Educating for Peace
by Gilles Côté

"And all this is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him." -- 2 Corinthians 5, 18 -21*

It is a truism that the seeds of violence and war are sown in the hearts of people long before they actually erupt in violent crimes or on the battlefields of the world.

All situations, including situations of conflict, can be "teachable moments", wonderful occasions to teach students how to forgive, how to treat others as they themselves would like to be treated, and how to disarm anger and hatred by choosing to love. All that is needed is a bit of imagination and a nudge from the Holy Spirit who can show us ways of peace and reconciliation.

As a teacher, I have often felt that part of my mission was that of a peacekeeper with a mandate to keep hostile forces apart and to help bring about reconciliation and peace. I remember especially vividly three instances in which I had to intervene to prevent skirmishes between students from turning into all out war. All of these involved 12-13 year old students. The names I use below are fictitious - the events I describe are not.

* Italics are mine

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