Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/the-color-green-a-go-for-peace-education/5018740/
“Peace is not the absence of war, but a virtue based on strength of character.” SpinozaYou may have heard the saying, “Teaching a child not to step on a caterpillar is as valuable to the child as it is to the caterpillar” (quote attributed to Bradley Miller). Some educators use this quote in an environmental education context, suggesting that teaching children to care for living things benefits both children and the Earth. The same quote could be used quite appropriately for peace education.
Peace education is designed to cultivate the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to achieve and sustain a culture of peace �" that is a culture based on respect and empathy (Levin, 2003). While we usually think of a culture of peace as abiding within a group of people �" which may be a family, a classroom, a country, or the entire global community �" we can also apply the concept to the relationship between people and the rest of the natural world.
A basic premise of this article is that by helping young children develop a sense of caring, respect, and empathy for plants and animals, we will be promoting the overall goals of both environmental education ...