Dimapur, February 24 (MExN): The Peace Centre (NEISSR and Peace Channel) observed World Understanding and Peace Day on February 23 by conducting Training of Trainers (ToT) for Salt Christian College for Teachers Education on the topic ‘Role of teachers in peace building.’
According to a press release received here, resource person Fr Dr CP Anto started his session by explaining what is Peace Education, which is education of knowledge, values, skills and attitudes. Peace Education is very important for developing the skills of a person for handling information, creativity thinking, self refection and self discipline which will help them to resolve conflicts with understanding, he said.
Fr Anto said that teachers are role models to students and so every teacher should play a role in removing violence and becoming a peace builder. He stated that policies need to change since India did not sign any national/international agreement of apex organization so we cannot promote peace building as such but the NGOs, organizations and educational institutions should come up and make peace education possible.
Stating that every teacher is responsible to help students become a good human being and understand their capabilities for themselves and for the society, Fr Anto also said that every educator should build interpersonal relationship with their students and understand them, so that they can trust and make the student teacher bond stronger. He challenged the teachers by stating that they should be the best teachers where it is not only performing well but also making the students feel happy about our presence.
Further, Fr Anto noted that there is conflict in all types of level and it is only the educationist who can build peace and resolve conflict. An educationist should not just exhort students but should practice the value and let students construct their own understanding of it he said while adding that teachers are peace builders who should instill peace in the minds of the younger generation by making them understand that conflict can be brought to peace through dialogue, negotiation, felicitation and articulation.
