II. Beneficiaries

The ultimate beneficiary of the Program of Education for Peace in the Hemisphere is the population, in particular, the young, women, and other vulnerable groups. In this connection, the Program will take special account of those institutions and organizations of state and of civil society deemed strategic due to their role as shapers of public opinion and to the multiplier effect of their activities.

III. Program areas

The Program comprises three areas: (1) education for the promotion of peace between states;

(2) education for the peaceful settlement of conflicts; and (3) education for the promotion of democratic values and practices.

1. Education for the promotion of peace between states

• To foster the establishment of closer relations between states in order to build mutual confidence;

• To promote mutual confidence-building measures to enhance security and peace among states;

• To promote among the countries of a subregion greater knowledge and understanding of the history, culture, politics, society, law, international relations, and traditions of these countries;

• To disseminate information on efforts in the Hemisphere to promote disarmament and the fight against illegal arms traffic;

• To promote proactive policies for dialogue and at the same time to further knowledge of mechanisms for the peaceful settlement of conflicts, by developing an appropriate political will and preventive diplomatic practices;

• To encourage dialogue between states so as to create opportunities for fostering heightened security and the use of mechanisms for peaceful settlement as ways to promote peace;

• To study and promote integration mechanisms and processes in the Hemisphere as instruments for the promotion of security and peace among states;

• To involve the military and their academic institutions in education for peace processes and to promote further exchange among the military on this topic; and

• To study and develop mechanisms for the prevention of military conflicts in the region.

b. Activities:

• Organization and creation of academic curricula and university posts and the conducting of research on the history, culture, politics, society, law, international relations, and traditions of the countries of the various subregions, emphasizing the principles of friendship and cooperation among states;

• Organization and holding of courses and seminars on the evolution and operation of integration systems as instruments for the promotion of security and peace among states;

• Conducting of research and seminars to analyze and evaluate policies designed to promote security and peace among states;

• Organization and holding of meetings to examine and publicize successful experiences in the subregions in the promotion of security and peace in the Hemisphere;

• Organization and preparation of studies on disarmament and the fight against illegal arms traffic;

• Creation, within the framework of the OAS, of a register of experts and institutions and of possible sources of funding in the area of education for peace, at the national, subregional, and regional levels, and its linkage to the Web page of the Global Conflict Prevention and Reconstruction Network of Donors and Multilateral Organizations, in which the OAS will participate;

• Organization and holding of exchanges and internships between governmental and nongovernmental players to facilitate mutual understanding among the countries of the Hemisphere;

• Development of educational strategies for the region’s military to allow for the inclusion of modules on education for peace among states and the peaceful settlement of conflicts;

• Organization of workshops designed to understand and examine possible causes of conflict in the Hemisphere; and

• Promotion, within the framework of the OAS, of exchanges to allow for closer ties between centers engaged in or studying international relations at the academic or diplomatic level.

2. Education for the peaceful settlement of conflicts

a. Objectives:

• To promote the development of coordination and consensus processes among various sectors of society;

• To foster the comprehensive analysis of conflict situations, as well as of mediation, conciliation, negotiation, dialogue-facilitation, and consensus-building processes;

• To promote the exchange between states of successful experiences in the peaceful management of conflicts;

• To contribute to the creation of mechanisms for the peaceful handling and management of conflicts;

• To publicize the importance of eliminating poverty and of economic development and social equity as critical elements of peace;

• To promote civil society participation in the creation of a culture of peace;

• To foster the active involvement of the mass media in building a culture of dialogue and concerted action; and

• To support the reform and modernization of national systems for the administration of justice, with emphasis placed on fighting corruption and impunity as well as on promoting mechanisms for mediation and conciliation.

b. Activities:

• Organization and holding of regional training courses on techniques of conflict analysis, prevention, and settlement;

• Organization and conducting of public information campaigns on the peace-making capacity of dialogue, mediation, and consensus- and cooperation-building processes;

• Conducting of research and preparation of manuals and publications that may provide a systematic analysis of the types of violence and conflict, their recurrent causes, and strategies for their prevention and peaceful settlement;

• Conducting of seminars to evaluate the handling and management of conflict, including the empirical analysis of conflicts, enhancement of systems for the administration of justice, mediation, conciliation, negotiation, and facilitation of dialogue;

• Organization of public awareness and civic education campaigns through the media on the peaceful settlement of conflicts;

• Systematization and exchange of successful experiences in the peaceful settlement of conflicts between governmental and/or nongovernmental institutions, through seminars, internships, consultancies, and actions focused on institution-building; and

• Promotion of the implementation of international projects which include programs for the peaceful settlement of conflicts as a means of evaluating impacts and systematizing experiences.

3. Education for the promotion of democratic values and practices

a. Objectives:

• To reform educational systems in order to turn schools into settings for the deterrence of violence and the promotion of justice and peace;

• To promote and disseminate in formal and nonformal education systems increased knowledge and understanding of democratic institutions, values, and practices;

• To disseminate universal principles of human rights and related protection mechanisms, international humanitarian law, and the non-use of force;

• To promote and disseminate the concepts of diversity, plurality, equity, and tolerance among the various sectors of civil society, especially among the most vulnerable groups of our societies;

• To preserve the environment and encourage appropriate sustainable development;

• To promote and disseminate the rights and duties of citizens in order to promote a culture of peace; and

• To foster nonformal and adult education, including contributions by NGOs in this area.

b. Activities:

• Development of model curricula at the primary, secondary, and higher education levels for nonformal and adult education, incorporating new methods for teaching and learning democratic values and practices;

• Identification of the best practices for promoting the teaching of democratic values and practices;

• Taking account of contributions from local communities, development of theoretical and practical guides in the area of education for peace for experts, officials, and educators, which may help to support ministries of education and teacher training centers;

• Organization and holding of workshops and training courses on the teaching and learning of democratic values and practices for educators, educational and administrative specialists, teachers, and directors of educational institutions;

• Development of programs utilizing art as a means of teaching, disseminating, and promoting democratic values and practices;

• Organization and conducting of courses and public information campaigns on democratic values and practices which would focus on the contributions of all sectors of society and on dissemination of the rights and duties of citizens. Such courses and campaigns should also promote attitudes of tolerance and support for vulnerable groups, especially displaced persons and refugees;

• Organization of courses on democratic values and practices for political parties, universities, the media, NGOs, and members of the armed and security forces; and

APPENDIX

Conceptual Foundations Mentioned during the Meeting of Experts

Peace-building is a process that is manifested in terms of confidence. The spirit of this process is consistent with the purposes of the OAS Charter with regard to the prevention of possible causes of difficulties that may arise among the states. In that connection, education for peace may generate a climate of confidence.

Conflict is an integral part of social life. The intent therefore is not to eliminate it but to deal with it appropriately. "Conflict is inherent to human and social dynamics and, in general, may be said to have a positive, rather than a negative, connotation, since it offers an opportunity to develop creativity or to foster personal, social, and international maturity, in the search for higher and better forms of organization. In the end, the most intelligent conflicts will demand the most intelligent forms of resolution. Societies that are progressing need intelligent conflicts."^/

The peaceful settlement of conflicts entails recognition of the legitimacy of the various social actors–nd their recognition as valid spokespersons in the community–under the principle of recognition of and respect for diversity.

The full exercise of citizenship is granted to individuals as a result of not only their claim to rights but also their simultaneous assumption of responsibilities and duties, which should start with the family, the basic cell of society. Thus, the alternative settlement of conflicts should be governed by the principles of shared responsibility, subsidiarity, solidarity, and participation.

Critical poverty, exclusion, and inequity are structural causes of social conflicts. Public policies and specific programs are needed to combat these ills as a means of bringing about a social context favorable to the peaceful settlement of conflicts, thus promoting democratic governance.

With increasing globalization, peacekeeping among countries is largely dependent on the degree of interdependence and of shared socioeconomic, geographic, and political interests among them. Consequently, an education for peace program in the countries of the Americas should lead to greater mutual understanding and knowledge of the different national situations and of the aforementioned interdependence and shared interests of the countries in the Hemisphere.