WHY Peace Education?

Conflicts Wars Fighting Armed clashes Drone attacks Bomb blasts
Have deprived children of their smiles, giggles and laughter. Their innocent and carefree childhood is overtaken by fear, frustration, anger and uncertainty. The incessant turmoil and disturbance have forced them to ask pertinent questions with indefinite answers.

So, what to do?

Either find answers to these questions

OR

Let them paint pictures with dead people, children mostly, ambulances, hospitals and let time be the healer. 

OR

help them overcome the traumatic experiences of their childhood?

Childhood experiences whether good or bad leave a lasting mark on the raw and developing minds of children. A disturbed childhood leads to a disturbed adulthood. Painful memories of exposure to violence, conflict and insecurity in early years remain in the mind and often haunt people in their mature years having colossal impact on mental and physical wellbeing. On the other hand, children raised in loving and harmonious environments tend to be psychologically stable, creative and productive in both phases of life.

As adults, parents and teachers, the onus falls on us to create a PEACEFUL world, full of love, understanding, friendship, empathy and cooperation, where children can be safe and protected, have fun and freedom and grow to their full potential. Where human emotions of love and tolerance should not be abstractions but tangible realities. We should not let the children of today become the disturbed, inhuman, indifferent and unsympathetic grownups of tomorrow. Let us not give them the opportunity to ask questions that have no answers. Let us not make this world so miserable for them that they curse its very existence.   

Background

Understanding our responsibility and considering it our duty, we at Qadims Lumiere School and College rose to the occasion. We could not change the whole world but tried to answer some of their questions by creating a safe haven at a time when Pakistan was gripped by violent extremism and terrorists’ attacks. Our province Khyber Pukhtunkhwa was rocked by bomb blasts, military operations and ambulance sirens on daily basis. From 2009 – 2018, every dawn brought new episodes of violence, cruelty and brutality. The extremists spared none; children, men, women, market places, religious institutions, hospitals – all were a target, bringing war to our doorsteps, with children in the frontline. A terrorist attack on a school, killing 250 students and teachers was too painful and nerve shattering. The incident shook the whole country to its core especially children for whom it was impossible to understand and accept such barbarity. Both parents and teachers were unable to grapple with the trauma themselves or help the children wade through the pain. We all felt as helpless as the children.

PAIMAN, the biggest organization in Pakistan on Conflict Transformation came to our aid and planted the seeds of Peace Education in our school. Under their flagship programme of Inclusive Peace Education, twentyfive teachers from our school and ten from a madrassa (religious school) were trained in peace education. The five days extensive training was an eye opener which convinced us that if children are given the skills to analyze situations objectively, approach problems creatively and resolve conflicts peacefully, then nothing can stop them from paving the way to a promising peaceful future. 

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