Course Objective

Course Objective

To make participants understand the philosophical underpinnings of “Peace” at Self, Society, Nation and Global level. The course aims at sensitizing participants on aspects of building and maintaining Peace in World through Sustainable Development and creating a mindset to acknowledge the importance of Peace through Collaborative and sustained efforts in personal, social, economic and governance. The course develops sound concepts which participants are made to apply through a series of Projects, Assignments, Group Work and Seminars and helps participants’ growth into “Ambassadors of World Peace as Digital Professionals and sensitive Global Social beings”.

Course Structure (Overall Outline)

Course 1: Essentials of peace and sustainability

Learning outcomes

After completing this course, the students will be able to

1. Comprehend concept of “Peace and sustainability” and inter linkages
2. Discuss relevance of sustainable development goals to attain Peace
3. Recognize how peace addresses sustainable development goals
4. Construct thoughts and philosophies of Peace Advocacies
5. Summarize understanding of peace based on various perspectives

Unit 1: Concept of peace and sustainability

• Understanding peace from different perspective: Self, Local Community, National and Global. Peace as dynamic reality
• Concept of Sustainability
• Sustainable Development Goals (2030) as drivers of sustainable, health and social initiatives
• How Peace addresses Sustainable development Goals (SDGs)

Assignment:

1. Students will present Seminar on various perspectives of peace
2. Document analysis of Sustainable development goals agenda

• Posters display based on sustainable development goals

Unit 2: Understanding thoughts on Peace 

• Study of relevant extracts from the writings of Indian thinkers: Gandhi, Tagore, Sri Aurobindo, Vivekananda
• Western thinkers: Russell, Iqbal, Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela

     (Please follow Annexure A-reading references)

• Role of UNESCO, UNEP,UNDP,UNHCR, UNICEF

Assignment:

1. Article/essay/book reading, Review, presentations and discussion

Students will be divided in group based on their interest of thinker. They will choose article/essay/book by peace advocates of their choice. Article/essay/book reviews will be arranged for students. Article/essay/book reviews will be done in written form and oral presentation form which is followed by discussion.

Students will be evaluated through rubric based on their presentation, group presentation and their participation in discussion.

Unit 3: Understanding challenges to peace

• Challenges to peace-stresses, conflicts, crimes, terrorism, violence and wars
• Ongoing conflicts in the political, economic, socio-cultural and ecological sphere at national and international level
• Impact of media- The use of perspective, symbols, stereotypes, and rhetoric in analyzing communication and representation of contentious issues in television and other modern media.

Assignment

1. Case study analysis

Case studies of major conflicts between nation-states

1. Panel discussion

Follow any 2 initiative between India and any of its neighbors (for example, Neemrana Initiative, The Pakistan India Peoples forum for Peace and Democracy , RIMC Old Boys Network, Women’s Initiative for Peace in South Asia, Committee for Sane Nuclear Policy, Peace Pals etc.) and have panel discussion on it.

Course 2:  Engineering Peace

Learning outcomes

After completing this course the students will be able to

1. Make decisions in personal, social and professional life aligning to inner peace
2. Think critically and to communicate views through dialogue
3. Envision impact of individual action on society and nation and globe as a whole
4. Develop culture of following netiquettes of a peace loving citizen in digital era
5. Compare various perspectives on peace
6. Be able to Choose appropriate strategy to face challenges to peace
7. Appreciate different kinds of thoughts in different contexts with reference to peace
8. Understand the political, economic, socio-cultural conflict & ecological conflict

Unit 1: Being “Peace Ambassador”

• Role of self in reducing prejudices, biases and stereotypes, nurturing ethical behavior, positivity, making choices in response to crises in personal, social and professional life

(These topics should be covered through games and activities)

• Developing Core competencies and life skills: Envisioning, Critical thinking, Systemic thinking

(These topics should be covered through workshops)

Cultivating the skills necessary for peace: Introspection and reflective thinking, Mediation, Dialogue

(These topics should be covered through experiential learning through training and practices)

• Becoming a peace loving citizen in digital world

Assignments:

• Organize a film show that present experiences of building Sustainable Environment to establish and maintain Peace. Students will discuss after that and write a review.
• Meditation/ Negotiation/ Arbitration practices
• Reflective journal to record experiences of the day and reflections there on during the training programme, sharing and discussing self-expression of change during the training
• Critical analysis of group discussion/conversation on any social networking
• Scenario based role play for developing dialogue competencies

Unit 2: Applying thoughts of peace advocates

Application of thoughts and philosophies of the following peace advocates to face the challenges to peace i.e. stresses, conflicts, crimes, terrorism, violence and wars and to resolve  ongoing conflicts in the political, economic, socio-cultural and ecological sphere.

Assignments

• Panel discussion
• Students will pick up one issue in group and will present solution to that issue based on their reading of articles/essay/books of peace advocates given in Annexure A-Reading material

Unit 3: Being Peace Global Responsive Nation

• 3As of Sustainable development goals oriented initiatives: Awareness, Appreciation, Action

Assignment

• Project -Students will choose one of the sustainable development goals. Decide the initiative to achieve the goal, execute the initiative. Write a summary report on it and present in symposium.

Annexure A: Reading material

• Mahatma Gandhi (Brute Force and Passive resistance)
• https://www.mkgandhi.org/hindswaraj/chap16_bruteforce.htm
• https://www.mkgandhi.org/hindswaraj/chap17_passiveresistance.htm

• Tagore (‘Civilization and Progress’ and ‘Nationalism in India’)
• http://tagoreweb.in/Render/ShowContent.aspx?ct=Essays&bi=72EE92F5-BE50-40D7-8E6E-0F7410664DA3&ti=72EE92F5-BE50-4A47-2E6E-0F7410664DA3
• http://www.swaraj.org/tagorecivilization.htm

• Sri Aurobindo (‘The Ideal of Human Unity’)
• http://www.collectedworksofsriaurobindo.com/index.php/readbook/03-the-turn-towards-unity-its-necessity-and-dangers-vol-the-ideal-of-human-unity

• Russell (‘Knowledge and Wisdom’)
• https://russell-j.com/1073-KW.HTM

• Iqbal (‘Is Religion Possible’)
• http://www.allamaiqbal.com/works/prose/english/reconstruction/07.htm

• Dalai Lama (‘Universal Responsibility’)
• https://www.lamayeshe.com/article/global-community-and-need-universal-responsibility

• Nelson Mandela (‘Alternative politics truth and reconciliation’)
• http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Govern_Political/Mandel_100.html

• Work of Swami Vivekananda

• Sustainable development goals
• https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdgs
• https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/peace-justice/

• Sustainable development goals in action by countries, groups and individuals
• https://undg.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/SDGs-are-Coming-to-Life-UNDG-1.pdf
• https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/be-the-change/
• https://sdgsinaction.com/
• https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/partnerships/goodpractices
• Philosophies of different religions on Peace