Description
Recognition Peacemaking School is a new category of national peace Award for the promotion of Peace, Nonviolence and Human Rights “Krunoslav Sukić", which has been awarded by the Centre for Peace Osijek 2009. The aim of the Recognition Peacemaking School is strengthening the culture of nonviolence as one of the fundamental democratic values. It promotes education for peace in primary and secondary schools and emphasizes the schools’ contribution in building a culture of nonviolence at the community level. It consists of the Charter and 7 days educational study visit for 14 pupils, 2 teachers, 2 members of parents' council of the award-winning school and 2 members of their local government. The Recognition Peacemaking school will be granted on the basis of a public tender. The call for nomination will be sent also directly to all primary and secondary schools in Croatia (2000). Therefore, it will sensitize schools and the general public on the subject of education for peace-building; the winning school will be awarded the possibility to strengthen their capacities with additional knowledge and skills of conflict management, peer mediation and nonviolent action. In the long term, the network of Peacemaking Schools will be empowered through sharing knowledge, experiences and motivation for joint activities.
Summary of project results
The confusion with previous practice and democratic deficit are reflected, on the one hand, in apathy and on the other hand, in a lack of a culture of dialogue, growing extremism and divisions based on ideology. Nevertheless, the education for peacebuilding and democracy is not yet part of the compulsory curriculum. The programmes of the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports, as well as the programmes of non-government organisations that focus on civic education and the prevention of bullying are not being implemented systematically nor systematically monitored for the progress of pupils in that area of social knowledge and skills. The annual Peacebuilding School Recognition is a creative model through which wanted to contribute to the visibility and importance of peace education and the functioning of schools as peace and learning communities, as well as the importance of their active involvement in local communities. The peace is considered to be an active state – the state of peacebuilding – fostering relations of respect, connectedness, solidarity, cooperation and creativity!Through awarding the first Peacebuilding School Recognition, the following impact has been achieved: a) encouraged self-reflection of school communities with a view of understanding peacebuilding as a broader framework of various activities and projects which they carry out – the love of peace which combines civic participation in the resistance to violence and injustice, and strengthens the participation in positive social changes through non-violent methods and culture of solidarity, b) the contribution of school communities in building a culture of nonviolence in school and local community has been recognized and has become more visible, c) through a public recognition and through raising knowledge and skills about conflict management, peer mediation, nonviolent action and understanding of the needs and ways to build peace in post-war communities, one school community of pupils, teachers and parents (School of Economics and Tourism Daruvar) has been strengthened and motivated to further contribute to building of democratic society based on culture of nonviolence, d) 15 school communities were gathered around the concept of peacebuilding schools and their network, in order to collaborate on strengthening the culture of nonviolence. Also, cooperation around this concept between schools and local governments has been encouraged.
Summary of bilateral results