National Security and Peace Education

National Security and Peace Education

  • Concept of Freedom in Development:

    • Freedom is viewed as the end goal of development, allowing people to access basic services and participate in public decisions.
    • In societies marked by poverty, injustice, and conflict, true freedom becomes elusive (Sen, 1999).

  • Importance of Peace:

    • Peace is crucial for societal development and individual freedoms.
    • A parent's ability to send their child to school relies on the assurance of safety from wars, bullying, and violence.
    • Similarly, peace enables fisherfolk to provide for their families and allows global citizens to travel without fear of conflict or discrimination.
Learning Outcomes

  1. Promote Culture of Peace:

    • Discuss concepts of peace and conflict through guided activities.
    • Foster a culture of peace and development.

  2. Identify National Security Concerns:

    • Understand safety and security principles outlined in the National Security Policy of the government.

  3. Address Conflicts:

    • Explore ways to contribute to peace-building efforts based on Lasallian principles and the ACH framework.
Understanding Peace

  • UN Charter and Peace:

    • The UN aims to maintain international peace and security (UN Charter, 1945).
    • Established post-WWII by major nations to prevent future conflicts and foster conditions for peace.

  • Definitions of Peace:

    • Ranney (1999): "Peace is the absence of war."
    • Swee-Hin (2017): Peace involves overcoming the root causes of conflicts and violence, leading to both negative and positive peace.
Negative Peace

  • Definition:

    • Johan Galtung (1996): "Peace is the absence/reduction of violence of all kinds."
    • Relates to the immediate cessation of physical violence (macro and micro levels).

  • Examples:

    • Protection mechanisms, such as removing an abused child from danger.
    • Ceasefire agreements in armed conflicts.
Positive Peace

  • Definition:

    • Galtung (1996): "Peace is nonviolent and creative conflict transformation."
    • Involves the presence of conditions that foster well-being and just relationships involving social, economic, political, and ecological aspects.

  • Promoting Positive Peace:

    • Training programs focusing on gender sensitivity, cultural awareness, and conflict sensitivity can foster a compassionate society.
Understanding Violence

  • Conceptualizing Violence:

    • Galtung (1996): Violence is defined as harming or hurting others.
    • Direct violence is intentional harm, while indirect (or structural) violence inflicts harm unintentionally, often through societal or institutional structures.

  • Examples of Indirect Violence:

    • Policies leading to economic inequalities, creating systemic discrimination.
    • Galtung also discusses ecological violence affecting nature and contributing to societal issues.
Violence Typology

  • Types of Violence:

    • Direct/Physical Violence: War and physical abuse.
    • Structural Violence: Policies that lead to poverty and discrimination.
    • Cultural Violence: Discrimination based on race, gender, or religion legitimizing direct violence.

  • Swee-Hin and Cawagas (1987) Typology Adaptation:

    • Economic, political, social, psychological, and ecological levels of violence categorized in a hierarchy from personal acts to global consequences.
Understanding Conflict

  • Conflict Definition:

    • Ranney (1999): Conflict is a struggle among individuals with opposing interests.
    • Conflict doesn’t inherently lead to violence; it can also lead to constructive change through dialogue and growth (Galtung, 1996).

  • Galtung’s Conflict Triangle:

    • A: Underlying attitudes and assumptions.
    • B: Observable behaviors in conflict situations.
    • C: Contradictions or content causing the conflict.
Levels of Peace
  • Conceptualizing Peace Levels:
    • Peace ranges from personal harmony, social interactions, to global cooperation.
    • Achieving peace requires individuals to understand themselves and their relationships with others and the environment.
Conflict Intervention

  • Guidelines for Intervening in Conflicts:

    • Peacekeeping: Halting ongoing violence.
    • Peacemaking: Transforming attitudes of the conflicting parties.
    • Peacebuilding: Resolving the root contradictions causing the conflict.

  • Who Can Intervene:

    • Interventions can be initiated by states, civil society organizations, or individuals.
Group Work Activity
  • Research and Address Peace Issues:
    • Identify current peace issues, discuss types of violence involved, impacts of conflicts, and suggest solutions based on guiding principles.
Synthesis of Major Themes

  • Amartya Sen on Development:

    • Development involves eliminating sources of unfreedom such as poverty or tyranny (Sen, 1999).

  • Maya Angelou’s Perspective:

    • Stressed on commonalities among people, advocating for understanding and friendship across diverse backgrounds (Angelou, 1997).

  • Final Note:

    • Both positive and negative peace are necessary for societal development and individual freedoms; thus, concerted efforts must be made in peace education and conflict resolution.