World leaders must learn to focus equally on local and global scales in the pursuit of peace, according to Betty Reardon, an international peace promoter who spoke to students Saturday at an AU Creative Peace Initiatives event.
Abdul Aziz Said, professor of international peace and conflict resolution, also offered his comments about teaching for global citizenship. Patricia Mische, a professor of peace studies and world law from Antioch College in Ohio, introduced and moderated the discussion.
Reardon discussed the meanings of several different terms used in peace education. She defined the differences between being a subject and a citizen of a country and the difference between a polity and society.
Reardon stressed the importance of all people to understand what they are entitled to and what is possible for them.
"Global civil society emerges from the ground up," Reardon said. "The established order thinks globally, but not locally. We have to have the capacity to do that dual thinking."
Reardon said local diversities must be organized in a manner "that allows us to pursue a common interest."
Said talked to students about the importance of recognizing education as a universal public good and avoiding the "idiocy of arrogant dogmatism."
Said said he hopes to see citizens thinking of themselves as global citizens, rather than of a particular part of the world.
"The whole is a reflection of its parts," Said said.
Nawal Mustafa, a sophomore in SIS, attends a class taught by Professor Said and said she has a lot of faith in the potential of peace education.
"It was interesting to re-evaluate how we conceptualize terms," she said.
Amanda Schoen, a freshman in the School of Public Affairs, found inspiration in the speakers' words.
"It is refreshing to hear these ideas and taking them beyond theoretical thoughts and understanding how diverse individuals can come together," Schoen said.
The speakers were to begin a weekend workshop in peace education training of 45 participants, including D.C. public school teachers, AU graduate and undergraduate students and teachers and students from neighboring universities.
The ICPR program at AU is celebrating its 10th anniversary and will be holding events such as this throughout the rest of the spring and the summer.
There will be an anniversary dinner April 27 at the Yemeni ambassador's house at 7:30 p.m. All IPCR students and friends are welcome to attend.
