CISV has a vision of a more just and peaceful world; we believe that we can all take responsibility for making this happen. This vision gives us a strong purpose, or mission, which issummed up clearly in our Statement of Purpose:
CISV educates and inspires action for a more just and peaceful world
In other words, CISV exists to educate and inspire people so they can actively contribute to a world of peace, justice and equality, where Human Rights and the environment are respected. CISV does this because we believe that everyone can play an active role in creating a better
world.
CISV’s vision and purpose are supported directly by its four Educational Principles, which form the foundation for CISV’s educational programmes. They sum up the vision of a better world.Not only do these Principles guide CISV’s Peace Education content, but they also provide a
guide for the organization, and everyone involved with it.
Peace Education
CISV is a Peace Education organization acting to make a positive impact in the world. But what
does “Peace Education” mean? Simply put, Peace Education looks at local and global issues,
recognising that peace can mean much more than the absence of war. Peace Education is a way
of learning about issues that are seen to be the root causes of social injustice and conflict.
The purpose behind Peace Education is to develop the Attitudes, Skills and Knowledge needed
in order to act for positive change; in other words, to help individuals to become Active Global
Citizens.
Experiential Learning
‘Learning by doing’, or ‘Experiential Learning’ is simply a way of saying learning through direct,
personal experience, rather than from reading books or listening to lectures. It is the basic
educational approach of all CISV Programmes and this process is referred to as ‘Experiential
Learning’.
Experiential learning
‘Learning by doing’, or ‘Experiential Learning’ is simply a way of saying learning through direct,
personal experience, rather than from reading books or listening to lectures. It is the basic
educational approach of all CISV Programmes and this process is referred to as ‘Experiential
Learning’.
Our educational principles underpin all of our educational programmes and activities.
- We appreciate the similarities between people and value their differences.
- We support social justice and equality of opportunity for all.
- We encourage the resolution of conflict through peaceful means.
- We support the creation of sustainable solutions to problems relating to our impact upon each other and the natural environment.
Peace education content areas
Our educational principles have a direct link to our four Peace Education Content Areas, on which programmes are based.
The CISV Content Areas:
- Diversity Explores the identity of the individual and asks us to consider ourselves within our own and the wider community
- Human Rights Considers how Human Rights affect every aspect of our lives and how violations can lie at the root of problems such as poverty, violence and lawlessness
- Conflict and Resolution Helps us understand how conflicts canaries, deliberately or otherwise, and what can be done to bring peaceful resolution
- Sustainable Development Looks for integrated ways to promote economic and social well-being, while protecting the environment through the responsible use of natural resources
