Ministers resolve to make teachers agents of peace

By Sam Otieno and Phillip Mwakio

Seven countries, including Kenya, have agreed to introduce peace education in schools.

This follows an agreement to add to the curriculum a "dimension specifically aimed at eradicating violence and promoting love among people".

Education ministers from the seven countries pushed the cohesion agenda to instil in learners a culture of unity to rescue divided societies.

The ministers also resolved that there is need for African governments to legislate against hate speech an inflammatory communication.

The ministers and specialists have been meting in Mombasa for a three-day conference on peace education.

The conference comes at a time when secondary schools in Kenya have in the recent past been dogged with student unrest and when the country is undergoing a healing process after post-election violence.

Yesterday, African Education Ministers from nations that have been hit by conflicts also resolved to incorporate peace education of the curriculum

Live in harmony

Countries represented include Kenya, Angola, Ivory Coast, South Africa, Uganda, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The ministers yesterday said they had agreed education should also make learners consider racial, religious and cultural diversities of their societies.

"Education as a foundation for development and as an instrument for fostering a culture of peace, should go beyond the acquisition of knowledge and skills to seek transformation of hearts and minds and enable human beings live in harmony," a joint communiquÈ from the seven nations said.

According to the resolutions, the member countries will undertake capacity building for peace educators, curriculum developers, trainers and learners, "to become the agents of peace."

In the new strategy the education stakeholders will be guided by ‘African traditional values and will appreciate the ethnic, cultural and religious diversity.’

The group stressed the need to ensure effective implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the peace education programs.

"We shall formulate and strengthen national policies and strategies," the stakeholders agreed.

The Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Association for Development Education in Africa (Adea) organised the conference.

The World Bank and other donors formed Adea to boost education growth in Africa and help achieve millennium development goals.

"The governments should work with partners, particularly the media, to encourage positive messages," the statement read.