Introducing the Shared Concern method in Peace Education
| The author of the Shared Concern method has been a part-time
participant in the Peace Education movement since the late 60ís, maintaining
the thesis that "Peace Education can be created only in co-operation with
the other side". In the 80's, he arranged "Prepa-red Constructive
Confrontations" between professional East-West groups.
The Shared Concern method was not explicitly mentioned but implied as a tool for Peace Education in an article by Anatol Pikas at the web site of TRANSCEND in 1999. TRANSCEND is a world-wide organization, founded by Johan Galtung for promotion of ideas and practice of peace. www.transcend.org This article summarizes Peace Education experiences asking the question: What method will catch the interest of youngsters, motivate
their teachers and provide long-lasting international effects? Anatol Pikasí
answer is that Peace rhetoric is not enough, not either artistic performances
of group discussion forming peace attitudes to create patterns for peace
behaviour.
After that TRANSCEND publication Anatol Pikas was asked
to become co-ordinator of TRANSCEND Peace Education activities. However,
he says that his talent is not to organize the activities of other creative
people but to work hmself with students in schools and universities, finding
ways to operationalize Peace Education. The students are involved in investigating
the theses exposed in the present article.
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