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Abstract
Numerous educational efforts have been tried in order to address problems of conflicts and violence at various levels of society. These efforts have been effective to various degrees. This article investigates the effectiveness of the Swedish‐based peace education project ‘The dream of the good’ (DODG), through its use of mind/body‐oriented methods, to develop non‐violent attitudes and behaviour (peacefulness) in individual students. This investigation is integrated into a wider discussion of whether didactic programmes may be planned and implemented to effect such changes. The article first discusses assumptions related to the development of students’ peacefulness, and how effective existing peace programmes are towards this end. Following a presentation of DODG, mechanisms of aggression and peaceful development are reviewed theoretically, with particular reference to mind/body‐oriented methods, from the perspectives of behavioural science and Buddhist philosophy. Finally, empirical findings from an interview study of DODG and a small controlled follow‐up study are presented.
Notes
1. The Appeal of Nobel Peace Laureate Foundation is based on an appeal by all living Nobel Peace Laureates (UN Resolution 54/243B) that calls for a global movement for a culture of peace and teaching of non‐violence in all schools around the world. The ‘Appeal Foundation’ works to act as catalyser towards this end.
2. In this article inner or personal peace refers to the feeling of inner calm and harmony, while ‘individual peacefulness’ refers to the individual’s capacity to act peacefully even in adverse circumstances. Inner/personal peace and individual peacefulness should be considered interdependent. It is hard to imagine that a person in deep and enduring disharmony with himself or his environment will act in a sustained, peaceful way and be able to bring about peace in his social environment. We believe individual peacefulness is impossible without a minimum of personal peace and harmony.
3. The precondition for Spinoza’s recommendations seems to be that people can govern their own habits as an act of will or rational choice. If this were easy, we believe the world would be a far more peaceful place: it is hard to imagine how people would choose to live with a hatred or resentment which eats up their ‘souls’ if they could easily choose not to do so. From one perspective it can be argued that DODG is an attempt to create an educational programme that facilitates and helps rational choices, and a mental transformation of the kind that Spinoza recommends.
4. We found Gervais’ account of Nevo and Brem’s report to give an incorrect illustration. Gervais seems to attribute absoluteness to differences between effective and non‐effective programmes and exaggerate methodological weaknesses, and thereby reach a faulty conclusion.
5. Nevo and Brem warn against inconsistency, as there were only 10 peace programmes in the non‐effective group. Effective programmes numbered 51 and partially effective ones numbered 18.
6. Nevo and Brem provided no category for didactic approach into which mind/body techniques fit.
7. The DODG project foundations, central ideas and project tools can be found on www.dreamofthegood.org
8. The Dalai Lama (Citation1999) describes karma as a theory concerning causality of actions governed by intent.
9. Benson’s study also resulted in improved student grades.
10. For detailed documentation, see Sommerfelt (Citation2004).
11. Details of this process are accounted for by Sommerfelt (Citation2004).
12. Table displays mixed findings in relation to I2 (calm and well‐being) in tree cases. The mixed findings concern individual students who do not like to receive massage. While massage seems like an efficient technique, not everybody likes to be touched. No problems of reception were noted for the other relaxation methods of stillness/meditation, yoga and qigong. The general picture was that the relaxation methods were generally effective in creating calm and well‐being.
13. In Norway 7th‐grade students are 12–13 years old and 9th‐grade students are 14–15 years old.
14. The questions were drawn from tests in psychological literature. In terms of the interview indicators, school satisfaction, psychological distress, self‐esteem and depression relate to I2 (calm and well‐being), aggression relate to I3 (capacity for non‐violent response), empathy related to I4 (empathy and kindness) and I1 (‘connection’). I5 (inspiration) was measured by an additional question on the post‐test questionnaire on the wish to continue practising the methods.
15. DODG teaching was led by a yoga instructor.