Creating a School of Peace and Nonviolence in a Time of War and Violence

I received word yesterday that my article Creating Schools of Peace and Nonviolence in a Time of War and Violence will be published in the January 2009 issue of the Journal of School Violence. A copy of the article is posted on my website - www.restorativejustice.com. The abstract for the article is:

Abstract
In this post 9/11 era Western cultures are focusing on values that support war and violence. In this article an ethnographer explores the impact of these values on schools. These values, seen through the lens of restorative justice, include: (a) punishment, (b) adversarial relationships, (c) monopolization of power, (d) problemization and professionalization, (e) prevalence of economic interests, (f) racism and privilege, and (g) imposition of the dominant culture. Based on his research, the author outlines how schools can create an alternative culture of peace and nonviolence grounded in the restorative justice based idea of peacemaking and focusing on: (a) building trust, (b) healing harms to relationships, (c) restoring dignity of persons affected, (d) respecting biculturalism/multiculturalism, (e) being aware of power differences, and (f) creating safety.