Education for Peace
The final item of business is a members' business debate on motion S2M-1431, in the name of Chris Ballance, on education for peace across Scotland. The debate will be concluded without any questions being put.
Motion debated,
That the Parliament commends the work of the World Peace Prayer Society at its European headquarters in Dumfriesshire, particularly in peace education in schools; recognises the valuable contribution that principles of non-violence and co-operation can make to society and supports the development of skills in conflict resolution, and believes that the Scottish Executive should therefore consider a cross-sectoral review of various peace initiatives, not just in education, but in justice, health and other areas, liaising with COSLA, NHS boards, religious groups, voluntary organisations and other relevant bodies in order to bring forward an integrated strategy for encouraging the peaceful resolution of disputes in all fields and promoting education for peace.
I start with two quotations:
"Never in the world can hatred be stilled by hatred; it will be stilled only by non-hatred. This is the law eternal."
"Peace is not the absence of war; it is a virtue born out of the strength of the heart."
Neither the Buddha nor Spinoza, the authors of those two quotations, has been able to contribute to the Parliament's online forum, but many other people have done so. The motion has struck a chord across Scotland and has sparked the coming together of people who work for peace. Around 70 members of the public have left messages so far and I quote from some of those:
"The media complains of increasing violence in the classroom, the home, the neighbourhood … Why? Could it be because we are not teaching our young people the value of peace?"
"How much more could be done—by governments and individuals!—to train us in alternatives to violence. Peace-training is possible—the knowledge is there … we just need to share the skills. War comes from greed and fear—with justice and courage … truth and reconciliation, another way is possible."
"Peace enriches. War ruins."
"This is just the sort of sane, creative initiative that many of us believe the Scottish Parliament was set up to provide."
We have received messages from a range of people—from a Queen's counsel who is now working on mediation to the moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. The urge for peace is one of the great human instincts, but one that we hear less about than others.
How do we work for peace? What is being done at the moment and how can the Scottish Parliament enrich the process? Our attitudes affect others. A violent person tends to provoke violence, just as a cheerful person might cheer us up. To move to a more peaceful society, we need to change minds. That means education. Peace education should start when we are young and continue all through life. Peace has to be based on educating ourselves and educating society—all of society.
The World Peace Prayer Society was founded in Japan in 1955 by the Japanese philosopher Masahisa Goi. It is a non-profit, non-sectarian non-governmental organisation with headquarters in New York. Its European headquarters are at Allanton in Dumfriesshire—one of the many unsung treasures of the south of Scotland. It plants peace poles around the world. The peace poles range in size from the one I have here to one the size of a house. They are intended to spread and encourage the thought, "May peace prevail on earth." The society has now planted more than 300,000 poles in 180 countries. His Holiness the Dalai Lama unveiled a pole in Dunfermline on his recent visit. The Scottish Parliament could incorporate one into the landscaping around the new building at Holyrood.
The World Peace Prayer Society works in schools as part of the United Nations international decade for a culture of peace and non-violence for the children of the world. Its programmes are designed to develop a reverence for life, a respect for all differences, co-existence with nature and harmony between the spiritual and the material—in other words, to develop peace.
The juniper schools programme, which the society promotes, has been accredited by the University of Sheffield and by Lancaster University. Research has shown that the programme led to a marked reduction in the behavioural problems of children. It helped children to relax and to sleep better, it increased their confidence and it improved their responses to anger.
Of course, other work is going on as well. The overcoming violence project of the Edinburgh Peace and Justice Resource Centre has initiated several school projects. Other work includes Inverclyde high schools' mediation project—a contact project—and the East Lothian community mediation project. Work is being done in schools by Safeguarding Communities-Reducing Offending and there is the Executive's own restorative practices programme. Projects are going on. The door is open. I would like the minister to open it further tonight.
What can come out of this debate? I would like to hear a commitment from the Executive to insert the words "the values and skills needed to respect differences and for non-violent conflict resolution" into "Values and Citizenship—National Priority 4". That priority is being reviewed and I would like my suggestion to be considered as part of the review process.
I would like the minister to initiate an inquiry into education for peace in Scottish schools. Good work is being done, but let us build on it. It is not enough that we have only local initiatives and short-term projects; we need a national commitment to peace education as a basic part of citizenship. Peace education is not an add-on and it will require a national and a whole-school approach to achieve effective, long-term change. The Executive must provide guidance to schools on how such change can be achieved and on how it can become part of whole-school approach.
There is also scope for a broader inquiry. There are many peace education initiatives throughout Scottish society—in the public and the voluntary sectors and in Scottish churches. The bulletin board has listed a number of such initiatives in justice, health, the workplace and the community. Many of the initiatives work in isolation. I believe that it is time for a cross-sectoral review of the wide range of peace initiatives throughout Scotland in order to celebrate the work that is being done, to promote and encourage it and to identify and publicise best practice.
That would be a major piece of work. I say to the minister that I realise that that is not something that would be lightly embarked on. However, I hope that he can make a start towards building a more peaceful Scotland by announcing a review of peace education in schools, which would recognise the benefits of such education, including reducing bullying, improving classroom behaviour and character building. Let us make Scotland lead the field.
I finish with a message from Hebron, which the Cupar justice and peace group has relayed:
"You can bomb the world into pieces, but you cannot bomb it into peace."
I congratulate Chris Ballance on securing this debate. I am grateful to him for providing us with an opportunity to speak about such a fundamentally important issue.
It is unfortunate that the peace movement has historically been viewed as the domain of hippies and flower power. Alternatively, it is associated only with high-profile religious figures, such as those who have been in the Parliament recently—the Dalai Lama and Ravi Shankar. However, what struck me about Chris Ballance's motion is the recognition that it gives to the fact that the peace movement is, of course, a great deal more far-reaching and grounded in reality than stereotypical perceptions suggest is the case.
The key message that I have taken from the motion is that peace is, and should be, a basic, everyday issue. On closer inspection, it is possible to see that many of the campaigns that have been launched in the Parliament and in wider society on issues such as domestic violence, racial tolerance, antisocial behaviour and sectarianism have all essentially had the attainment of peace at the core of their aims.
It is understandable that we tend to consider the concepts of peace and conflict resolution primarily in macro, global terms—for example, war. However, given that the Scottish Parliament has a responsibility for improving people's quality of life, it is equally important that we recognise the significance of peace in micro terms by continuing to acknowledge the fundamental right of every human being to live out their daily lives safe from violence or persecution—in other words, to live in peace.
In recent years, a number of high-profile, worthwhile campaigns have been launched with the aim of promoting tolerance, respect and peace. Among them we can note the Executive's "One Scotland. Many Cultures" campaign, which aims to tackle and to eliminate racism in our country. Similarly, we can look to Unison's high-profile action plan to reduce violence against health service workers as a campaign that puts the principles of non-violence, co-operation and conflict resolution at its core.
Given some of the things that Chris Ballance said, it is apposite to mention one of the initiatives that I am most impressed by—the Zero Tolerance Charitable Trust's excellent respect programme. The programme is about primary prevention; it aims, through its work with young people and educators, to contribute to the prevention of violence and abuse by challenging root causes, by empowering young people with useful knowledge, skills and understanding and by promoting positive, non-violent relationships that are based on equality and respect.
Zero Tolerance's approach towards primary prevention through empowerment and education is clearly analogous to the World Peace Prayer Society's work on the promotion of peace education in schools. In my constituency, the Global Education Centre in Coatbridge works with local schools and the wider community to promote understanding of development issues and of our responsibilities as individuals within a global context. Those initiatives are of great significance and they must be supported and assisted to develop and grow in significance.
The Scottish Executive clearly has a role to play in engaging with those initiatives and I am happy to support Chris Ballance's call for a cross-sectoral review of peace initiatives. I do not think that we can doubt the Executive's genuine commitment towards promoting peace and tolerance in Scotland, which is evidenced by a number of the issues that I mentioned.
However, I am concerned that, in some areas, the good work is being undermined by the realities of life for some people in this country. I refer particularly to the plight of asylum seekers and refugees in Scotland. I do not think that I have time to go too far into the detail of that but, over the past year, I have become concerned about the noticeable increase in the number of constituents who seem to be eager to blame asylum seekers for any number of problems, from housing shortages to justice issues. That is a result of the fact that the public have been fed a diet of misinformation and propaganda. We must challenge such attitudes and ensure that asylum seekers are treated with the human decency that they deserve.
When I, along with Chris Ballance and others, had the pleasure and privilege of meeting the Dalai Lama recently, I asked whether he had a formula for achieving inner peace and happiness. He did not give me a recipe for that, so I cannot share it with members, but he pointed out that achieving peace throughout the world must start with individuals understanding the value of peace. It really is as simple as that. I thank Chris Ballance, whose motion has my whole-hearted support. [Applause.]
I remind members of the public in the gallery that it is not appropriate to applaud.
I do not think that it is very fair for me to be registered as the person who did not get a clap. Never mind.
We will clap you, Linda.
I begin by congratulating Chris Ballance on securing a debate on his motion. That is important. I agree with everything that he said.
I want to remind members about the setting up of the United Nations, which happened for highly admirable reasons. I will read out a small extract from the charter of the United Nations. Paragraph 3 of article 2 states:
"All Members shall settle their international disputes by peaceful means in such a manner that international peace and security, and justice, are not endangered."
Many people in the world would do well to remember that statement.
Before I say any more, I will declare an interest. I am a member of the steering group in Scotland of the Network for Civilian Peace Services and a member of Peace Brigades International. That said, I state that I am not a pacifist. As Elaine Smith pointed out, it is too often the case that people who care about peace and who would like peace services to be expanded through education and through the way in which we act in society are written off as people who are a bit naive and who do not know what the real world is about. I am not a pacifist; I believe that a nation has the right to defend itself and I recognise that, now and then, there is a need for a proportionate response in particular circumstances. For me, the key is that such a response should be entirely within international law. There are other ways of resolving conflicts. I do not believe that we in this country have considered properly some of the issues that Chris Ballance talked about or have thought about appropriate responses in all situations of conflict.
I will now plagiarise the work of Peaceworkers UK, because I could not begin to say things in a better way than it does. I recommend the document that is called, "Tackling Violent Conflict: The Case for a UK Civilian Peace Service", which has been put together by Peaceworkers UK, International Alert, Saferworld, the Electoral Reform International Service and RedR—Registered Engineers for Disaster Relief. It contains a quote from the former Finnish President, Martti Ahtisaari, who said:
"We know that force alone cannot create a stable society and functioning institutions. Yet the international community has lagged in deploying adequate civilian resources."
That is right. There seems to be a lack of recognition that it is possible to have all different kinds of organisations and forces—not necessarily military—that can complement each other in conflict situations. In addition to the military and the police, we have development agencies and humanitarian agencies. Other bodies, such as civilian peace services, can be added to that list. Civilian peace services are not about people throwing themselves in front of tanks or guns; they are about helping people who are in conflict to come together to find other ways of working out their problems.
The parties in a conflict are those who are most directly affected by it. Ultimately, they must be the ones who deal with the conflict. It is not good enough to have other people coming in to tell them what to do. Even though I have huge respect for UN peacekeeping forces, in many situations the people whom they are trying to help view them as a bit of an occupying force. I have heard people say that they have been "colonised all over again" by United Nations peacekeepers. We have to try to get away from that response by expanding the services that we use in conflict resolution.
Unfortunately, the United Kingdom Government is lagging behind. I would like to see it play more of an active role in seeing how the UK could contribute as a nation state to European Union targets for civilian peace services going into conflicts. Many European countries are leading the way: Germany has had a civilian peace service since 1999; Norway has established such a service, as has Austria—in 1993; and countries such as the Netherlands, Italy, France and Sweden have created or are in the process of creating such services.
I will finish with a quote from Mo Mowlam, the former Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. She was talking about Northern Ireland, a country in which many civilian people work on the ground to resolve conflicts. She said:
"This is an important issue which we should give serious consideration to and learn from many other European countries who are already developing civilian peace services."
I ask the minister to relay the feelings of the Parliament on the subject of tonight's debate to his colleagues at Westminster.
I congratulate Chris Ballance on securing the debate. I wish to lend my support to the promotion of peace in all of our schools and to any initiatives that seek to strengthen peace.
As teachers and trade unionists are forever telling us, there is a distinct lack of peace in Scotland's classrooms. A recent survey by the National Association of Schoolmasters/Union of Women Teachers found that 63 per cent of its members said that physical assaults between pupils were a regular occurrence. If we want our young people to grow up to respect the values of peace and co-operation in the wider world, they will have to learn to respect one another in the classroom. For that to come about, we need to support teachers and trust that they know best when it comes to the most efficient means of returning discipline to our schools.
I agree whole-heartedly with Chris Ballance about the valuable contribution that the principles of non-violence can make to society. It is important that young people understand the significance of such values in an age in which violence can be rife in our society. We have to inspire our young people with the example of that great martyr to the cause of non-violence, the Rev Dr Martin Luther King, who famously said:
"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal' … I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."
We badly need people in our nation today with the passion and vision that was epitomised by Martin Luther King. We need people who have a genuine desire to better the lives of those around them. I look forward to a time when the average youngster—as well as parents and employers—considers that one or two years' work for the cause of development in a faraway country or in a deprived area of their community is a normal part of their education.
My colleague David Mundell and I wish to be associated with Chris Ballance's commendation of the work of the World Peace Prayer Society at its European headquarters in Dumfriesshire. We are grateful to Chris Ballance for the opportunity to debate the motion.
I will be brief, because I know that many members want to get into the debate. I will try to keep my speech to less than four minutes.
I want to share an experience that took place in Assynt in north-west Sutherland in February when a group got together to have a day for peace. We had had almost a year of anti-war protests and we wanted to do something positive to promote peace. Local people organised the day, it was publicised throughout the Highlands and people came from further afield, too. The gods smiled on us—we had a beautifully sunny day—and people brought a lot of food. It was one of those days as a result of which people feel really good.
A local writers group wrote a long poem about peace—it was done collectively—and various workshops were held. I do not have time to talk about all of them, but if time allows I will speak about one of them.
At the end of the day, the Lochinver declaration for peace was produced. Each participant signed up to it and made a pledge to do something to promote peace. I will read it out. It says:
"We hold that respect for human rights, the rule of international law, and a spirit of fairness, justice and honesty, must be upheld, and that nonviolent conflict resolution must be pursued tenaciously before any resort to war.
We seek that where governments have behaved dishonourably out of self-interest in the past, they should own up to their mistakes to remove past resentments that prevent future trust and understanding.
We believe we should treat each other with respect but be unafraid to speak our minds on difficult issues where disagreement, if not expressed and understood, can lead to conflict. In that spirit, where compromise is the only solution, it will be clear to all how it was reached. Where issues are complex, we should not shy from revealing and examining their complexity.
We must look to the needs of all peoples and the planet and find ways to provide conditions for the healthy continuation of both.
We feel that for us all, time and resources are running out, but we still believe we can make the saving difference.
Therefore, we residents of Assynt and others gathered in Lochinver on 14 February 2004:
1. urge governments to make a stronger commitment to peace and to finding nonviolent solutions to conflicts wherever they occur in the world;
2. insist that international justice and law must be respected and the United Nations and International Courts must be strengthened;
3. send out a message of solidarity to people in war-torn parts of the world; and
4. each make a personal pledge to act for peace today."
People made their pledge and said what they would do.
Various workshops were held during the day. One that I went to was inspirational—it involved a video entitled "Old Enough to Know Better", which was put together by school pupils who took part in the anti-war protests in Edinburgh. At the time of those protests, some sections of the media portrayed those pupils as kids who wanted to get out of class, but the video showed that that was not the case. The video was inspirational—there was not a dry eye in the room. One could see that it was made by sophisticated young people who were serious about the issues and aware of what was going on and who were making a definite political statement. The video is available from the company that helped the young people to put it together. It should be required viewing in all schools, because it shows how young people can find ways to express their views and how valid and fundamental those views are. The video is shown in some schools but, oddly enough, it is shown in media studies classes rather than in modern studies or political education classes. That is my comment on the education aspect of Chris Ballance's motion.
It is good that the Scottish Parliament has a chance to debate peace and to put down a marker that we take the matter seriously. We have talked a lot about antisocial behaviour, but conflict resolution is about more than being punitive, dividing people and suppressing feelings in society; it is about letting feelings out, understanding people and getting them to communicate.
I congratulate Chris Ballance on securing the debate and I am pleased to be able to promote peace education in schools.
As a former teacher, I believe that focus on the issue is long overdue. Chris Ballance outlined some of the many good initiatives that exist in our schools. There are good anti-bullying and mediation policies and children are taught about conflict resolution, although it is not part of the curriculum and it is not taught across the board. There is no question but that indiscipline in schools is a problem. Eleanor Scott referred to the Antisocial Behaviour etc (Scotland) Bill, which we debated last week. Today's debate rightly signals that more positive ways exist in which we can work with young people—I am pleased that the debate is pointing out some of them.
I am grateful for the publication on the matter that I received yesterday—I suspect that it was from Chris Ballance. I have read it and found out about interesting projects that are going on throughout Scotland. I will pass on that information to some of my teaching colleagues. I hope that I can get more copies of the document, which gives wonderful examples of the kind of work that can be done. There is no question but that the values of non-violence and co-operation should be taught in schools.
I found the example of the peaceful school initiative in Inverclyde to be particularly interesting. The work exposes secondary 5 pupils to the attitudes and skills that are involved in conflict resolution. That is an excellent project. The S5 pupils then carry their experience into primary schools and work with primary 6 pupils on conflict resolution. That is a wonderful way for secondary schools to intermix with their associated primary schools. It is a great advantage to be able to use young people to work with other young people.
I also support the idea of a cross-sectoral review of peace initiatives to include justice, health and interested organisations from other sectors. The encouragement of peaceful resolution to disputes and promotion of peace have much to offer for the future. I commend the debate to members.
I congratulate Chris Ballance, not only on securing the debate, but on his work on the cross-party group on Tibet and on the work that he and that group did to contribute to the success of the Dalai Lama's recent visit.
I have a great deal of admiration for the work that the World Peace Prayer Society carries out throughout the world and, along with my colleagues Alex Fergusson and Peter Duncan MP, I believe that the WPPS's presence at the Allanton Sanctuary near Auldgirth enriches Dumfries and Galloway. The sanctuary can be used as a training and support centre for teachers, volunteers, social workers and parents who want to work with peace education in schools and the community, and it can also be used as a retreat for teachers and others who work with children.
There is much that the Executive can learn from the peace education for children and youth project, which was officially started in October 2001 with the aim of providing children and youths with the means of rediscovering their own inner peace. Elaine Smith will recall that the Dalai Lama said that we will not have peace throughout the world unless we all work to achieve inner peace ourselves, and the WPPS consciously promotes world peace, believing—rightly, in my view—that the future of world peace lies in the hands of children and youth.
As Chris Ballance mentioned, one of the other projects that the WPPS has is the peace pole project. Like Chris Ballance, I have a peace pole in my constituency office in Dumfries, and I believe that the Holyrood site is an appropriate place for a peace pole, which might bring to the site a degree of calm that has not always existed there.
It is also worth highlighting the world peace flag ceremony, which also takes place at Allanton and which I had the pleasure of witnessing last year. It is extremely moving to see young people carrying the flags of all the countries in the world in a global celebration of the oneness of humanity. In a small way, taking part in such a ceremony makes one feel that one can contribute in a way that does not always happen; many words are spoken, but to see such ceremonies take place allows one to have a much greater feeling for what is involved.
Dumfries and Galloway has many other important centres that promote the concept of peace. Many school children in Dumfries and Galloway have had the opportunity to visit the Kagyu Samye Ling monastery at Eskdalemuir, which is an enriching experience, and the work that has been carried out there has contributed not only to the local community, but to Scotland and the rest of the world.
Near the Forest of Ae, we have the Tharpaland Kadampa Retreat Centre, which is not only a retreat centre, but offers meditation more generally. I am sure that the minister will agree with the comment that I read somewhere—I think that it was one of the contributions on the Parliament's bulletin board—that meditation is a method of acquainting our minds with virtue and that the more familiar our minds are with virtue, the calmer and more peaceful they become. That is something that we would all wish to promote, and any initiative that can promote such concepts must be welcomed, so I welcome again the fact that Chris Ballance has initiated the debate.
I thank Chris Ballance for securing the debate. Jean Léon Jaurès was a prominent French political activist and was probably one of the leading pacifists of the last century. So great a threat was he to the establishment that he was assassinated just one day before mobilisation in France, which made inevitable the 1914-18 war. He was 55 years of age at that time. No discussion on pacifism should omit to mention that prominent democratic socialist. If he had been allowed to live, he might have halted in its tracks the mad drive to war, through concerted national strike action.
Over and above Jean Jaurès, I will cite five graphic images of the outcomes of war, which—if they are broadcast widely enough—might discourage any future tendencies towards war. Number 1 would be that epic photograph of the long line of the blind leading the blind in the 1914-18 war, after a mustard gas attack. Number 2 would be the death camps at Dachau. Number 3 would be the nuclear bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The fourth image is a particularly abiding one, which I cannot get out my mind. It is that of the little Vietnamese girl with the flesh burned off her back by American napalm. Number 5, and the most recent, is that of 11-year-old Ali Abbas, the young Iraqi lad who had both arms removed at the shoulders in a bomb attack by the Americans. If people can live with those images in their hearts and go willingly into war, I feel very sorry for them.
Our great poet, Rabbie Burns, was once asked to speak on a celebration of war. He said the following little piece:
"Ye hypocrites! are these your pranks?
To murder men, and give God thanks?
Desist for shame! Proceed no further:
God won't accept your thanks for Murther."
I add my thanks and congratulations to Chris Ballance for securing the debate. I pay tribute to the wonderful work that has been done by the anti-bullying network, which enjoys support from the Executive. Long may that support continue. If we are to talk about peace, peaceful demonstrations and satyagraha, we should mention another name: that of Mahatma Gandhi. Last year I visited the place where he was immolated in Delhi, which was something of an experience.
As a former modern studies and guidance teacher, I wish to address the practicalities of introducing peace studies. As with all learning, peace studies should be active and participatory, but backed up by study in order to achieve knowledge and, with experience, to achieve understanding.
In 1997, the Edinburgh Peace and Justice Resource Centre conducted a feasibility study into an overcoming violence project. Chris Ballance mentioned such projects in his speech, and I would like to reflect on the nature and outcomes of some of them. A peaceful school initiative was started in Inverclyde. Its target was fifth-year pupils and training was provided by Family Mediation Scotland. The project's aim was dissemination of methods of conflict resolution throughout the school. It was a very successful and simple project that involved, for example, encouraging pupils to count to 10 before having a go at somebody. One of the comments that was made was:
"You learn that you can always nip conflict in the bud."
Another person commented that many of the territorial tensions in the school were broken down. There was certainly no difficulty in finding recruits to the project, which won a Queen's golden jubilee award.
I had the great honour of visiting a combined project that Alva Academy was doing with schools in Northern Cape province, South Africa. It was a study of youth and tribal culture that included an exploration of solutions to the problems that are caused by territoriality. The project was aimed at all the pupils in all the schools and training was provided at a conference and through various international experts. The Douglas Combined School in Kimberley and Richmond High School in De Aar participated with Alva Academy and involved modern studies students in S2 to S6. Older students mentored younger students. One thing that runs through all the projects that were started is that they were the property of the children and the young people. They took charge of the projects; the projects were not handed down by teachers.
One comment that a person made about that project was that they were going to remember it long after they had forgotten French verbs. The results in South Africa included people leaving a gang and joining the project. Another project set up a registered charity and pupils in both projects ended up working in other schools.
In my final 30 seconds, I would like to run through other projects that I recommend that the Executive consider. The tackling violence project in Mossgiel targeted all children and families in the area; it got out and involved the community. In the Newbattle who to blame project, all decisions were made by the young people. In the Alloa straight talking project, some 12 per cent of all pupils in S1 and S2 were involved and the project had an 80 per cent success rate. There are also the Thornliebank Primary School and Woodfarm High School projects and the Craigmillar projects.
The Executive has something to work on—in fact, it has a lot to work on with successful peace studies in schools. In his reply, the minister should respond to the information that I have given him this evening.
I thank Chris Ballance for lodging the motion. The debate has been important and welcome. I commend the underlying philosophy of the World Peace Prayer Society, which, as members have said, is based in Allanton in Dumfriesshire. The Scottish Parliament can and should identify with the principles of compassion and respect that the society promotes. Indeed, a number of the values are inscribed on the mace: wisdom, justice, compassion and integrity. It is important to remember that.
As Chris Ballance said, the World Peace Prayer Society was founded in 1955. In the international year of peace in 1986, the World Peace Prayer Society started to introduce its activities abroad. In 1988, the society was incorporated as a non-profit, non-sectarian organisation with its headquarters in New York city. I understand that it also came to Scotland in that year. In 2001, the headquarters were moved to the impressive 54-acre world peace sanctuary in New York state, which was an interesting development. In 1990, the society was accepted as a non-governmental organisation in affiliation with the United Nations' department of public information. That demonstrates the importance of the society and how it has grown over the years.
I am grateful for a number of comments that members have made and for Elaine Smith's highlighting of the "One Scotland. Many cultures" campaign, which is an important policy development. I am also grateful to Robin Harper for mentioning all the organisations that he did, although I cannot go through them all. He highlighted the work of the anti-bullying network; I agree with him that its work is immensely important.
Has the minister noted the many comments that were submitted to the Parliament's interactive website as a result of Chris Ballance's welcome motion? In particular, does he agree with the comments of the Edinburgh Peace and Justice Resource Centre? It said:
"Peace Education should be defined in broad terms, encompassing alternatives to violence in all areas from the playground onwards. It should include ways of resolving domestic issues, children's disputes, peer-group pressure, workplace bullying, and neighbourhood conflict including, of course, sectarianism."
That is a fair and reasonable definition, to which I subscribe. I have not yet had the chance to read all the responses that have been received, but I will look at them. It is, indeed, impressive that there have been more than 70 responses.
The motion provides an opportunity to highlight some of the work of the Scottish Executive and others to develop approaches to resolving conflict and promoting positive relationships. I say to David Mundell that ministers' minds are always focused on virtue. He may not agree, but we certainly attempt to subscribe to that philosophy.
There is considerable work going on in our schools to help children to learn the skills, attitudes and values of a peaceful society. I am pleased to share what pupils are contributing to their school communities and neighbourhoods as active citizens—we should celebrate their efforts. It is perhaps a fair criticism of us all that, in the past few weeks and months, we have highlighted some of the more negative aspects of young people. We need to change the agenda now and I am happy to endorse that sentiment. This week, I saw at first hand how the talent and commitment of young people have contributed to peer support and the development of useful resources such as the Young Scot handbook and the web portal for young people throughout Scotland. Those are important developments through which young people have participated in the work.
In schools, children are involved in learning respect for themselves and for one another and are developing their understanding of their interdependence with other members of their neighbourhood and society. That is something that the Scottish Executive wishes to see happening, as that learning helps children to develop their responsibilities as citizens.
However, we have to give responsibility in order for children to learn to take responsibility. In many schools throughout Scotland, peer mentoring and buddying are involving pupils in supporting their peers and resolving conflict through peer mediation. For example, in Trinity High School in Renfrewshire, senior pupils helped to set up a buddying scheme, they have provided lunchtime clubs for pupils who want support and they are trained to help primary pupils to settle into their new secondary school. My daughter was similarly involved with a new pupil at Kelso High School who came to the school in the secondary 1 year. I have also seen some interesting examples in Dundee of S2 pupils returning to help during the primary 7 year.
Is the minister, therefore, prepared to change the national priority guidelines and to insert a recommendation to encourage such projects throughout Scotland?
We will certainly encourage projects such as that throughout Scotland. Peter Peacock and I have visited several of them. We are not always good at sharing best practice in Scotland, as I said at question time today, and there is a lot more that we can do. I will take away the points that the member makes.
Peer education is considered so important that a peer education project is being supported by the Scottish Executive through Fast Forward, a voluntary organisation, which will produce training materials and act as a catalyst for peer education on a national basis. That is an important first step. Such practice happens in primary and secondary schools and involves many of our pupils in Scotland. I congratulate them on taking that responsibility.
I turn briefly to some restorative practices for developing conflict resolution in schools. The Scottish Executive is supporting three local authorities in piloting restorative practices in schools. That involves teaching children how to resolve problems together by recognising others' feelings and seeking solutions together on which both sides can agree. That is a fundamental skill for all members of society and it would be remiss of us not to have it firmly in the education of our children.
In the Highland Council, North Lanarkshire Council and Fife Council areas, projects in schools involve putting positive relationships at the heart of the school and community. Children become responsible for their behaviour because they understand the harm that is done to others if their behaviour is not as it should be, not simply because they fear getting caught.
If you will allow me, Presiding Officer, I will make a few more points. Skills in conflict resolution can be learned at the earliest stages and can help children to develop the ability to listen, to understand others' feelings and to understand and express their own feelings safely. For example, circle time is used by many schools in Scotland to enable young children to discuss issues. It allows many children to express their feelings and learn what might be colloquially described as "give and take".
I am concerned that the minister is approaching the end of his interesting response without addressing the part of the motion that calls on the Scottish Executive to undertake a review that looks more broadly at peace initiatives in other areas as well as in schools.
If the member can contain her impatience, I am about to talk about that issue.
We are supporting the development of neighbourhood mediation schemes, which allow disputes to be resolved peacefully. Furthermore, the Scottish Executive is working with authorities to increase the number of young offenders involved in mediation or reparation schemes in order to help them to understand the impact of their crimes on others. Where that practice has been established, it has helped to reduce the likelihood of reoffending.
A lot of activity is developing in Scotland. We must ensure that cross-sectoral learning and experience sharing takes place so that all practitioners and policy makers gain an overview of the skills and practices that are being developed and of the impact on the positive ethos of schools and neighbourhoods. I hope that members will join me in acknowledging what children are achieving in their schools, communities and neighbourhoods.
In response to Linda Fabiani, I assure the chamber that we will take away the points that have been made in the debate and find out whether we can incorporate them into the conclusions of our on-going curriculum review. Indeed, Mr Ballance might care to make a direct contribution to that review on the issues that he has raised.
Meeting closed at 17:57.