Building Communities of Peace Educators

photos from 2011 community conflict transformation and peace building course





Dear Grenadian, Caribbean and International Friends

In recent decades, the world has experienced an increase in intra- and inter- family, community, organizational, state and global conflict. Now more than ever there is a need to integrate peace education programs, activities, workshops, courses within the mainstream of our society. We need to make peace education a serious part of our children, youth and adult lives so we can learn to address conflict in non-violent and transformative ways and break the cycle of violence that is prevalent in our societies and globe today.

In Grenada specifically we have witnessed a turbulent start to the new year, with police beatings, a workers strike, a young boy’s suicide, a local business women murdered, a young man stabbed and killed and the continuous strife between political parties. There is a dire need to explore, examine, and create paths to building cultures of peace within our relationships, families, schools, communities, organizations and country.

For the past 18 years I have lived and worked in Grenada, working within various capacities such as teacher, community program coordinator/ facilitator with adult literacy, women's participatory education, youth empowerment programs and children’s community peace programs. I am also a full time artist and believe strongly in the power of art to empower and inspire peace. For the past few years I have been travelling back and forth between Grenada and Canada, working on short contracts for the Coady International Institute, a world-renowned Centre in community leadership education situated in Nova Scotia, Canada. In September 2011, I co-facilitated the community conflict transformation and peace building certificate course with friend and mentor Dr. Thomas Turay, an internationally- renown peace educator from Sierra Leone who believes strongly in promoting people-and earth-centred development by nurturing cultures of non-violence through peace education. Coady Institute will be offering the course again in May 22nd until June 1st, 2012.

Scholarship are available for eligible candidates.

For more informaion on the Community Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding certificate course as well as other certificate courses and diploma programs offered at the Coady international Institute go to www.coady.stfx.ca/education/

Looking forward to building communities of peace educators with you!
One Love

One Family

Maureen St. Clair