| Posted: April 13 2010,10:19 |
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Postal address of organization/institution
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IAUP/UN
Commission on Disarmament Education, Conflict Resolution and Peace,
Holy Family University, 9801 Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, PA
19114-2009, USA
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E-mail address of organization/institution
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peace@holyfamily.edu
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Website address of organization/institution
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http://www.holyfamily.edu/iaup-un/index.shtml
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Telephone of organization/institution
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267-341-3407
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PRIORITIES: All of the organization's domains of culture of peace activity |
EDUCATION FOR PEACE
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
HUMAN RIGHTS
WOMEN'S EQUALITY
DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION
UNDERSTANDING, TOLERANCE AND SOLIDARITY
FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION
INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY
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TOP PRIORITY: The organization's most important culture of peace activity |
EDUCATION FOR PEACE
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PARTNERSHIPS AND NETWORKS: What
partnerships and networks does your organization participate in, thus
strengthening the global movement for a culture of peace? |
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).
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ACTIONS: What activities have
been undertaken by your organization to promote a culture of peace and
nonviolence during the ten years of the Decade? If you already made a
report in 2005, your information from 2005 will be included in the 2010
report.
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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.
December 5, 2006: Commission’s Fall meeting
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.
April 25, 2007: Commission’s Spring meeting
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.
December 5, 2007: Commission’s Fall meeting
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.
May 7, 2008: Commission’s Spring meeting
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.
December 3, 2008: Commission’s Fall meeting
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
Sister
Francesca Onley, CSFN, PhD attended this meeting. Sister Francesca
respectfully submitted a report of the recent activities and future
activities of the Commission.
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.
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PROGRESS: Has your organization
seen progress toward a culture of peace and nonviolence in your domain
of action and in your constituency during the second half of the
Decade? |
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.
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OBSTACLES: Has your organization faced any obstacles to implementing the culture of peace and nonviolence? If so, what were they?
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The largest obstacle that the IAUP/UN Commission continues to face is a lack of funding.
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PLANS: What new engagements are
planned by your organization in the short, medium and long term to
promote a culture of peace and nonviolence? |
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.
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GLOBAL MOVEMENT: How do you think the culture of peace and nonviolence could be strengthened and supported at the world level??
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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.”
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