The Peace Education Programme, currently on offer to Coulsdon Sixth Form students, is run by volunteers from Peace Partners – a UK charity dedicated to ‘working towards a world where everyone has access to sufficient water, nutritious food and personal peace’.
The course consists of videos, animations and/or infographic materials alongside activities, all of which are designed to enable students to discover the inner resources they already have within them. It focuses on 10 themes including Contentment, Inner Strength, Self-Awareness and Clarity.
The Peace Education Programme has been running weekly since November 2020. The course was adapted into a virtual format for the College in light of current circumstances.
Students have shown real interest in the video content so far, with one student commenting:
‘I think the video really shows that, despite the fact society might be so negative, the change depends on you and instead of thinking “Oh, why did nobody do something about that”, be the person that did something about it!’.
Students respond well to all of the material shown and are able to reflect back on what they have heard; another student said:
‘That last bit was really amazing, it made me feel confident, it’s like saying you have the power to do stuff. You know, it was amazing!’.
Michael Clarke, Student Experience Officer at the College said:
‘The Peace Education Programme encourages the students to use their“critical thinking skills”. They talk about the subject of peace “in a relaxed discursive environment.” The course is structured well and the videos and discussion balance out the content.’
Peace Partners volunteer, Barbara Andre commented:
‘I very much enjoy being involved in the Peace Education Programme at Coulsdon College as a facilitator. It is wonderful to observe how these students get touched by the content offered. It strikes me how sophisticated some of their reflections are and how quickly they pick up on the core messages. It’s a respectful and focused group of young adults, a joy to work with.’
A future course is currently under consideration and may be offered to staff too.
To find out more about Peace Partners, please visit www.peacepartners.co.uk.
