Peace Pole Certificate Ceremony at the International Institute on Peace Education-Toledo, Ohio-USA

July 26-August 2, 2015

The Peace Education Initiative at the Judith Herb College of Education of The University of Toledo is home to the secretariat of the International Institute on Peace Education (IIPE).  The IIPE is a three-decades-old, weeklong residential experience for educators hosted in a different country every summer.  The Institute facilitates exchanges of experiences in teaching peace education and serves to grow the field.

IIPE 2015 was hosted at The University of Toledo from July 26-August 2, 2015.   IIPE 2015 explored the theme of “Education for Urban Renewal toward Social & Ecological Justice: Peace Education in an Era of Globalization.”  60 academics, formal and non-formal educators and activists representing 18 countries came to Toledo to participate in the week-long event exploring the role of peace education in addressing issues of urban decline and the interconnected dilemmas of poverty, violence, health, and environmental degradation in an era of unprecedented economic globalization.

Seventy-five, desktop mini Peace Poles handcrafted at The World Peace Sanctuary, home of The Peace Pole Project were given as part of the Peace Pole certificate ceremony which provided a beautiful closing to the experience.

Outcomes: In Factis Pax, a peer-reviewed journal of peace and social justice, will publish academic articles based on the IIPE program in the fall of 2015.  The Peace Education Initiative will follow-up on the success of the public forum to help sustain local, community-based peace education efforts.

For more information:  www.i-i-p-e.org/iipe-2015/