Preventing violence at school :
from UNESCO and the Concil of Europe
Letter n°16, September 2004

From the beginning of the 1950’s to this day, UNESCO has initiated a succession of actions to promote education founded on principles of education for peace, non-violence and tolerance. The culture of peace promoted by the organisation today takes its place in an historical continuity, even drawing on the foundations that led to its birth in 1945.

In its Declaration and Action Programme on a culture of peace (1999) , UNESCO calls for all children to receive an education in values, attitudes, behaviour and ways of life that allows them to resolve disputes peacefully and in a spirit of respect for human dignity, tolerance and non-discrimination.

In 2001, UNESCO published a compilation of " good practices in the non-violent resolution of conflicts in educational settings” . The objective this publication wished to achieve was to inform all those – teacher, trainers, educators, parents, young people, pupils – who, in one way or another, are confronted with the phenomena of violence at school or within non-formal educational communities. UNESCO’s purpose in this project is to offer some concrete pedagogical tools to all these actors in order to prevent and transform the violence that they confront daily in their work.

More recently, the Council of Europe invited young people from all over Europe to elaborate a project of the European Charter for democratic schools without violence, on the basis of the values and fundamental principles which are shared by all Europeans and that figure notably in the Convention for the safeguarding of Human Rights and Fundamental liberties of the Council of Europe.

This Charter project is composed of the following seven articles:

• All members of the school community have the right to a safe and peaceful school. Everyone has the responsibility to contribute to creating a positive and inspiring environment for learning and personal development.
  
• Everyone has the right to equal treatment and respect regardless of any personal difference. Everyone enjoys freedom of speech without risking discrimination or repression.
• The school community ensures that everybody is aware of their rights and responsibilities.
  
• Every democratic school has a democratically elected decision-making body composed of representatives of students, teachers, parents, and other members of the school community where appropriate. All members of this body have the right to vote.
  
• In a democratic school, conflicts are resolved in a non-violent and constructive way in partnership with all members of the school community. Every school has staff and students trained to prevent and solve conflicts through counselling and mediation.
  
• Every case of violence is investigated and dealt with promptly, and followed through irrespective whether students or any other members of the school community are involved.
  
• School is a part of the local community. Co-operation and exchange of information with local partners are essential for preventing and solving problems.