End-of-Decade Report Ikonboard » INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS LISTED BY DOMAIN OF ACTION » EDUCATION FOR PEACE » IAUP/UN Commission on Disarmament Education, Conflict Resolution and Peace
Organization: IAUP/UN Commission on Disarmament Education, Conflict Resolution and Peace
IAUP/UN Commission on Disarmament Education, Conflict Resolution and Peace, Holy Family University, 9801 Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19114-2009, USA
peace@holyfamily.edu
http://www.holyfamily.edu/iaup-un/index.shtml
Membership consists of representatives from colleges and universities spanning every continent except Antarctica as well as individuals and organizations as diverse as Economists Against the Arms Race in New York City and the Bwafwano Orphanage Centre in Kasama, Zambia.
The IAUP/UN Commission works with the International Association of University Presidents.
The IAUP/UN Commission works with the United Nations Center for Disarmament Affairs.
The IAUP/UN Commission has received funding from UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization).
Actions prior to 2005 are included in the 2005 Midterm report at
http://decade-culture-of-peace.org/cgi-bin....6;t=160
April 27, 2005: Commission's Spring meeting
Highlights of this meeting included presentations by Mr. Jerzy Zaleski, Coordinator, United Nations Program of Fellowships on Disarmament; Mr. Michael Cassandra; Professor Joyce Zavarich, Associate Director of Campus Ministry and for the Center of Peace and Justice Education at Villanova University; and Dr. Imad Harb, Program Officer, Education, United States Institute of Peace.
October 25, 2005: Partners for Peace Program entitled, "Jerusalem Women Speak: Three Women, Three Faiths, One Shared Vision"
This program took place on October 25, 2005 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA at Holy Family University. The program featured a Muslim Palestinian, Christian Palestinian and Jewish Israeli speaker reflecting on living in the realities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, sharing their experiences, opinions, and hopes for peace. The Partners for Peace Program was presented to an audience of almost 200 people. The Commission co-sponsored this event with Holy Family University.
December 7, 2005: Commission's Fall meeting
Highlights of this meeting included presentations by: Mr. Michael Cassandra; Dr. Klaus Melf, Peace-Health Project Manager, Centre for International Health and Faculty of Medicine, University of Tomsoe, Norway, and Commission member; and Dr. Cathlyn Mariscotti, Associate Professor, Holy Family University and Commission member.
March 6-8, 2006: "Voices of Africa-Voices for Peace."
The IAUP/UN Commission on Disarmament Education, Conflict Resolution and Peace held a conference from March 6-8, 2006 in South Africa, entitled "Voices of Africa – Voices for Peace." The conference, co-sponsored by the IAUP/UN Commission on Disarmament Education, Conflict Resolution and Peace and North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, South Africa was made possible with support from Holy Family University.
The conference objective was to elaborate on why and how movements towards peace are effectively happening on the continent and to what extent a new diplomacy of cooperation among the African nations as well as international involvement are creating opportunities for peace and subsequent development in Africa. A plea was made for a better understanding of a continent seeking to expand development strategies and build strong nations in peace and in assurance of a bright future. Participants included IAUP leaders, faculty members, graduate students, and interested others.
The conference opened with an evening reception and an overview and presentation by Johan Kirsten, PhD, Associate Professor in Political Studies, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa, entitled "Africa: A Continent in Need of Peace." Professor Kirsten outlined the need for peace in the continent of Africa and the threats and challenges to peace and security.
The first full day of the conference began with keynote speaker Dr. Robert E. Mtonga, Zambia, Zambian Health Workers for Social Responsibility, who presented, "Losing the Peace after Winning the War: Can Public Health Models Help Engender a Paradigm Shift in Africa?" Dr. Mtonga pointed out that the gains of political independence that dawned on Africa in the 1960s did not directly transfer into true peace and prosperity. Dr. Ime John, Nigeria, Regional IPPNW Vice President, Africa, Chair of SNDWM Society of Nigerian Doctors for the Welfare of Mankind, presented, "Physicians as Partners in Resolving Violent Conflicts in Nigeria." Dr. John promoted the idea that health professionals can play an extraordinary role in peace-building given the fact that violence and war are serious health problems. Professor Theo Neethling, South Africa, Professor and Chair of Political Science, Faculty of Military Science, Stellenbosch University, gave a lunch time presentation on " Educating Military Officers at the South African Military Academy in a 'New' Policy Context: A Political Science Perspective." Professor Neethling spoke of the increasing attention that military education is receiving in Africa and the essential need for defense officers to have an understanding of their political system, its values, and democratic theory.
The afternoon session began with William H. Arrey, Cameroon, student in Master's degree Program in Peace and Conflict Transformation at the University of Tromso, Norway, presented, "Poor Conflict Management in Higher Education Institutions in Africa with Experience from Cameroon." Mr. Arrey skillfully argued that universities should be centers for education in skills like conflict management. Mr. Arrey reminded the audience that conflict in peace science is neutral and even has the potential for positive change. Akinpelu Olanrewaju Olutayo, PhD, Nigeria, Senior Lecturer in Sociology, University of Ibadan, Nigeria, presented, " 'War' in the University: The Cult Problem." Dr. Olutayo challenged educational institutions to "rethink the curricula in relation to the survival of the society wherein what is taught in not based on individualistic but communal virtues." Mubarak Osei-Kwasi, PhD, Ghana, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Africa, spoke of, "Islam and World Peace." Dr. Osei-Kwasi expressed concern with those Moslems who have misquoted or misinterpreted the teaching of the Quran and the Five Pillars. Dr. Osei-Kwasi explained that the core principles and teachings of Islam is a faith of peace, compassion, goodwill and concern for the less fortunate and concern for social justice. William H. Arrey, Cameroon, student in Master's degree Program in Peace and Conflict Transformation at the University of Tromso, Norway, presented a second time at the close of the full day of the conference with, "The Norwegian Centre for Peace Studies and the Tromsoe University Model of Medical Peace Education." Mr. Arrey explained how the Center employs an interdisciplinary approach to peace studies and aims to recruit students internationally.
On the closing day of the conference, Wendy Leepile, Lecturer, Department of Peace, Politics and International Relations, North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, presented, "Women in Peace Building." Ms. Leepile argues that universally women have played an important role in advancing the cause of peace. African women have acted as intermediaries in conflict situations, undertaking very dangerous missions to assess possibilities for peace and subsequently facilitating communication and peace negotiations. Reverend Donal O'Mahony, OFM Cap, International Director of the Damietta Initiative, Pretoria, South Africa, spoke of "The Damietta Initiative." Father O'Mahony explained that the ultimate goal of this initiative is the development of local community-based peace groups in each country in Africa whose task will be to monitor tensions and engage in the work of conflict transformation through the ethic of nonviolence.
Opening and closing remarks were given by Sister Francesca Onley, CSFN, PhD, Commission Chair, and Annette Combrink, D Litt, President, North-West University, Potchefstroom. A summary of the conference proceedings was given by Antoinette Iadarola, PhD, President, Cabrini College, USA. Dr. Iadarola brilliantly concluded that the conference recognized and celebrated the Voices of Africa – Voices for Peace. The themes of social justice, social responsibility, and the common good as they relate to the issues of peace were explored. In all of this we see hope for peace in Africa's future. The true African spirit never ceases to strive—there are signs of hope. The voices heard during this conference will bring us closer to fulfilling Africa's hopes for peace.
May 2, 2006: Commission's Spring meeting
Highlights of this meeting included presentations by Mr. Craig Mokhiber, Deputy Director of the New York Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights; Ms. Cristiane Carneiro, Instructor of Political Science, Arcadia University, new Commission member; Dr. Carl Mirra, Assistant Professor of American Studies, Suny College at Old Westbury, Commission member; and Ms. Ann Wright, former UN Ambassador.
Highlights of this meeting included presentations by Mr. Juan Carlos Brandt, Chief of the Non-Governmental Organizations' Section (NGOs) in the Department of Public Information at the United Nations; Mr. Michael Cassandra, Chief, Monitoring, Database and Information Branch of the United Nations Department for Disarmament Affairs and Commission member; and Dr. Moya R. Kaporch, Vice President for Planning and Special Projects at Holy Family University and Commission member, on behalf of the Revitalization Team members, who include Joan (De) Landeros, Joan Drake, Dr. Moya Kaporch, Dr. Klaus Melf, Dr. Carl Mirra, and Steve Zeisler.
Highlights of this meeting included presentations by Ms. Rebecca Weiner, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Trade, Equity and Development Program; and a presentation by the Revitalization Team of the IAUP/UN Commission, who include Joan (De) Landeros, Joan Drake, Dr. Moya Kaporch, Dr. Klaus Melf, Dr. Carl Mirra, and Steve Zeisler.
Highlights of this meeting included invited special guest Dr. Heitor Gurgulino de Souza, IAUP Secretary-General Elect. Presentations were be given by Professor Karl Grossman, professor at State University of New York at Old Westbury and Commission Member; the Revitalization Team of the IAUP/UN Commission, who include Joan (De) Landeros, Joan Drake, Dr. Moya Kaporch, Dr. Klaus Melf, Dr. Carl Mirra, and Steve Zeisler; Ms. Elizabeth Ruth Kempe, International Secretary for the Institute of International Peace Studies and Global Philosophy (IIPSG); Mr. Michael Cassandra, Chief, Monitoring, Database and Information Branch United Nations- Office for Disarmament Affairs and Commission member; and Dr. Suad Badri, Senior Lecturer – Ahfad University for Women in Sudan and Commission member.
April 17-19, 2008: IAUP Executive Committee Meeting in Baden, Austria
Sister Francesca Onley, CSFN, PhD attended this meeting. Sister Francesca presented and reported on the current activities of the IAUP/UN Commission on Disarmament Education, Conflict Resolution and Peace, which included a report by the Chair and a Power Point presentation of the work of the Revitalization Team; and a history of the IAUP and the IAUP/UN Commission on Disarmament Education, Conflict Resolution and Peace written by Dr. L. Eudora Pettigrew, IAUP Executive Committee Member and Special Advisor to the President; and Commission member.
Highlights of this meeting included presentations by Dr. Klaus Melf, Peace-Health Project Manager, Centre for International Health (SIH), University of Tromsø, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of North Norway, and Commission member; Ms. Silvia Mercogliano, Political Affairs Officer, Information and Outreach Branch – Office for Disarmament Affairs; and Dr. Suad Badri, Senior Lecturer, Ahfad University for Women in Sudan and Commission member.
September 29 – October 2, 2008: XV IAUP Triennial Conference in Viña del Mar, Chile
Sister Francesca Onley, CSFN, PhD was charged with coordinating a session of individuals who are willing to speak to the issue of "What kind of education could universities provide to help students gain a global perspective and thus work for peace?" This session took place on Thursday, October 2 from 10:30 AM until 12:30 PM. Sister Francesca was joined by four other distinguished speakers, who shared additional ways in which their own universities provide opportunities for their students to gain a global perspective and work toward peace: Chen Shuping, PhD, President, Guizhou University and IAUP Executive Committee member; Mirta Barreiro, JD, Director of the Rotary Center housed at the University of El Salvador in Buenos Aires, Argentina; Sabrina Zuodar, BA, awarded the World Peace Fellowship from the Rotary Foundation and is presently studying in a Master's program in International Relations at the University of El Salvador in Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Nicolette DeVille Christensen, MBA, PhD, Vice President and Executive Director of the Center for Education Abroad at Arcadia University in Glenside, Pennsylvania, USA.
Highlights of this meeting included presentations by Nicolette DeVille Christensen, MBA, PhD, Vice President and Executive Director of the Center for Education Abroad at Arcadia University, Glenside, Pennsylvania and new Commission member; Mr. Daniel Prins, Chief of the Conventional Arms Branch, United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs; Linda Bishai, PhD, Senior Program Officer, Education and Training Center/International, United States Institute for Peace, Washington, DC; and Ms. Elizabeth Ruth Kempe, International Secretary for the Institute of International Peace Studies and Global Philosophy (IIPSGP), Bermuda.
May 7 -10, 2009: IAUP Executive Committee Meeting in Alexandria, Egypt
Sister Francesca Onley, CSFN, PhD attended this meeting. Sister Francesca respectfully submitted a report of the recent activities and future activities of the Commission.
May 19, 2009: Commission's Spring Meeting, Teleconference
Highlights of this telephonic meeting included presentations by Dr. Ibrahim A. Sidibe, UNESCO Representative in Sudan; Mr. Andrew Whitley, MA, Director of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East – New York Representative Office; and Mr. Michael Cassandra, Chief, Information and Outreach Branch, United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs.
June 2009: Review of IAUP/UN Commission membership
Sister Francesca reviewed the current IAUP/UN Commission membership list. The Commission currently has forty-one members with the majority being from the United States and very few who are or were university/college presidents. Letters along with Member Intent forms were sent out in the spring to all Commission members. Sister Francesca wished to know what each current member's intent is for the future of the Commission's membership. Sister's hope is that "active" members would be able to attend at least one of our two yearly meetings. If someone is not able to attend any of our meetings due to distance or other unforeseen circumstances, they could remain "active" by submitting an annual report about the activities in their area that they have sponsored/conducted/participated in to foster the goals of the Commission. One may also remain "active" from a distance by annually submitting recommendations of possible future Commission activities that would continue to foster our themes of disarmament education, conflict resolution and peace. Any of these above actions would enable one to remain an "active" member of the Commission. Members were also invited on this form to serve on one or all four of the committees that are being formed: Corporate Committee, Curricula (Higher Education) Committee, Fundraising Committee and Membership Committee.
July 2009: IAUP Website's Spotlight on Professor Karl Grossman, Commission member
The IAUP Website's Spotlight over the summer featured an article written by Professor Karl Grossman entitled, "No Peaceful Nuclear Power."
October 18-21, 2009: IAUP Executive Committee Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
November 16-18, 2009: WISE – World Innovation Summit for Education, Doha, Qatar
Sister Francesca Onley, CSFN, PhD attended the WISE – World Innovation Summit for Education.
December 10, 2009: IAUP/UN Commission Fall Meeting, Manhattan College, New York, New York, USA
Highlights of this meeting included presentations by Andrew Murray, PhD, retired Director of the Baker Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies and IAUP/UN Commission member; Ms. Mary Ellen Kramer, Board Member of the Darfur Peace and Development Organization; and Dr. Randy Rydell, Senior Political Affairs Officer in the Office of Mr. Sergio Duarte, the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs at the United Nations.
The change of meeting location was due to the information the Commission received from its UN hosts at its December 2008 meeting. The United Nations was slated to be closed for a five-year renovation project beginning in late summer/early fall 2009. New temporary locations at no cost will be sought out for each upcoming meeting in order to continue to hold its future bi-yearly meetings in New York.
February 28, 2010: "Bridging the Technology Gap: Bringing TeacherMates to Tanzania"
The IAUP/UN Commission in conjunction with the IAUP submitted a proposal to UNESCO for possible funding. We have contacted and are currently seeking a letter of support from Professor Elizabeth Kiondo, Secretary-General, UNESCO National Commission of the United Republic of Tanzania and Ambassador J. Mario Chacón Carrillo, Secretary General, Comisión Nacional Mexicana de Cooperación con la UNESCO - CONALMEX.
The emphasis during 2010 and 2011 will be to provide educational assistance through a mobile electronic device called The TeacherMate Handheld Computer System (TeacherMate), the world's first affordable means to provide computer-assisted instruction for all students in the classroom. The TeacherMate is now in use in nearly 300 schools throughout the United States. Currently, the creators of the TeacherMate have begun collaborating with Stanford University's School of Education to bring TeacherMates to indigent rural communities around the globe. Pilot programs, together with the creation of local content, already have commenced in Mexico, Korea and the Philippines. We propose to launch just such a pilot program in Newala, Tanzania entitled Bridging the Technology Gap: Bringing TeacherMates to Tanzania. This proposed project will support 75 children currently being served by a school run by Jiamini, a non-profit with the mission of providing orphaned and vulnerable children in southern Tanzania (Newala) with a quality local education and a safe living environment, empowering them to become self-reliant members of their communities.
In August 2010, a team of 4 individuals from the United States (Dr. Kim, his assistant, a representative from Jiamini based in the United States, and a representative from IAUP) would travel to Newala to set up the TeacherMates, train the teacher in the use of the devices, and conduct pre-testing for evaluative purposes. The TeacherMates would be given to 75 students entering secondary school beginning in September 2010. In between primary and secondary school, the language that all students are taught in changes from their native language of Swahili to the English language; therefore, we believe that this time period is ripe with opportunity for this intervention as the TeacherMates will be used to facilitate their English language learning. While Jiamini will ultimately retain ownership of the TeacherMates, the children will have the opportunity to take the TeacherMates home with them to reinforce what they have learned in the classroom earlier that day. Research has shown that one TeacherMate for every three students promotes optimal learning.
The hope is that the host country of Tanzania/concerned Member State of Tanzania and our fellow Member State of Mexico will submit in a timely manner the required letters of support on our behalf and UNESCO will approve our proposal for funding so we may proceed with this proposed project.
May 6, 2010: IAUP/UN Commission Spring Meeting, Holy Family University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Highlights of this meeting will include invited guest speakers Mr. Sergio Duarte, the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs at the United Nations; Dr. Johan Galtung, Founder, TRANSCEND: A Peace and Development Network and Founder, TRANSCEND Peace University; and Dr. Joseph Gerson, Director of Programs and Director of the Peace and Economic Security Program for the American Friends Service Committee.
This Commission was established in 1990 under the sponsorship of the International Association of University Presidents in conjunction with the United Nations Center for Disarmament Affairs. Its overall mission is based on three major objectives: to promote peace in our global society; to promote a more equal distribution of wealth and social conditions; and to promote tolerance, mutual understanding, and respect. Membership consists of representatives from colleges and universities spanning every continent except Antarctica as well as individuals and organizations as diverse as Economists Against the Arms Race in New York City and the Bwafwano Orphanage Centre in Kasama, Zambia.
The Commission has developed and embarked on a multitude of projects that continue today. These include the development of course modules in disarmament education, conflict resolution and peace introduced at universities in Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and countries in the Far East. These modules are taught to potential teachers, security officers, and undergraduate and graduate students. Modules have been translated into languages of the countries in which they are taught, and courses have been and continue to be taught to more than 3,000 students around the world. These initiatives began under the leadership of Leland Miles, PhD, the first Chair of the IAUP/UN Commission (1990-1996) and continued under the leadership of L. Eudora Pettigrew, PhD, the second Chair of the IAUP/UN Commission (1996-2002). The Commission has sponsored conferences and workshops around the globe in particular in the Philippines and South Africa during the Decade. These recent conferences were under the leadership and direction of Sister Francesca Onley, CSFN, PhD, current Chair of the IAUP/UN Commission (2002- ). The Commission's activities have been reported in national newspapers and have received coverage in newspapers devoted to higher education.
The largest obstacle that the IAUP/UN Commission continues to face is a lack of funding.
The Commission, commemorating its 20th anniversary this year (2010), will continue to encourage universities to develop curriculum, research and service activities on disarmament education, conflict resolution and peace. The Commission will continue to hold its bi-annual meetings and conduct programs in various countries with a continuing emphasis on peace building through education. The expectation is to initiate the project entitled, Bridging the Technology Gap: Bringing TeacherMates to Tanzania, in the Fall 2010 or Fall 2011, and be able to provide educational assistance through a mobile electronic device called The TeacherMate Handheld Computer System (TeacherMate), to the children of Newala in southern Tanzania, if the Commission's proposal is approved by UNESCO.
In the words of Sister Francesca Onley, CSFN, PhD, "It is crucial that the IAUP/UN Commission continue to promote the participation of peace in higher education and across the globe. Given the world situation, the escalating conflicts around the globe, education for peace is essential for the future. Indeed, it is our hope."