Learning Peace: The Promise of Ecological and Cooperative Education

At a historic crossroads--just before the dissolution of the Soviet Union--a pioneering group of educators from both East and West came together to do more than talk about change. They lived it.

Learning Peace is a compelling and timely anthology of essays that emerged from this unique cross-cultural collaboration. Featuring contributions from internationally respected educators including Betty Reardon, Eva Nordland, Valentina Mitina, and Willard J. Jacobson, the book explores how education can foster peace, ecological consciousness, social responsibility, and cooperation in a rapidly changing world.

Uniting critical perspectives from Russia, the United States, and Europe, this collection presents bold visions and practical strategies for transforming traditional education. Essays address themes such as ecological literacy, democratic learning, cultural understanding, and leadership in an era of geopolitical uncertainty. With a strong emphasis on human rights and global interdependence, the contributors model the kind of inclusive, dialogical process they believe education must adopt to meet the challenges of the future.

From foundational "big ideas" in ecology that every peace educator should know, to actionable plans for renewing national education systems, Learning Peace offers a deeply reflective and solution-oriented approach to building a more just and sustainable human future.

Each chapter is accompanied by questions for reflection and discussion, making this volume an essential resource for educators, policymakers, peacebuilders, and all those committed to learning our way toward a better world.