News & Events
Betty A. Reardon Peace Education Resource Center
Housed in the Judith Herb College of Education, the Betty A. Reardon Peace Education Resource Collection contains more than 5000 books and curricular materials related to peace education, human rights, justice, disarmament and more. >>Click here to learn more...
Why Study Peace @ UT? The Imperative of Peace Studies in the University Curriculum - Special Conversations with Dr. Betty Reardon (April 12-14, 2016)
Renowned peace scholar, educator, activist and Nobel Peace Prize Nominee Dr. Betty A. Reardon visited The University of Toledo from April 12-14 for a series of conversations with students, faculty and community members about the need and possibilities of peace studies. >>Click here for more information...
Building a Sustainable Present: What can one person do? (Nov. 10, 2015)
The Peace Education Initiative hosted a special panel discussion on sustainability and change on November 10 in the Student Union where a panel of experts explored work being done to promote sustainability at various levels from the grassroots to the global. Illuminating both challenges and solutions to sustainability, stories of individual actions in creating sustainable change were also shared to help us answer the question: what can one person do? A recording of the sessions is now available. >>Click here for more information...
Peace Education Initiative Hosts Special Exhibit on Sustainability and Change at the Carlson Library
The Peace Education Initiative hosted a special exhibit "Seeds of Hope: Visions of Sustainability, Steps Towards Change" at the Carlson Library through the fall semester 2015. The exhibit, free and open to the public, was curated and developed by Soka Gakkai International and Earth Charter International. >>Click here for more information on the exhibit...
Report Issued: Community Dialogue and Public Forum on Urban Revitalization Through the Lenses of Peace and Justice
On July 29, 2015, over 300 community members, leaders, and organizations participated in the “Community Dialogue and Public Forum on Urban Revitalization Through the Lenses of Peace and Justice” held at the Frederick Douglass Community Association. A World Café conversation was held to discuss challenges facing the Toledo community and possible solutions. The conversation focused around four main topics: social justice, economic justice, ecological justice, and peace. The report illuminates the most significant concerns, ideas and possibilities that surfaced from the discussions. >>Click here to access the report.
Peace Education Initiative Hosts Public Forum/Community Dialogue in Toledo on Education for Urban Revitalization through the Lenses of Peace and Justice (July 29, 2015)
On July 29 the Peace Education Initiative hosted a full-day public forum and dialogue on the topic of urban revitalization through the lenses of justice and peace and the Frederick Douglass Community Center in Toledo. More than 300 local educators and activists participated in the event toward identifying strategies for revitalizing Toledo with peace & justice. 1. Click here for background information about the forum. 2. Click here for coverage from the Toledo Blade. 3. Click here for coverage by UT News. 4. See below for local TV news coverage of the event.
IIPE 2015 held at The University of Toledo (July 26-August 2, 2015)
The 2015 International Institute on Peace Education (IIPE) was hosted by The University of Toledo from July 26-August 2, 2015. The 2015 IIPE explored the theme of “Education for Urban Renewal toward Social & Ecological Justice: Peace Education in an Era of Globalization.” 60 academics, formal and non-formal educators and activists representing 18 countries came to Toledo to participate in the week-long event exploring the role of peace education in addressing issues of urban decline and the interconnected dilemmas of poverty, violence, health, and environmental degradation in an era of unprecedented economic globalization. The IIPE provided a constructive process model and interactive space through which these issues were explored toward the identification and development of strategies and methods to address them. Click here for background information about IIPE 2015.
UT Initiative Dedicated to Teaching how to Promote Peace (UT News, July 9, 2015)
In a world plagued by violence and unrest, there is an initiative at The University of Toledo working for peaceful resolutions. Read more...
Peace Education Initiative and UT Colleagues Participate in the "Truth Telling Weekend" (March 13-15, 2015)
The Truth Telling Weekend, presented by the Truth Telling Project, brought together people from across the United States to share truth, confront injustice surrounding police brutality and its underlying causes, and propose and plan for possibilities that empower communities. This weekend was an opportunity for the community to dissect the relationship between racism, poverty, police violence, and militarization and confront the devastating consequences they have on American culture, equality and progress. This weekend of story-telling, discussions, and workshops laid the foundation necessary to achieve a sustainable and accessible process of Truth and Reconciliation in our nation. The Truth Telling Project acknowledges the necessity of change before reconciliation is possible. Click here for more information...
Peace Education Initiative Director Addresses 2nd UNESCO Forum on Global Citizenship Education (January 28, 2015)
Tony Jenkins, Director of the Peace Eduction Initiative, participated in two panels at the 2nd UNESCO Forum on Global Citizenship Education in Paris. Global Citizenship Education (GCE) is receiving increased attention, signaling a shift in expectations of the role and purpose of education in the twenty first century. As discussions around the post-2015 development agenda are ongoing, the international education community is calling for an education that promotes not only cognitive skills but also those values, attitudes and skills that are necessary for forging a more peaceful, inclusive and sustainable world. With these skills, citizens of today and tomorrow are better equipped to address global contemporary challenges – in all their political, social, cultural, economic and environmental dimensions. Building on the outcomes of the First Forum (Bangkok, December 2013) which sought to clarify the conceptual issues around GCE, the Second Forum focused on future policy directions at the global level, country implementation and expanding partnerships. It considered current trends and future needs in the area of GCE and sought to identify policy priorities and strategies for the operationalization of GCE as well as provide inputs to the Framework for Action on Education post-2015. This 2nd Forum took into consideration the inputs from the UNESCO regional consultations on EFA and provided further insights into the ongoing debates on post-2015 and the World Education Forum (WEF) scheduled for May 2015. Click here for more information...
Facing Realities of Race (December 10, 2014)
An article by Tony Jenkins, Director of the UT Peace Education Initiative, originally titled, "What good is talking if nobody’s listening? How truth telling and dialogue can help heal the wounds of structural racism in a post-Ferguson America." It an atmosphere where so many are frustrated, and where talking feels the opposite of action, we can anchor our hopes for the future in truth telling and dialogue processes that have proven to be individually, socially and culturally transformative. Click here to read the article on Consortium News...
What Next? Indicting the System and Building the Beloved Community? (December 1, 2014)
Tony Jenkins, Director of the UT Peace Education Initiative, authored an OpEd response to the non-indictment of Officer Wilson that was published on December 1, 2014 on several news sites including CounterPunch.org, CommonDreams.org, and TruthOut.org. Tony makes a plea for truth telling as a stepping stone to civil dialogue and social change needed to mend the broken system of justice in America. Click here to read the article...