The essence of education is to transform human beings into mature and complete personalities. Cultivation and proper ethical teaching constitute some of the ingredients of such development of character and personality. This can only be realized when teachers and educators become living examples of a higher moral standard that surpasses conventional academic criteria. “I wanted to prove that human beings are capable of something grander than war and prejudice and hatred.” Abraham Maslow.
Education's goal nowadays is to open new ways in today's dark ethical value system and stress the meaning of character education in schools as imperative and indispensable. Everybody is aware of the problem and the bell is ringing. It is high time to come together all the people involved in school and education and bring solutions that are desperately needed. It is imperative to open up our minds and work together to transcend national, cultural and religious barriers which separate us from each other and restrict our horizons in what is the most essential part of education: to create and establish noble values for our children. The wind of change must sweep the countries and set the standards for a peaceful world within a frame of intercultural understanding in this new millennium of hope and challenge. "Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.” Albert Einstein
Actually, peace education begins at home because family and parents are indeed the most fundamental education and the most profound. The question is if parents really understand their duty as role models given the circumstances in modern societies whatsoever. As easy as it is to become parents the more difficult it becomes to fully take up the task of parenthood and accomplish this daunting task. Parent's education almost does not exist and if it exists how many parents are really serious about such a training. Most parents take it for granted and think that they can cope with the requirements of parenthood and face all the challenges that come with it. The truth is that the majority of young people enter unprepared into marriage and parenthood. The result is usually a disaster that leaves behind a lot of unresolved issues. “Parents are the ultimate role models for children. Every word, movement and action have an effect. No other person or outside force has a greater influence on a child than the parent.” - Bob Keeshan
Needless to say, we live in a time when crime, violence, human rights violations, harassment and bullying are unfortunately daily fare. It seems like our society with its proper institutions has become ineffective in the face of such criminal offenses, maltreatment and abuse. Moreover, there are signs that such abusive misconduct has infected the family peace, and increasingly we are facing inner violence affecting the family and marriage. Divorce, rising abortion rates and children abuse are only some of the effects of such painful development. "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr. In such hopeless situations there is only a hope to establish a proactive educational program that will take the right steps in order to offer solutions through ethical and moral training. Above all people have to learn about being responsible and trustworthy in a society where respect and empathetic consideration should prevail.
Peace begins with you as an individual, and it is expressed as peace of mind. It's all about harmony between your mind and your ''battlefield'' which is your body. Our body is the issue because it is the source of instincts that relate to our distant descendant: the animal world. Our mind which represents a set of values and ideals is in constant conflict with our physical instincts, desires and material obsessions. Most of the time our desires are self-centered, vicious, wicked and nasty. The only way to control them is through a set of moral and ethical values oftentimes related to religious or philosophical principles and virtues. To create and preserve sustainable peace with justice and equality we need some “weapons” like access to peace education and global cooperation accompanied by compassion and empathy. Easy to say, but difficult to practice. The way to Peace is a thorny, winding, uphill road. It all depends on man. ''If we are to teach real peace in this world, and if we are to carry on a real war against war, we shall have to begin with the children.'' Mahatma Gandhi
All in all, our education systems need to be unified and enfold in a more spiritual and ethical orientation that includes the most dignified tenets of ethical and moral standards. This has to enter the whole field of school and education from the bottom to the top. Teachers and educators are the extension of family ethics and need to be integrated into a higher level of character cultivation and personality development for all the school community regardless of age and status. Now is the time for a different approach to the education of our children, a holistic, integrated, far-reaching and more comprehensive one. Awareness and alertness are more than necessary in the face of today's challenges one of which is the issue of peace across the globe. Α new culture of peace, understanding, cooperation and hope is imminent. Peace educators have to take up the task of promoting an optimist educational value-oriented approach by demonstrating students that it is our collective moral responsibility to influence the future based on what we choose to do today.
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