THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala Gandhi Smarak Nidhi (KGSN) is all set to start ‘Peace Cells’ in as many as 30 schools in the city this month. The Peace Cells are an effort on the part of KGSN to catch children young to impart Gandhian principles and to emphasise value education in curriculum. A statement from KGSN said that the aim of the peace cell was to initiate students, parents, teachers and the community into a meaningful dialogue on peace education through participatory sharing of knowledge and skills. Sustained efforts are to be made in educational institutions, particularly at school and college / university levels to inculcate values, develop leadership qualities, foster reading habits, develop spirit of cooperation and compassion in an otherwise competitive and cruel environment in which the children grow, impart to children and youth skill-oriented, community-centred and need based vocational skills, help children and youth identify and familiarise with tensions, conflict and anxieties leading to frustration and encourage them to seek remedies by involving in conflict management initiatives in the school. The KGSN has proposed the idea of Community Peace Centres in association with educational institutions. This will be a joint programme in association with the school authorities, parent-teacher associations, local government and non-government bodies, universities, public undertakings, and any industrial groups committed to societal change. The statement said that through peace clubs, various activities would be taken up, including group activities for confidence building, leadership and self-management and peace building and conflict management. The activities of each of these Peace Clubs would be under the overall charge of the management committee which will be formed by the IGNOU and the Indian Council for Gandhian Studies in association with other participating groups and organisations. In the beginning of the academic year, an orientation programme for the functioning of the various Peace Clubs will be held. A three-monthly review of activities will also be undertaken jointly in order to modify or assess the programmes. Each Peace Cell should have a minimum of 50 students and an equal number from the public as members and these students, the staff advisors and a member of staff from Missionaries of Non-violence Foundation and local coordinator will be the core group of the Peace Cells in each place. Inter-class competitions, talks, film shows, work camps, crafts exhibitions, book exhibition, essay competitions and other activities would be taken up as part of promoting the concept. A local management committee, nominated on the basis of sponsorship norms, will monitor the activities and help generate required financial support from the locality.
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