Peace Education Hub of the University of Sarajevo- Faculty of Philosophy in partnership with forumZFD in BiH organized a working group meeting as a follow up event after the Peace Pedagogy Book Launch and the Peace Pedagogy Symposium, which were held in December 2023, in Sarajevo, BiH.

The workshop brought together peace education activists, teachers and teacher educators, authors of the book chapters on Peace Pedagogy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, together with partners from local and international organizations whose programs are aimed at creating a culture of peace through educational institutions.

The main goal of the workshop was to design the conceptual framework and the strategic plan on peace education curriculum for all formal education levels (from preschool to higher education), as the first step in the interdisciplinary approach to developing integrative peace education curriculum and teacher training materials for peacebuilding. The overarching goal was to work collaboratively with teachers and teacher educators from all parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina towards the shared vision of our Peace Hub- institutionalizing and internationalizing peace education in kindergartens, primary and secondary schools and university teacher education programs.

The following tasks and objectives framed the agenda of the working group meeting:

  • Discussing the needs and possibilities of developing peace education program within the framework of professional development of teachers, educators and professors at all levels of formal education (from preschool to higher education);
  • Reflecting on the possibilities of designing a specialist training, summer school curriculum, or Chair for Peace Education and Intercultural Learning at the University of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina;
  • Creating a common understanding and common vision for a long-term project on institutionalizing peace education in different levels of formal learning through cooperation of universities and local and international civil society organizations;
  • Considering the possibility of connecting the project with other partners at the local, regional and international level (PEH, forumZFD BiH, COI-Step by Step, UNESCO BiH, Youth for Peace, schools and universities in BiH, other organizations);
  • Drafting a conceptual framework (key competences for learners and teachers) and a strategic plan for the next steps.

This group will continue its work after the summer in the preparation for the more strategic planning of specific modules and frameworks for the integrative peace education and teacher training for peace in collaboration with other local and international partners.