ADDIS ABABA – Making students aware of the costs of war, the need and understanding to live and work together, and the respect for human dignity and rights have to be inculcated using learner centered approaches of instruction, the festive highlighted.
In a peace festival held on Thursday at Addis Ababa University, various stakeholders stressed the need to incorporate peace in educational curriculum so as to build foundation of a peaceful learning environment as well as for stability, growth and prosperity at national level.
According to Chloe Kim, Press and Media Department with the Heavenly Culture, World Peace, and the Restoration of Light (HWPL), the festive themed with: “Legislate Peace – Steps toward Sustainable Peace works in Ethiopia” aims at spreading the spirit of peace across the world and will unite with one heart.
As to her, HWPL’s next plan is to achieve peace with the 10 articles and 38 clauses of the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW) supported by people from all walks of life as a visionary solution for peace. “Law cannot compensate for the lives sacrificed from war. What we need is an instrument that protects human life, the very law that prevents war” said Man Hee Lee, Chairman of HWPL.
Country Coordinator of International Women Peace Group (IWPG) Saba Gebremedihin said since peace is now very important global issue, it is crucial if incorporated in educational curriculum. In so doing, universities have to take the responsibility to nurture students who should develop the values of peaceful coexistence, tolerance and living in harmony with others.
“Working on the mindsets of students is the first thing that universities should do to inherit peaceful world for the next generation, through training on the value of peace and its outcomes from the beginning,” International Youth Peace Group (IYPG) Coordinator said for his part.
President of Kottebe Metropolitan College also said that it is undeniable to recognize the value of peace for peaceful learning environment as well as for growth and prosperity at national level. “Though incorporating peace in curriculum is an encouraging issue, the initiative must go for the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, since a single institute has no mandate to work on curriculum development,” he added.
The involvement of women and youth in these peace initiatives will have significant role in both peace building and conflict resolution in their respective communities as active supporters of peace, HWPL believes.
The Ethiopian Herald, September 7/2019
BY ZELALEM GIRMA
