By Nicole Findlay
Our children are our future. The cliché is repeated so often and in reference to so many societal issues, one barely pauses to stop and consider the implications. But, it is a phrase Wen Ma takes to heart.
Wen Ma – who goes by Maria, has been examining the little known field of peace education. Ma, a fourth-year child studies major, is combining her love for children with a commitment to educational programs in an effort she hopes will promote international peace.
“We are recognizing and learning more about issues related to security, war and peace, human rights, global justice, and sustainable development in the world,” said Ma. “A peaceful world can only be created if its citizens can truly understand and appreciate each other. Peace needs to be taught to children at a very young age.”
Ma credits the child studies program with providing her with an appreciation for the systemic issues – such as gender discrimination, education and labour practices that affect children’s development. These issues, combined with a recent hand-on experience as a counselor for an internationally focused children’s summer camp, helped her determine her focus for pursing graduate studies. Watching the interaction among her charges – Chinese, Mexican, and Vietnamese migrant children, convinced her that by sharing cultural similarities and differences, the children developed empathy for one another. She refers to this process as “peace building”.
Next fall, she will continue her research in international peace education at the graduate level. She has been offered admission to both Queens University’s Department of Education to study culture and policy studies; and Columbia University’s Department of International and Transcultural Studies to study peace education.
“I hope I can develop an educational program to stress the significance of being open-minded and tolerant,” said Ma. “I hope this program will ease the pain of children affected by war or violent situations. More importantly, when they grow up, there would be less hatred and more appreciation in their minds.”