and formation of peaceful and safe environments in schools. Results of the survey showed that the vast majority of the respondents give high importance to peace and conflict resolution education among teachers with regard to creation of peaceful and safe environments in schools. Almost all schoolchildren who participated in the survey think the same way. They mention that very often the lack of such skills triggers conflict situations between pupils and teachers.      

Since 2008 the Peace Education training course as a separate subject is taught in 10 schools (one class in each). Starting from 2008 Peace Education training in the beneficiary schools is organized through teachers of different subjects mathematics, history, social science, languages, biology, who have undergone special refreshing training.

Celebration of the International Day of Peace (2008-2009)


       International Peace Day Celebrations in the Musayelyan village school (2009)


        Peace Parade and  International Peace Day Celebrations, Gyumri school # 20

It has been two years already since members of Peace Education Centers of the organization’s beneficiary schools take part in the celebrations dedicated to September 21 – International Day of Peace, which is a new holiday for our schoolchildren. The organized events are various. Last year more than ninety 8th graders from School #20 after George Byron organized Peace Parade on September 21. Pupils were carrying posters and balloons in their hands, and on them “People are building peace” slogan was written both in English and Armenian. The parade took off from Charles Aznavour Square and continued towards the school. On their way schoolchildren presented the passers-by with balloons decorated with words associated with peace.      
In the surrounding area of School #9 chalk-drawing contest was organized. Pupils of School #29 organized a presentation, where pictures of various types of weapons were shown and children spoke about enormous amounts of money being spent of weapon production in different countries and the important alternative ways for spending these sums. Pupils even transformed the toy gun into a tray filled out with chocolates which was disseminated to the guests.
Events organized in Schools #26 and #30 involved the entire school community and became a great celebration for all those who were in attendance. All events were videotaped and broadcasted by local TV channels, and received positive feedback from the citizens of Gyumri.
This year as well schoolchildren participated in the events dedicated to the International Day of Peace. They found out when the idea of celebrating the Day of Peace occurred, became familiar with the history of UN’s Peace Bell and prepared Peace Posters. On the posters they underlined the contours of their hands and wrote what is Peace for them. Afterwards they read what they wrote in turns and glued the “hands” on the posters. In School #26 children posted their ideas and wishes on the branches of Peace Tree.  
This is how the children value peace:
“Peace is very important for me. To me good friendship is peace”, “Peace is the ability to forgive”, “I want all people be first of all happy and then peaceful, because peace is the guarantee for happiness. I also wish everyone could solve their problems without conflicts and see white crane always flying up in the sky”, “Peace is a very good concept and a person who chooses peace is a happy person”.

Publications (newsletters, books, etc.)

1. Newsletter "Peace Bridges" (12 numbers for period 2002-2009). http://www.wfd.am/peace.html.
2. Report "Peace and Conflict Resolution Education at Schools of Shirak Region (Armenia)" First UNESCO/EURED In-Service Teacher Training Course "Human Rights and Peace Education in Europe" 2004-2006. (2006). http://www.wfd.am/articles.html
3. "Peace Education and Conflict Resolution in Armenian Schools", Global Campaign for Peace Education, Worldwide Activities Brief, Issue # 27, November 2005, http://www.haguepeace.org/files/2005-11.pdf.
4. Peace and Conflict Resolution Education in Armenia: The Work of "Women for Development" Armine Mikayelyan, Gohar Markosyan, Conflict Resolution Quarterly, Volume 25, Number 1, fall 2007.
5. "Peace and Conflict Resolution education for Peacebuilding", Post Conference Reader, 05 December, 2007, Gyumri, Armenia.
6. Engaging Children and Teenagers in Peace Culture Education and Peacebuilding, Goharik Markosyan and Julieta Chaloyan, THINKING CLASSROOM VOLUME 9 ISSUE 3, JULY 2008.
7. "Peace and Conflict Resolution Education", Handbook for teachers, 2008, (in Armenian).  Video film "Six years experience in teaching Peace and Conflict Resolution Education in Armenia 2002-2007".
8.“Peace and Conflict Resolution Education as a best way of breeding tolerance”, International Studies in Education 9 (2009).  In press.

PROGRESS: Has your organization seen progress toward a culture of peace and nonviolence in your domain of action and in your constituency during the second half of the Decade?

Yes

OBSTACLES: Has your organization faced any obstacles to implementing the culture of peace and nonviolence? If so, what were they?

• Limited project funding to involve greater number of schools, pupils, teachers and parents.
• Overloading of school curriculum and as a result, the impossibility of P&CRE introduction as a separate subject. In these conditions the only possibility is to implement large – scale advocacy and raising awareness activities with the support of the Ministry of Education, and it will give a possibility to increase the number of schools which would like to have peace education as non formal education.  
• The mentality that the teacher is always “completely” right or the teacher’s task is to teach children only “completely right things” fixed in education system during the Soviet period and inherited into the current educational system.

PLANS: What new engagements are planned by your organization in the short, medium and long term to promote a culture of peace and nonviolence?

In 2010-2012 we plan to implement the Project “Conflict Resolution Education in Teacher Education in Armenia”. This project proposal aims to develop Peace and Conflict Resolution Education curriculum for in-service and pre-service teachers, organize trainings for in-service teachers and integrate this subject in the curriculum of one of Armenia’s pedagogical universities.  
The direct beneficiaries of the project will be 390 in-service teachers from 120 schools of 3 provinces of Armenia and approximately 150 pre-service teachers, deans and lecturers from various departments of the Gyumri State Pedagogical Institute. More than 35 000 pupils from the mentioned schools as well as their parents will become indirect beneficiaries of the project.

We plan to publish and disseminate the “Conflict Resolution Education”. Teachers, parents, students and employees of state and non-government organizations as well as educational institutions will be able to use the handbook. It will be also useful in terms of implementation of similar projects.
Direct partners of the project will become the RA Ministry of Education and Science, National Institute of Education and its branches in the provinces, schools and pedagogical universities

GLOBAL MOVEMENT: How do you think the culture of peace and nonviolence could be strengthened and supported at the world level??

In my opinion the culture of peace can be strengthened and supported at the world level if all the countries join this movement on the governmental level and make steps to involve these ideas in all the educational levels. Also I am sure that this decade is not to be the only one, it should be continued
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Organization: NGO Women for Development, Armenia

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