A World of Possibilities: Conflict Resolution Education Around the Globe

1. A World of Possibilities:Conflict Resolution Education Around the Globe September 4th and 5th, 2006 Near East University Nicosia, Cyprus

2. Presented by Tricia S. Jones, Ph.D.Dept. of Psychological Studies in EducationTemple UniversityPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, USA tsjones@temple.edutel/fax: 215-204-7261/6013

3. Conflict Resolution Education: , Models, Relationships to other Fields

4. Defining CRE • Conflict resolution education “models and teaches, in culturally meaningful ways, a variety of processes, practices and skills that help address individual, interpersonal, and institutional conflicts, and create safe and welcoming communities. These processes, practices and skills help individuals understand conflict processes and empower them to use communication and creative thinking to build relationships and manage and resolve conflicts fairly and peacefully” (Association for Conflict Resolution, 2002).

5. Introduction to CRE • CRE programs include a variety of efforts which share various emphases: • An understanding of conflict • Social, emotional and cognitive processes related to constructive conflict management • principles of conflict resolution • process steps in problem solving • skills required to use each of the steps effectively

6. CRE Program Models • Mediation program approach • Peer mediation, stand alone program • Process curriculum approach • Specific curriculum of conflict content, like Workable Peace, PYN • Peaceable classroom approach • Whole classroom methodology, curriculum infusion • Peaceable school approach • Comprehensive whole school methodology

7. USDE On-line CRE Course • Managing and Resolving Conflicts Effectively in Schools and Classrooms was developed through the National Training and Technical Assistance Center for Drug Prevention and School Safety Coordinators, through a contract with the U.S. Department of Education’s Safe and Drug Free Schools Office. The work of the Center concluded on January 31, 2006; many of its products can be found at www.k12coordinator.org and on www.ed.gov.

8. Goals of CRE • Enhance Students’ Social and Emotional Development • Create a Safe Learning Environment • Create a Constructive Learning Environment • Create a Constructive Conflict Community

9. increase perspective-taking increase empathy improve emotional awareness and management reduce aggressive orientations and hostile attributions increase use of constructive conflict behaviors Enhance Students’ Social and Emotional Development

10. Create a Safe Learning Environment • decrease anti-social behavior that leads to violence • decrease conflicts between groups of students • decrease suspensions, absenteeism, and drop out rates • decrease incidents of violence

11. improve school climate improve teacher/administrator/student relationships increase valuing of diversity and practice of tolerance promote a respectful and caring environment Create a Constructive Learning Environment

12. Create a Constructive Conflict Community • increase parental and community involvement • link school CRE with larger commuity CRE efforts • develop more peaceful/peaceable school community

13. Content of CREEssential Skills and Abilities’ • orientation abilities • perception abilities • emotional abilities • communication abilities • creative-thinking abilities • critical thinking abilities

14. CRE Program Models • Process curriculum approach • Mediation program approach • Peaceable classroom approach • Peaceable school approach

15. Discussion Question

16. Relationship of CRE to Other Fields Violence Prevention Social and Emotional Learning Conflict Resolution Education Anti-Bias Education Law-Related Education Peace and Justice Studies

17. Violence Prevention • VP is more limited in scope • VP tends to focus more on systemic causes of violence than CRE • VP emphasizes policy change while CRE emphasizes individual skill building and community education • VP programs usually focus on structural and equipment interventions • VP programs more linked with “risk” behaviors/ substance abuse, sexual activity

18. Social and Emotional Learning • SEL focuses more on general emotional competence • conflict management skills are related but lesser focus; conflict competence is a strongly related area, especially at later ages • SEL programs are geared more toward younger K-5 students

19. Anti-Bias Education • ABE focuses on cross-cultural awareness • ABE concentrates on prejudice reduction and appreciation for diversity • ABE has strong hate crime prevention elements • ABE examines the systemic roots of oppression and strategizing to dismantle them

20. Law-Related Education • LRE explores the foundations and processes of law and legal institutions • LRE focuses on the full spectrum of conflict management that overlaps with law and legal institutions

21. Peace Education • PE focuses more on international conflict areas and institutional response to institutional conflict • PE and Justice Studies are usually more concerned with societal level change processes necessary to avoid destructive conflict • PE and Justice Studies often take a strongly transformative approach rather than a skills-development or interpersonal relationship emphasis