Peace Education Hub (Faculty of Philosophy, University of Sarajevo) in cooperation with forumZFD/ Forum Civil Peace Service organized the first Peace Pedagogy Summer School (September 20-23, 2021). The school was organized on the occasion of the International Peace Day (September 21) and during the Peace Week at the Faculty of Philosophy.

The goal of the Peace Pedagogy Summer School was to affirm the use of peace education in teaching practice and to offer teachers and students of the summer school innovative methods and creative teaching resources that are based on teaching universal values. Through interactive lectures and workshops a significant contribution was made in empowering teachers in developing and nurturing a culture of peace in schools and classrooms. The teachers were also encouraged to think about the ways and strategies they could use to teach about peace and for peace in their specific subject areas.

The first day of the summer school was dedicated to reviewing the position and the relationship of peace pedagogy in connection to formal and non-formal education. Michele Parente from forumZFD discussed Concepts and Approaches to Peace Education and the need to integrate those ideas and approaches in schools in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Larisa Kasumagić Kafedžić focused in her lecture on Learning about Peace and for Peace through Collaborative Work of Universities, Schools and Communities as a necessary synergy approach. She also presented the Peace Hub vision, its goals and the activities implemented so far. On the International Day of Peace, the participants were able to learn about the topic of Intercultural Education through a lecture by Emina Dedić Bukvić and critically reflect on the concepts of Identity, Stereotypes and Prejudices through the workshop prepared and facilitated by Lejla Mulalić. Drama-based pedagogy and the examples of the Theatre of the Oppressed, were presented by Ida Avdibegović at the end of the second day of the Summer School. The third day was dedicated to Teaching Controversial Topics and Sensitive Issues through a lecture by Judy Pace from the University of San Francisco, during which ideas and concepts of controversy were presented together with examples of pedagogical strategies and techniques in teaching controversial topics. One of the strategies was presented through a workshop about School at the Edge of the Forest prepared and facilitated by Melisa Forić Plasto. The last day of school focused on the teacher and peace pedagogy as a part of one’s daily mission. Through an interactive workshop that focused on A Reflective Journey of Peace Educator, by Sarah Clark Habibi of the Georg Eckert Institute (Braunschweig), reflections on teacher identities, motivation and practice were presented. In the final workshop and the evaluation of the entire summer school, Larisa Kasumagić Kafedžić emphasized the importance of the role of teachers in classroom research and integration of peace values in teaching.

Judy Pace (University of San Francisco), Sara Clarke Habibi (Georg Eckert Institute, Germany), Michele Parente (forumZFD), Larisa Kasumagić- Kafedžić (Faculty of Philosophy Sarajevo, PEH), Emina Dedić Bukvić (Faculty of Philosophy Sarajevo, PEH), Melisa Forić Plasto (Faculty of Philosophy Sarajevo, PEH), Lejla Mulalić (Faculty of Philosophy Sarajevo, PEH), Ida Karahasanović- Avdibegović (ReAct Sarajevo)

Although the summer school was held online due to specific conditions caused by the Corona virus pandemic a significant number of participants, including teachers, representatives of non-governmental organizations, and educators from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Northern Macedonia took part in this event. The experiences and participants’ reflections shared during very lively and productive discussions gave the Peace Education Hub of the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Sarajevo, a reassurance that the summer school of peace pedagogy will certainly become a traditional event in teaching and promoting peace values in education and creating the culture of peace in school settings.