Next generation needs natural peace messengers – HWPL Chairman

Chairman Lee stated this while admonishing educators to be good teachers as well as good parents by the reason that they grow the mind of their students recently at peace education session of the 2018 HWPL World Peace Summit held in Incheon, South Korea.

At the event, global educators and policymakers had a discussion on “Looking into a Future of Peace through Peace Education”.

“Children take after their parents and follow the environment. What should the teachers bear fruits from the students? Children should learn peace from their homes and schools then our next generation will be naturally born as peace messengers in the environment of peace.”

At the summit, Government ministries in Guatemala, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, and Iraq signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with an international peace NGO, HWPL, to implement nationwide peace education in respective countries.

About the need for lifetime education, the Dean of Universitas Islam Negeri Alauddin Makassar,Dr. Barsihannor Zuhri, pointed out that educational institutions seem unable to uphold the values ​​of tolerance and democracy and prepare for students to be a critical generation with a knowledge and competency base.

He said “Effective strategy is needed to reduce the violence that often involves students in various educational institutions. One of them is by teaching the importance of ‘love of peace’ from an early age.”

In an effort to promote a culture of peace by peace education, HWPL has introduced peace education for students and citizens by cooperation with 164 educational institutions from 12 countries including the United States, India, Israel, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

In January this year, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) in the Philippines established a cooperative relationship with HWPL to integrate peace education in the curriculum of state universities and colleges (SUCs).

Commissioner of the CHED, Dr Ronald Adamat, who signed the agreement back in January, spoke on the expectation to the peace education suggested by HWPL.

His words: “Students would learn to uphold the principle of ‘unity in diversity’ and embrace the differences amongst people. They will be equipped with knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values in conflict resolution and peace work and further encourage them to work for the cessation of wars, hostilities, and disunity.”

On the occasion, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport of the Kingdom of Cambodia and HWPL signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to execute peace education in nationwide in Cambodia.

In this regard, Under Secretary of State of Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport of the Kingdom of Cambodia, His Excellence, Rachana Khun, said “HWPL Peace education is an important part of ‘Global Citizenship Education’. Particularly, the Ministry would like to request HWPL’s assistance in the writing of books on peace education, its teaching methodology, the training of peace educators, and activities to spread a culture of peace in the education sector in Cambodia.”