Peace Education for Youth: Integrating Values and Skills in Schools

Abstract

Today’s youth face rising violence, conflict, and social unrest. Exposed to bullying and discrimination, they need peace education to develop empathy, resolve conflicts non-violently, and embrace diversity. It fosters inner peace, tolerance, and equips them to handle personal and social challenges effectively. This review focuses on promoting peace education among youth by examining its challenges and effective implementation strategies. The study explored key obstacles such as limited funding, lack of trained educators, cultural and linguistic barriers, and weak leadership that hinder the successful integration of peace education in schools. Despite these challenges, peace education has the potential to foster empathy, critical thinking, respect for diversity, and collaborative problem-solving skills among students. The review highlights the importance of well-designed curricula combined with extracurricular activities to actively engage students in learning peace-related values and skills. It emphasizes the need for dedicated policies, sufficient resources, and teacher training to ensure meaningful implementation. By equipping educators and students with the tools to manage emotions, appreciate differences, and communicate peacefully, peace education can nurture a culture of tolerance and harmony. Ultimately, this empowers young people to become compassionate and proactive agents of nonviolence and social change within their communities and beyond.