Nurturing social and ecological relationships: The contribution of conflict resolution education

Abstract

This chapter focuses on important dimension of peace education, the effort to foster qualities and skills for engaging constructively with conflict. Peace education and environmental education have many affinities. It concerns transforming violent or unpeaceful relationships into peaceful ones. The chapter examines several strategies for supporting these aspects of education in elementary schools. It introduces three areas of practice within Conflict Resolution Education cooperative learning, peer mediation, and restorative justice before offering a brief comment on some wider issues that educators might consider in this area of work. The chapter discuses the connection between peace education and environmental education via a shared concern with violent, unpeaceful relationships including our relationship with the natural world and the necessary effort to establish more peaceful, nurturing relationships. It also addresses the environmental problems that are the concern of this book climate change, biodiversity loss, soil erosion, there is a need to critically re-examine our relationship with nature.