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When Hetty van Gurp’s son died after an incident with a bully, the Halifax elementary teacher resolved to take action. She decided that she would try to get rid of school violence by teaching about peace. Starting with her own students, Hetty worked to foster a class atmosphere that discouraged all forms of aggression. At the time, she never imagined that her ideas would spread to schools in places like North Ireland and Russia.
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Today, Hetty heads Peaceful Schools International, an organization that aims to end conflict among youth in schools. Incidents like the Colombine school shooting and the Reena Virk murder have brought youth violence to the forefront of the media in recent years. Ms. Van Gurp says that all the attention has put pressure on schools to address important issues. “For a long time, schools would say ‘We don’t have bullying here; we don’t have a problem’ but now at least it is out in the open and we’re discussing it, because it does exist,” she said.
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What is Peaceful Schools International?
Peaceful Schools International (PSI) is a non-profit, charitable organization. PSI was founded by Hetty van Gurp in 2001 in response to international requests for support similar to that offered to many Canadian schools.
The vision of PSI is to create a global network of peaceful schools.
The mission of PSI is to provide support and recognition to schools that have declared a commitment to creating and maintaining a culture of peace.
We now have over 240 member schools!
PSI is founded on two guiding principles:
* Membership is voluntary
Membership in PSI is voluntary. As our history sadly demonstrates, mandating or imposing peace is not an effective means by which to achieve it. PSI provides support and recognition to schools that have declared a commitment to creating and maintaining a culture of peace.
* PSI is non-prescriptive
PSI is founded on the belief that each school’s journey to creating a culture of peace is unique. Consequently, PSI is non-prescriptive in nature. Membership criteria are intended to be used as a guide rather than a strict evaluation measure. Each school must be given the freedom to set its own course based on its vision and timetable.
“We look forward to continuing our efforts toward peace in our world. PSI helps us stay on point and gives us many ideas in which to express peaceful solutions in our world.” Wendy Tobias, Saint Joseph’s Episcopal School
The goals of PSI are to:
* Facilitate networking among peaceful schools
* Act as a catalyst and clearinghouse for innovative ideas and programs
* Help schools create a climate in which everyone feels safe, valued and respected
* Encourage student-centered conflict resolution strategies
* Promote an understanding and appreciation of diversity
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