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Since its establishment in the year 1976 (first called „Association for Peace Education“) the Institute for Peace Education (ift) has consistently pursued the goal of bringing the problems of peace and conflict into the forefront of public consciousness. The work in this area is based on the efforts to bring the results of scientific study – in particular peace research – combined with practical work, which is relevant for peace education into the public eye. Peace education is based on the conviction that attitudes and behaviors are changeable through education, and have an influence on political decisions and structures. Peace education, in the manner in which it is developed and practiced by the Institute for Peace Education, is also a request for individual participation in society and politic processes. Peace education sees the responsibility of the individual, and consider it in addition to the meaning of the basic structural conditions effecting political processes. For the work in peace education, the Institute for Peace Education was awarded the outstanding German „Theodor Heuss Medal” in 1982 and – in 1999 – an honourable mention of the UNESCO Prize for Peace Education.
The Institute for Peace Education argues critically regarding inter-personal, social and international conflicts, in order to make the possibilities of peaceful settlements of conflicts visible. The traditions and beginnings of non-violence are thereby a substantial component. The philosophy of peace education means that different, often also opposite points of view are freely discussed without prejudice. Discussions between different and often distrustful groups (for example soldiers and conscientious objectors) are prepared for and realized by the Institute for Peace Education.
For many years, the Institute for Peace Education has been making an important contribution in the expansion and development of international campaigns through public education. The international campaigns against nuclear weapons, atomic tests and armament exports and the international campaign against the spreading of land mines are supported by the publication of educational materials. The Institute of Peace Education has also expanded public awareness of the UN Agenda 21 and the global campaign „Overcoming violence” by the World Council of Churches. Many internationally active Non-governmental Organizations (NGO) are important co-operation partners in this endeavor. Over 100 publications with well over 100.000 copies, several video films, and CD-ROMs have been developed and published by the ift.
In 1988, a member of the executive committee of the Institute for Peace Education participated in the third special general assembly for disarmament of the United Nations. The representative was the only NGO Delegate of the German Federal Republic with the right to speak at the assembly. Since the year 2000, the entire work of the ift is integrated in the UN-Decade of the culture of peace. The Institute for Peace education has also designed museum exhibits for the „European Museum for Peace” located in Schlaining, Austria.
International reconciliation and communication are constant topics at the Institute for Peace Education. In addition the ift supports school partnership programs with schools in other countries, conducts discussions during international youth conferences, and maintains close co-operation with human right and relief organizations. In the last years many internationally occupied, peace-educational trade conferences were held. The Institute for Peace Education had advisory status within the structure of an electronic network for young people in former Yugoslavia and is in the publishing circle for a Peace Education magazine in Denmark.
For several years the Institute for Peace education has used the possibilities and opportunities for the expansion of peace and peace education through new electronic media. Using the Internet (http://www.friedenspaedagogik.de), the ift is available worldwide. The website is very popular (approximately 30,000 accesses per week). In 1989, the Institute for Peace Education provided an extended international data base directory, the first mechanism of its kind in Germany regarding peace, and thereafter has updated it every two years.
A central task for the ift is the promotion and development of the educational program „Global Learning”. The Institute for Peace Education is heavily occupied with this new educational tool, developed in common with Non Governmental Organizations. In 1998, the Institute for Peace Education completed a crucial contribution toward this project: opening the possibilities of new electronic media for global learning with the development of a CD-ROM entitled „Global Learning”. This important task was completed with the world-wide active NGO „Bread for the World”.
New educational possibilities are tested in the field of the peace education in connection with large international sports events. The Fair-Play-Education does not only become apparent in the behavior of the participants in a match, but also concerning the relations between the societies and countries all over the world. On the occasion of the world championship Soccer tournament in 1998, together with „Bread for the World”, a campaign was started entitled „Fair Play for Fair Life”. An action newspaper encountered large interest in the project (edition: 250.000 copies). For the 2000 Olympics and for the World Championship Soccer Tournament in 2002 were further materials prepared.
In view of the escalation of hostilities toward strangers and of right-wing extremism in Germany, the Institute for Peace Education submitted several recommendations to handle the increase of racism and violence. The possibility of the qualification of people for specialized civilian peace service in the crisis and war regions of this earth plays an important role in the work of the Institute for Peace Education. Curriculums for the training of such people were developed and manuals were published. At the Institute for Peace Education a high value is granted to the influence of the media. Intensive project-work, in co-operation with Media Watch, are dedicated to the critical analysis of the medium reporting about international crises and wars. The results were published as didactical helps for educators.
The Institute for Peace Education was established as a recognized peace-educational service institute. The programs and curriculum are freely available and used by persons from all education ranges and interested parties. The ift maintains an office in Tübingen (since 2002 the new „Georg-Zundel-House of the Berghof Foundation for Conflict Studies“) and works within a group of experienced specialists from science and research, education and media, as well as electronic design. All publications and media are published in an own publishing house. The whole work is financed through grants and the contributions of the members.
The unification of different and international approaches like education for development, intercultural education or peace education is one of the important tasks of the Institute for Peace Education. Through this the ift contributes new visions for global education and learning in the 21-Century. These visions also include a recollection of past values. Quoted rightfully in the preamble of the statute of the Institute for Peace Education is the German poet and writer Bertold Brecht: „The memory of mankind for endured suffering is amazingly short”.
Institute for Peace Education Tübingen, Corrensstr. 12, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany
Phon: 0 70 71 / 920510
Fax: 0 70 71 / 9205111
E-Mail: kontakt@friedenspaedagogik.de
Internet: http:// www.friedenspaedagogik.de
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