World - The non-governmental organization Peace One Day and the Skype software unite their efforts to celebrate the International Day of Peace on September 21. To achieve this, Peace One Day is launching a new educational resource for students and their teachers, available free on the Internet.
The objective of Peace One Day is to mobilize 3 billion people to celebrate the International Day of Peace on September 21, 2012. According to the founder of the organization Jeremy Gilley: “Never in our history has this sense of solidarity been was so necessary, and we had never had at our disposal the technological means allowing us to achieve this objective. "
By registering on their website (http://www.peaceoneday.org), teachers and students can record their commitment to peace and have access to a host of documents and resources, with a username and password. Thirteen video clips featuring peacemakers such as Ban Ki-Moon, Kofi Annan and Maired Maguire are also available on the site.
The online magazine, which is more than 100 pages long, brings together activities and lessons that enable children between the ages of 12 and 18 to “become aware of their own worth in the community. The themes addressed are intercultural cooperation, the unifying role of sport, the link between sustainable development and peace, the fight against violence and intimidation, the role of the United Nations and peacemakers.
The resource was built to open the debate on ways to improve relationships between men and allow children to take part in the discussions. Children are therefore seen as agents of change. The activities offered in the online magazine are clearly explained for teachers who want to use them in the classroom.
Available in the six official United Nations languages (French, English, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, Arabic and Russian), the teaching resource is suitable for UK and US school curricula. About 5,000 educators from these countries are already using the resource.
Skype is associated with Peace One Day as a privileged communication platform on the web. The goal of Skype is to remove the barriers of communication between children from all continents. Josh Silleverman, head of Skype explains that he wants to "encourage more schools to connect through Skype video chats and allow Peace One Day to reach its goal by making available to the 192 Member States United Nations Global Educational Resource. "
Peace One Day was founded in 1999 by British documentary director Jeremy Gilley. Two years later, the United Nations (UN) designated September 21 as the International Day of Peace, which calls for non-violence and a ceasefire. The primary mission of Jeremy Gilley's organization is to institutionalize the day of September 21 in order to mobilize and educate the children of the planet. Peace One Day wants to “motivate an entire generation to build a united and sustainable world. "
By Marie-Philippe Gagnon-Hamelin
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