Contact:

Lauren Sucher
+1-202-429-3822
lsucher@usip.org

(Washington, August 12) – Sixteen high school teachers from around the country will begin the new school year armed with strategies to teach peacemaking and conflict management, without adding any new textbooks, classroom hours or expenses. They spent last week together identifying ways to incorporate peacebuilding exercises and techniques into existing lesson plans on a variety of subjects as they participated in the 2008 Summer Institute on International Peace, Security and Conflict Management for Secondary School Teachers run by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP).

For nearly 20 years, USIP has sponsored institutes and seminars for secondary school teachers, as well as community college and university faculty. These weeklong programs are a primary way that USIP fulfills its mandate from Congress to promote the education of nonviolent approaches to resolving violent conflict.

The Summer Institute participants spent the week with experts from USIP and other organizations exploring ways to engage students on complex and controversial topics such as international humanitarian law, the Israeli/Palestinian conflict and genocide. They learned about resources on conflict analysis, making one’s classroom a laboratory for conflict resolution and online negotiation simulations. They met with experts on the United Nations, child soldiers, Darfur, Iraq and northern Uganda.

Participant Moira Loughman, a teacher at Stroudsburg Area High School in Stroudsburg, PA, said, "The Summer Institute on International Peace, Security, and Conflict Management provided me with new insights in relation to present day conflict, as well as creative methodologies for teaching about conflict and peace building. This Summer Institute was an excellent experience, and the many resources I gained will help me challenge and empower students to become conflict solvers rather than bystanders in their local community and global society."

David J. Smith, senior program officer in USIP’s Education and Training Program, coordinated the Summer Institute with special advisor Alison Milofsky. According to Smith, “These teachers were selected for this program because of the exceptional efforts they are currently making in their schools; now they are in an even better position to help inspire the next generation of peacemakers. They are also connected with likeminded educators from across the U.S.”