July 2014

Dear Friends and Insightful Colleagues,

I am honored to chair the Peace Education Special Interest Group of AERA. Thank you for your votes that provided the opportunity for administration of this crucial group. Our collective accomplishments evidence and sustain research on and theoretical underpinnings of peace education. Additionally, the findings support policy about multiple aspects of education for peace and curriculum development. Consequently, we need comprehensive reportage in our annual conference. The theme of the 2015 AERA Conference aligns closely with the research interests of this SIG. It demonstrates the importance of research in peace education.

The theme of the 2015 conference that will occur in Chicago, Illinois from Thursday April 16 until Monday, April 20 is “Toward Justice: Culture, Language, and Heritage in Educational Research and Praxis.” Lack of justice indicates the need for peace. Suppression of culture, native language and heritage also demonstrate essentials for advancement of peace. Education and research show these antecedents of conflict and violent responses. Research in peace education reports efforts to address these conflicts. The contextual responsiveness of peace education renders the importance of different situations with similar goals. Information about culturally different methods of educating for peace increases needed knowledge that informs policy makers. Similarly, reporting from different paradigms and through diverse means expands ‘ways of knowing.’ This SIG has a tradition of including reports from world regions. It could benefit from additional diversification of presentations. Diversification incorporates arts based research along with culturally distinct knowledge presentations, including indigenous insights and other marginalized discernments.

Let’s reach out to those whose ways of knowing, researching and reporting to the Peace Education SIG would diversify its knowledge. Please keep in mind the July 22 due date for proposals. Also, mentoring new submitters to the AERA online system would increase success with it. Let the graduate students know with their proposal accepted by this SIG they can apply to me for travel support of $100.

For peace,

Candice Carter, Chair
AERA Peace Education SIG