Peacebuilding for Language Learners

Syllabus

Session Description 

This EVO session is designed to support the work of educators as peacebuilders. We believe that young people have tremendous capacity, as individuals and as a community, to learn about and contribute to peace and that educators' can channel students' energy and enthusiasm in positive ways. The focus of this course is on peacebuilding because we know that peacebuilding must be developed, fostered, and supported. 

This is a skill-based session. It is designed to equip educators with the necessary knowledge and skills to engage young people in conversations about peace and conflict and to teach skills that allow them to manage conflict nonviolently. Peacebuilding is not simple, nor can it solely be learned by reading theory. The course is, therefore, intended to be very practical- participants will learn by participating in skills-based exercises. Areas emphasized include defining peace and conflict, conflict analysis, conflict styles, communication, negotiation, mediation, and becoming a peacebuilder.

Goals:

• To understand the value of multiple perspectives on a topic

• To develop the necessary skills to approach conflict through nonviolent means

• To understand what it means to be a peacebuilder and how to engage students in peace building

• To consider how to engage English Language Learners while using materials not specifically written for them

• To become part of a community of learning and practice which will continue beyond the period of the course 

Teaching Methods

As an online course, we will use various spaces and modes for our learning. Our primary platform is YahooGroups where you will participate in discussions and will share your experiences around different exercises. Content and activities will reside on our wiki: We will conduct two webinars, one in Week 2 and one in Week 5, using Elluminate.  All of these digital media will allow us to retain the interactive and experiential approach which is a cornerstone of the Peacebuilding Toolkits for Educators.

Materials

The course is based on the Peacebuilding Toolkits for Educators which can be downloaded in its entirety, or lesson by lesson, at the following link: http://www.buildingpeace.org/train-resources/educators/peacebuilding-toolkit-educators.

Weekly Outline

Week 1  (Jan 13 - 19, 2014): 

Objectives:

1. To explore teaching and learning principles that support education about peace building

2. To understand the distinction between dialogue and debate, as well as the place of dialogue in peacebuilding

2. To consider the value of multiple perspectives

Activities:

1. 3-2-1 Introductions

2. Guidelines for communication

3. Paper-folding activity

4. Discussion of dialogue and debate

5. Discussion of terms "peace" and "conflict"

6. Peace/Not Peace Activity

Week 2  (Jan 20 - 26, 2014): 

This week we will begin to explore strategies to address conflict nonviolently, including conflict analysis and conflict styles

Objectives:

1. To understand the role of conflict analysis in managing conflicts

2. To develop conflict analysis skills

3. To identify various conflict styles and consider the advantages/limitations of each 

Activities:

1. Personal conflict analysis activity

2. Conflict styles assessment (complete the assessment at http://www.buildingpeace.org/act-build-peace/learn/conflict-styles)

3. Conflict styles- advantages/limitations activity

Week 3    (Jan 27 - Feb 2, 2014)

In week 3 we will explore the role of communication, both verbal and nonverbal, in managing conflicts.

Objectives:

1. To understand the importance of nonverbal communication in communication generally

2. To identify the characteristics of good communication for speakers and listeners.

3. To understand the importance of active listening skills for negotiation and mediation

Activities:

1. "Enough to Make My Head Spin" story and discussion

2. "Lost in Translation" video viewing and discussion (Note: the video contains bad language and is not intended for use in the classroom; rather, it is a tool for your own understanding of culture as it relates to conflict) 

3. Active listening techniques activity

Guest Speaker: Tarek Massarrani, dialogue facilitator, will share his experiences working with Israeli and Palestinian teens to build understanding between communities in conflict.

Week 4     (Feb 3 - Feb 9, 2014)

In week 4 we will explore the processes of negotiation and mediation.

Objectives:

1. To define negotiation and mediation

2. To identify the difference between positions and interests

3. To develop basic negotiation and mediation skills

Activities:

1. The orange

2. Two-party negotiation role play

3. Mediation role play

Week 5  (Feb 10 -16, 2014) 

In our last week we will discuss what it means to be a peacebuilder and how we can engage our students in peacebuilding projects.

Objectives:

1. To identify the characteristics and actions that have made effective peacebuilders in the past.

2. To explore local, national, and international organizations that work for peace.

3. To understand the value of people working together in groups for peace.

Activities:

1. Peacebuilder quiz at http://www.buildingpeace.org/act-build-peace/learn/famous-peacebuilders-quiz

2. Envisioning the world you want to see

3. Learning from the past: Interviews with family members

4. Discussion of carrying this content forward

Guest Speaker: Kristina Berdan, contributor to the MS Peacebuilding Toolkit for Educators, will speak about engaging young people in social action.