IS PEACE EDUCATION RELEVENT IN KASHMIR?

IS PEACE EDUCATION RELEVENT IN KASHMIR? ALTAF AHMAD DAR Throughout history, the world has gone through different devastating times. Wars have killed millions of people, and diseases have, so far, proven to be more devastating than wars and even stronger than humans. The most significant way of promoting a culture of peace is through peace education. Peace education needs to be accepted in all areas of the Kashmir as an essential element in creating culture of peace. To meet effectively the challenges posed by the present complexity of our time, the young of today deserves a radically different education “one that does not glorify war but educates for peace, nonviolence and international cooperation.” They need the skills and knowledge to create and nurture peace for their individual selves as well as for the world they belong to. As Maria Montessori had articulated so appropriately, those who want a violent way of living prepare young people for that; but those, who want peace have neglected their young children and adolescents and that way are unable to organize them for peace. Looking at the Kashmir today any sensible person feels disheartened and even horrified to see the kind of violent acts being committed by man against man and nature. It is sad to realize that we live in an era of unprecedented violence in the forms of war, crimes, injustice and oppression and exploitation amidst a seemingly outward development enjoyed by a few. The saddest part of the story is that this state of disorder and confusion in the Kashmiri society is affecting the children's innocent minds. Children naturally absorb the spirit of violence in the atmosphere and will soon grow to be the next generation of perpetuators of violence. Therefore the need to nurture peace in the hearts of children has arisen as urgent issues to be addressed. It is the duty of educationists to develop peace education programmes so that the student of tomorrow in Kashmir live a conflict-free life in school, to build up mutual co-operation and successful and most of all, to live as a peaceful citizen. The main aim of peace education in Kashmir is to educate the youth towards the situations in which they live. Due to awareness about their oppressive and exploitative conditions they become capable of initiating efforts to eliminate structural violence which is the cause of physical violence. ALTAF AHMAD DAR IS A RESEARCH SCHOLAR DEPARMENT OF POLITICS AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES PONDICHERRY UNIVERSITY. DARALTAF87@GMAIL.COM