Action Research
Ask youth to conduct research on various conflicts by visiting peace education websites or multiple media sources. After researching the dimensions and various perspectives of
Compassion
The tools have been grouped according to the “Ceed” or skill that they are attempting to guide, teach, or practice. Many of the tools in this toolkit correspond to more than one ceed and are therefore listed in multiple places.
Compassion: The feeling that arises when you are confronted with another’s suffering and you feel motivated to relieve that suffering; empathy in action. Requires you to be truly curious about others in order to learn about their lives.
Active Listening
This is more than just hearing what someone else is saying. Active listening builds trust and ensures that the other person in a conversation knows
Acts of Kindness
Encourage individuals to perform a kind and selfless act for another person, be it someone known or unknown, with the only purpose being to brighten
All about Activists
Youth brainstorm a list of activists, leaders, philosophers, philanthropists, and others who have made a difference in their communities and/or the world. They identify the
Autobiographical Story
To create an autobiographical story, start with the problem, tension, conflict or personal realization that will serve as the heart of the story. Then work
Bucket Filling
An idea born in 2006 that works very well with young children, in which a bucket represents your mental and emotional self. When your bucket
Bucket Toss
Create laminated pictures or drawings of various needs and wants, or have the items on hand. Have youth toss the items in a “want” bucket
Buddy Bench
A simple idea to eliminate loneliness and isolation and foster friendship and inclusion on the playground or in any public space. They work best when
Change the Ending
Revisit an event that ended with a less than desirable outcome. Encourage youth to create their own alternative endings. Why did they make the choices
Character Lenses
While doing creative writing, have youth investigate the people involved in their storyboards. What types of people were involved? What do you think they were
Compass Points
An interactive activity that increases awareness of our own and others’ preferences and opens doors to empathy. Create four signs on large chart paper –
Conflict Resolution Drama
Research shows that practicing pro-social behaviors is essential to internalizing these dispositions. Have youth form small groups of two to four. Hand out a sample
Count to Ten
Have children sit or stand in a circle. The group counts from one to ten. Anyone can say a number, but if two people say
Creative Expression of Empathy
Use art, media, song, and dance to create more impactful messaging and learning. Have youth present and understand peer relationships, social studies, literature, and current
Ethnomathematics
Defined by Brazilian mathematician Ubiratan D’Ambrosio as intersections of culture, historical traditions, socio-cultural roots, and mathematics. It seeks to answer the question of students in
Exercise in Empathy
Have youth adopt the perspective of those in history who are poorly represented or not represented in history books. With each news story, piece of
Expository Writing Structures
Although narrative structures are more easily remembered and come more naturally to youth, ask them to try these expository writing structures: Compare & Contrast (discuss
Family Cultural Sharing
Identify cultural treasures from the families in your classroom. Have families come in and share their cultural traditions. Highlight ways of celebrating community through dance,
Family Narrative
Research shows that youth who have knowledge of their family history, events, challenges, and successes have more self-control, higher self-esteem, and handle difficulties better. This
Find the Light in Others
Make it a practice to look for the “light” in others; see their kindness, compassion, strengths, and talents. Sit in a circle of 4-6 people,
From the Source Storytelling
Bring in guest speakers who have experienced violence, injustice, racism, or hatred of some kind. Allow youth to hear the story from the source. Teachers
Gender-Neutral Language
Make efforts to use language and references that are not limited to only one gender, for example, “How are you guys doing today?” or “Firemen
Gratitude Journal
Keep a journal with writings and/or artwork to record and express what you are most thankful for in your life. There are many small things
Grow a Garden
Consider the benefits of establishing and maintaining a garden….. time with nature, cultivation of living plants, growing of edible foods, time to reflect, and many
Gut Check
Project a slide or make a poster listing or showing in pictures a wide range of emotions and feelings (brave, uncomfortable, confident, jealous, peaceful, disappointed,
Hopes & Dreams
A reflection activity that can be done as part of a family meeting, intervention, restorative justice session, or other time in which a “big picture”
How does it feel?
After analyzing the information surrounding a problem or challenge, what is your reaction? Were the systems fair? Why or why not? Identify one or two
Ho‘oponopono
Learn about Ho‘oponopono, the Hawaiian system for ‘setting it right,’ and restoring individual and community harmony and balance. It promotes acts of healing interpersonal conflicts
Hugs
When appropriate, hugs help us feel better. When a child is having a tantrum, try asking for a hug or saying, “When you are ready,
Human Bingo
An interactive game to learn names and qualities about people in a group, that teaches skills of investigation, appreciating diversity, identifying similarities and differences. Photocopy
I Am Here For You
When a young person is in the throes of anger, panic, or emotional outburst, often their minds and bodies are experiencing a stress response whereby
I Statements
Used to confront a behavior without placing blame on another. . Also used to recognize one’s emotions. Another use is to state a point of
I Wish My ________ Knew
Have youth respond in writing to the prompt “I wish my __________________ (fill in person or role) knew…….” in order to learn more about their
Identify Needs & Interests
More likely than not, when people are angry or upset, they are expressing their “position” or a hardline stance on something. It’s important to teach
In Their Shoes
To help youth better understand those who are disabled, it could be helpful to have them explore what it’s like to be “in their shoes”.
Just Because
These are positive interactions that we can make with each other “just because”, meaning they are not in response to what someone else does. “Just
Kindness Catcher
With paper, scissors and pencils, allow children to make folding “catchers” (also called “origami fortune tellers”), with their kind acts written inside the various flaps.
Kindness Tree
Role-play one act of kindness each week with words or actions. When acts of kindness are noticed or a classmate shares an act of kindness
Kupuna Sharing
Bring in a knowledgeable kupuna (elder) to share their life story. Discuss how roles, rights, and responsibilities look similar or different in Hawai‘i (or elsewhere)
Labels
It is important to talk with youth about labels and the stereotypes that go along with them. Do peers call your child a “jock” or
Lenses
Have youth find at least two photographs from a movement—past or present—against what are perceived as unjust laws. The goal is to find photographs that
Let It Settle
A great visual tool to show the imbalance of a brain that is experiencing anger or rage, and how it is possible for the anger
Literature Circle
Use a literature circle to discuss major elements of a story that is developmentally appropriate to the audience. Include its characters and events. Are the
Marketplace of Human Rights
Youth are buyers and sellers in a marketplace activity where human rights are the only commodity. In buying particular human rights and in designating the
Mirroring
Repeating the meaning of a person’s words in a warm and caring tone assures the speaker that you seek to understand instead of judging or
Modeling Self-Awareness
At mealtimes, during commutes, or whenever there is time to talk with a teen, let them know how you are feeling and why. For example,
My Community
Focusing on wants and needs, have youth each draw their own classroom, school and/or family. How would they meet their needs? They will most likely
Neighborhood Walkabout
With gloves and buckets, walk the neighborhood and pick up rubbish off of sidewalks, in public parks, or on the beach. Combine with lessons about
Patterns of Connection
Approximately once a month (or more often), have students write down four names – 3 classmates that they want to get to know better, work
Peace Flower
A strategy for youth to problem-solve themselves. Between two children, they pass a flower back and forth. The first child begins by saying, “I felt
Peace Relevant Literature
Multiple peace education and character education books exist (go to www.ceedsofpeace.org for many book titles). Use throughout all lessons and have readily available in the
Play It Out
Create an end of the semester or end of the year skit or play on a particular historical event. Each child/student has a role. Play
Power of the Bystander
The bystander is one of the most critical, if not the most critical person in a conflict. Teaching youth how to successfully and confidently intervene
Reframing
Use reframing to defuse anger and keep dialogue open and positive. To reframe, take a negative statement and remove the emotionally-charged, damaging, and accusatory words,
Role Play
A way of seeing situations play out and encouraging individuals to think critically about how to intervene, and in the process build compassion for alternate
Roots of Empathy
An international evidence-based K-8 classroom program (started in Canada in 1996), which has shown significant effect in reducing levels of aggression among school children while
Saving Face
Teach youth the importance of face-saving in a conflict. Teach them how to calm themselves or another angry person through deep breathing and validation of
Seeds of Empathy
An international evidence-based early childhood (age 3-5 years) program started in Canada in 2005 as the “younger sibling” of the Roots of Empathy K-8 program.
Silk Road
The Silk Road carried trade from cultures embracing numerous religions and worldviews. Stretching from Italy to Japan, the Silk Road runs through Buddhist, Confucian, Christian,
Story Board
Make a storyboard of a particular event in history that involves a social injustice (slavery, women’s rights, settlers coming to America, Hawaiian history). Have youth
Structured Academic Controversy
An opportunity to explore controversial issues and divergent positions and work to reach consensus on what may have happened– highlighting the complexities of particular perspectives,
The World Peace Game
TWPG is an elaborative hands-on, youth-driven game/exercise. Founded in 2010, TWPG Foundation is dedicated to sharing the global mission of peace, developing self-awareness, and the
Think Pair Listen Share
Have youth think individually and record their views about a particular issue. Then have them share their ideas with one another. Teachers/parents can foster careful
Three Things About You
An activity that allows for exploration of diversity and elimination of stereotypes. Ask each person to write down three things that no one would know
Try It On
n exploring conflict, commit to trying on different perspectives in the conflict. Draw out of a bowl a particular role with an attached explanation. Play
Upstander
A person who recognizes when something is wrong and then acts to make it right; doing one’s best to help support and protect someone who
Wagonload of Compassion
Share individual stories of people in need. Identify what everyone can contribute. Where could we find the needed materials? Together as a group, deliver the
Web of Life
Youth sit in a circle, often at a transition point in the day. Holding a ball of yarn, they share one thing (something they like
What Should We Do?
Show pictures and/or video of certain situations at school and in the surrounding neighborhood. Examples include: seeing garbage on the floor, an elderly person dropping
What Would They Say?
Ask youth to critically think about how others might respond to their words and actions. “What would they say or think if you did or
Where in the World?
Show youth a variety of pictures of celebrations involving young people from around the world. Place cut-outs of known children/students into the celebration picture (make
Where Were Women and Girls?
Explore what role females played in various events in providing leadership for problem-solving, collaboration and working together. How is that different or similar from today?
Whole Child
Design lessons that focus on the whole child, including: health, nutrition, home life, community life, culture, emotions, and safety. Reflect on all that a child
Winning Cooperation
Youth feel encouraged when you understand and respect their point of view. Express understanding for the youth’s thoughts and feelings. Show empathy without condoning, share