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At a historic crossroads—just before the dissolution of the Soviet Union—a pioneering group of educators from both East and West came together to do more than talk about change. They lived it.
Learning Peace is a compelling and timely anthology of essays that emerged from this unique cross-cultural collaboration. Featuring contributions from internationally respected educators including Betty Reardon, Eva Nordland, Valentina Mitina, and Willard J. Jacobson, the book explores how education can foster peace, ecological consciousness, social responsibility, and cooperation in a rapidly changing world.
Uniting critical perspectives from Russia, the United States, and Europe, this collection presents bold visions and practical strategies for transforming traditional education. Essays address themes such as ecological literacy, democratic learning, cultural understanding, and leadership in an era of geopolitical uncertainty. With a strong emphasis on human rights and global interdependence, the contributors model the kind of inclusive, dialogical process they believe education must adopt to meet the challenges of the future.
From foundational "big ideas" in ecology that every peace educator should know, to actionable plans for renewing national education systems, Learning Peace offers a deeply reflective and solution-oriented approach to building a more just and sustainable human future.
Each chapter is accompanied by questions for reflection and discussion, making this volume an essential resource for educators, policymakers, peacebuilders, and all those committed to learning our way toward a better world.
"The most striking feature of this book is the fact that a group of highly qualified scholars and educators collaborated before the dissolution of the Soviet Union exchanging ideas and practical programs for teaching ecological and cooperative education. They modeled the process they advocate. They changed their own thinking to understand the thinking of others. They couched their concerns in a framework of human rights, political and social responsibility, and practical transformations of national educational approaches that are often myopic and competitive. While accenting some positive educational trends within their national borders, they also criticized cultural and educational limitations." — Anne Shepard, Associate Superintendent of Schools, Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, Missouri
Preface
1. New World—New Thinking—New Education
Eva Nordland
2. Learning Our Way to a Human Future
Betty Reardon
3. New Thinking: Its Application for New Learning
Valentina Mitina
4. "Big Ideas" of Ecology That Every Peace Educator Should Know
Willard J. Jacobson
5. Social Responsibility and Ecological Culture through Ecological Education
Sergei Polozov
6. Educational Planning for an Ecological Future
Susan Ahearn
7. Education for Democracy, Social Responsibility, and Creative Activity in the Russia of Today
Anatoly Golovatenko
8. Peace Education, Social Responsibility, and Cooperation
Galina Kovalyova
9. Ecological Leadership in an Age of Diminishing Superpower Expectations
Robert W. Zuber
10. Steps to a Renewal of Education: Concluding Words
Eva Nordland
Questions for Reflection and Discussion
About the Authors
Suggested Readings
Index