CULTURE OF PEACE MODELS

All the three models outlined in the training module touch upon the active ingredients for the emergence and sustenance of a culture of peace and can be adapted to work from the level outwards to the global. But I feel more favourable attracted to the Flower model, it offers concise themes which can be further broken down into smaller components all through to the level of getting the students to actually work at tasks that are relevant to their current immediate realities.

By working on peace building tasks deduced from the basic themes of the Flower model, hover small the tasks may seem, the students will be able to find direct meaning in their tasks and thus be further encouraged to do more.

The UNESCO model, though understandably fashioned around an international outlook, seems to be most suited for global leadership levels and the omission of the intrapersonal harmony really leaves out what I will consider to be root of all human actions. All human actions and achievements are firstly conceived as thoughts in the minds of people and for a person to initiate and promote a culture of peace, it is essential that s/he achieve a proper balance of internal harmony. It is only by achieving inner peace that positive seeds that could lead to interpersonal peace sprout from a human mind.

Another omission I notice is the non inclusion (or should I say shying away) of religion or spirituality in the UNESCO model. Most humans profess one faith or the other and our actions are guided by the tenets of our various religious faiths and I feel it is essential to consider the spirituality of the individual when initiating efforts towards entrenching a culture of peace.

The individual components of the integral model are laudable in their own rights but I am not much at home with the arrangement of the model.