The United States Institute of Peace is a benevolent organization whose sole mission is one that many great leaders have had in mind for humanity. These great leaders had in mind that one day we would live in a world without violence and conflict.

You might ask yourself “How can one organization take on such a tremendously weighted task?”

The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) has many tactics.

• One of the greatest tools for resolving issues is prevention. One of those ways is to educate and promote young and ambitious future leaders. Mentoring our children is compulsory as they will direct the path our future leads us to.
• The United States Institute of Peace creates a middle ground between foreign governments, civil society, and U.S. government officials as nonpartisan participators to ensure disputes are settled peacefully.
• The USIP conducts an investigation into options the U.S. government can take in policy action. The USIP participates and helps the United States Congress as a bipartisan commission. The USIP coordinates decisions on impactful issues like extremism and danger zones in conflict.

However, that is not all the USIP has up its sleeves. In addition to this, the USIP is prominent in education and is an exemplary tool in the global educator’s toolbox.

I chose this as my specific preference over all the loads of tools in the global educator’s toolbox for an important counter-narrative to the one we see spreading in America. For instance,  Americans have been recently bombarded with news on the battle between Ukraine and Russia. As this conflict has intensified people have felt the need to be on one side or the other on the issue. Leaving no room to broaden the scope of the issue at hand. On the contrary, the USIP teaches students that this ideological concept is demonstrably false.

The United States Institute of Peace not only shows young leaders how international conflict can be settled peacefully but that peace is always an option and is possible. This narrative will be a difficult predicament placed on future generations and change needs to start now. This is a great tool to prepare students to be global citizens that are aware of the world around them. I find this to be of great use for any student to deconstruct the indoctrination being fed of nationalism. For our future adults, the imaginary lines we designate as a border will impede our ability to create a global society that can be cherished for its greatness. I would use this tool as a constant engaging tool to create activities and lessons around peace-building skills to be cooperative and kind inside and outside the classroom.

Educational programs are provided on-site and virtually for all age groups alike. The USIP overflows as a utility for classroom materials. You can find lessons, activities, videos, and study guides to guide and engage you and your classroom through themes of peace and conflict. The most important Peacebuilding Toolkit for Educators is made by and for educators.

#PeaceDayChallenge

International Peace Day is on September 21st and is a commemoration to remind us that the violence that we encounter worldwide can be approached through a healthy alternative of peace.

The challenge goes as follows; say, do, and share.

You are challenged to look deep within yourself and identify what peace means through your perspective.

Next, up is to show initiative and dedication to commit to creating peace throughout your life.

Lastly, you are encouraged to use your voice and reach out to other people to open them up to their own initiative for peace.

You might recall the saying “It takes a village to raise a child.” This saying similarly analogizes our cooperation as a community in creating peace. Peace cannot be made alone; it requires all of us to contribute to the making.

Drawing on this is the USIP’s peace trail that heads in the corner of the U.S. National Mall. This Peace Trail is a path that follows historical events, and key figures that demonstrated the United States’ commitment to peace. Peace-building activities make for a fun and learning moment in the classroom whether in-person or virtually. It’s a visual tool that is a storytelling technique in promoting our enduring efforts for peace.

I appreciate you for reading my blog post and thank you for stopping by!

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