Chapter 3: Professional Development for Peace: Linking All Types of Teachers to International, Cross-Cultural Education

Arguments that all children in American schools have been equally educated would be difficult to make (Nieto, 2003). It is undeniable that in recent decades individuals and advocacy groups have had to struggle against the current to open the doors of the schools to all and to ensure that, once inside, their students received fair and equal treatment, resources, and support to achieve equity and social justice among students toward planting peace culture in U.S public schools.

The concept of peace culture in education refers to a curriculum and to actions of a social organization that consider values of fairness, equality, liberty, and peace and justice when dealing with issues related to gender, race/ethnicity, religion and beliefs, socioeconomic status, human rights, multiculturalism, and antidiscrimination (Glass, 2003; Rush, 2004; Shields, 2004). Fostering and promoting peace culture in school settings is essential for students’ academic performance and achievement, selfesteem, and confidence (Furman & Gruenewald, 2004).