Best in class: Isabel Cartwright answers some questions about Quaker peace work in schools

‘The skills they learn and practice will last a lifetime’

What’s your take on why peace work is such a focus for Quakers?

The Peace Testimony comes out of an insight at the heart of the Quaker faith: that there is ‘that of God’ in everyone. It comes from the experiences of Meeting together in worship, and has led Quakers from early in our history to take a clear stand for peace. Friends have done this in many ways, from throwing weapons into the sea to mediating in conflicts around the world. They have been locked up for refusing to kill.

Living in the ‘virtue of that life and power which takes away the occasion of all wars’, as George Fox wrote in 1650, challenges us to work not only against war, but for justice and in ‘right relationship’, with family, neighbours and classmates, as well as between nations, and with the earth itself.

If there are many ways to work for peace, why peace education?

Quaker faith & practice (23.85) says that: ‘Peace education is about teaching children to discover that they have the power to change things they see are wrong and developing the imagination to find alternative responses to conflict… It must permeate all our teaching.’

Schools can be inclusive communities which teach cooperation and care. But they can also be structurally violent places, where children experience, and learn, oppression, both within the school and by being excluded from it. Our theory of change aims to help grow a more peaceful society by supporting children to develop knowledge and understanding about peace, as well as the attitudes, values and skills needed for peace. This recognises children as the citizens of the future but also as peacebuilders in the here and now.

When children learn to make peace and preserve their relationships, it makes for a more peaceful school community. Children enjoy enhanced social and emotional wellbeing, and a safer community in which to thrive. The skills they learn and practice will last a lifetime, allowing our young people to grow up to become peacemakers in their families, workplaces, and communities. Some may even choose to become campaigners for peace in the wider world.

History shows that educated societies can still be violent societies, domestically or internationally. War, racism, slavery, misogyny: these are taught systems of culture and belief. We need to attend to how we educate if those systems are going to change.

What do you actually do?

We support teachers, youth workers, grassroots peace education projects and volunteers, by offering training, modelling approaches, creating resources and supporting networks. We offer an approach based on four complementary aims: individual wellbeing and development (‘peace with myself’); healthy peer relations (‘peace between us’); inclusive school community (‘peace among us’); and the integrity of society and the earth (‘peace in the world’).

Our resources explore neglected or controversial topics such as the ethics of armed drones and conscientious objection. We aim to combine intellectual rigour with ethical reflection and emotional engagement, to encourage critical thinking and leave children feeling hopeful.

The Quakers who oversee our work also encouraged us to challenge militarisation. We provide guidance on the involvement of the military and arms companies in education. We try to bring in creative approaches.

Does it work?

There are many effective peace education practices, but they’re not as widespread as they need to be. Restorative approaches significantly reduce bullying, build empathy, and raise self-esteem. Peer mediation, which is conflict resolution for young people by young people, is one of the most successful youth-led interventions – but, like much peace education, it’s to some extent counter-cultural and requires adults to give up some of their power.

Our teacher training helps provide the tools and skills for peace education at the start of teaching careers. And our work with Citizenship students at the Institute of Education has led peace education to become a core part of initial teacher training. We’re excited to be developing an open access course with the Open University.

Uptake of our resources is increasing, with around 5,000 downloads a year by teachers. As part of the Peace Education Network we created the Teach Peace pack. In 2022 this won a Global Dimension ‘Teacher’s Choice Award’, voted for by a network of 17,000 educators.

What’s drawn you to this work?

For over a decade I worked with young people at risk of exclusion and gang involvement in East London. I saw the pain caused when young people don’t have the skills to handle conflict nonviolently, and experienced how easy it is to become consumed in fire-fighting mode as a school senior manager. I also witnessed the transformation that can happen when young people are given the opportunity to nurture others, to feel better about themselves, and to develop communication skills. That’s what happens when you invest in peacemaking and peace-building rather than just peacekeeping. Even young children can grapple with issues of justice and develop skills for peace if given the chance.

What are some of the difficulties when trying to take peace education mainstream?

Inequality and poverty feed directly into schools. Mental health services for young people can’t cope with the level of demand. Education policy, especially in England, has focused on ‘zero tolerance’ behaviour policies, and attainment. The rise in school exclusions affects the life chances of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children. Record numbers of teachers are leaving the profession. Military and arms companies play an ever-greater role in the curriculum.

What gives you hope?

Young people campaigning; the creativity of my colleagues; the commitment of the teachers and partners we work with; the advances in neuroscience that shed light on how empathy can be developed; the new Welsh curriculum with its focus on creating ‘ethical informed citizens’; quiet, long-term work for peace (especially by Quaker grannies with a twinkle in their eyes); the many schools across Britain investing in building peace.

What are you working on at the moment?

We’re doing a lot of work in Scotland. Our Peace at the Heart report received support from over a third of MSPs. A Quaker-led exhibition, ‘Peace at the Heart of Scottish Schools’, is on display in the parliament there. It showcases schools that support young people to be peacebuilders; it will go on to community venues, Meeting houses and schools. On 21 September (UN International Day of Peace), children from a Glasgow school performed the story of environmentalist Wangari Maathai to MSPs. Check out our videos on these projects!

Isabel is the peace education programme manager for Britain Yearly Meeting. For the videos, and more, see www.quaker.org.uk/peace-education-case.

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