HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.C.R. NO.	218
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

REQUESTING THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII at manoa COLLEGE OF EDUCATION TO CONVENE A WORKING GROUP TO CONDUCT A FEASIBILITY STUDY OF DEVELOPING A DEGREE GRANTING PROGRAM AND CENTER FOR PEACE EDUCATION.

     WHEREAS, the current paradigm in peace education continues to encompass the definitions of peace as 'negative peace' and 'positive peace', but goes beyond these definitions to embrace a comprehensive peace education that builds towards cultures of peace; and

     WHEREAS, peace education includes holistic, transformative, social, and integrative learning approaches to education that infuse current topics, such as economic and ecological sustainability, social justice, gender equality, globalization, indigenous and multicultural studies, and global technologies and communication, into the core curriculum for P-20; and

     WHEREAS, peace education is concerned with addressing direct and structural violence through the transformation of pedagogy, curriculum, and policy related to education in both formal and non-formal contexts; and

     WHEREAS, peace education promotes the values of tolerance and acceptance of all cultures, compassion and understanding of multiple perspectives, mutual respect, honoring differences, communication through non-violent strategies in resolving conflicts and building consensus in human relations, and global citizenship; and

     WHEREAS, peace education develops educational skills in critical thinking, taking the perspective of others, empathy, interdisciplinary approaches to problem solving, intercultural understanding, local and global perspective-taking, mediation, reconciliation practices, and keeping abreast of current knowledge of international and global affairs; and

     WHEREAS, the Department of Education regards peace education as inherent in programs such as conflict resolution, peer mediation, character education, anti-bullying workshops, leadership, and community service, yet does not consistently fund or implement such programs in every public school; and

     WHEREAS, the Legislature recognizes the need to be proactive in ensuring that Hawaii teachers are trained and educated in the current knowledge of, and holistic integrative teaching practices in, peace education so that teachers may prepare their students to effectively meet the changing demands in political affairs, ecological and geographical conditions, economic trends, career qualifications, and intercultural relations, both locally and globally; and

     WHEREAS, there is no comprehensive peace education program available for teacher professional education and training available in Hawaii to fully support this need; and

     WHEREAS, teacher education in Hawaii is an excellent venue for exploring peace-keeping and peace-building options, because Hawaii is a gateway to Pacific and Asian countries and contributes a unique Hawaiian perspective in values of peace and acceptance, unconditional personal regard, harmony, balance, patience, respect, pleasantness, and humility, all as expressed through such Hawaiian concepts as mahalo, aloha, lokahi, pono, ahonui, akahai, ‘olu‘olu, ‘ihi, and ha‘aha‘a; and

     WHEREAS, the University of Hawaii at Manoa College of Education has interested and well qualified faculty across its several departments of curriculum studies, educational foundations, counseling education, and educational administration to form a peace education center that offers undergraduate and graduate degree granting programs for the education and training of teachers, school counselors, and principals; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2008, the Senate concurring, that the University of Hawaii at Manoa College of Education is requested to form a working committee to conduct a feasibility study on establishing within the college a degree granting program and a center for peace education; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group is requested to report findings and recommendations to the Legislature not later than twenty days before the convening of the Regular Session of 2009; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Dean of the University of Hawaii at Manoa College of Education, the Chancellor of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, the President of the University of Hawaii, and the Chairperson of the Board of Regents of the University of Hawaii.

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title: 

UH; Peace Education