Peace Education and Children’s Experiences

Peace education has a long tradition.In 1890 the Dutch teacher Herman Molkenboer pleaded for international cooperation in education instead of an education serving nationalistic and chauvinistic goals.1 Especially the subject history was accused of nationalism and chauvinism by teachers who wanted an education for peace.Before World War II the peace education movement had two basic roots.The first root was the orig inal peace movement.It was a very complex social and cultural phenome non, fed by religion, by socialistic and anarchistic theory and practice, and by League of Nations propagandists.In this antimilitaristic tradition, peace education was fighting against war, prejudices, and militarism and was trying to promote international understanding.