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A peace activist and peace educator

Interview with
Ingeborg Breines,

consultant and former Vice-President
of the International Peace Bureau

In Norway, Ms Breines does not need any perhaps to help everybody, not least boys
introduction, for she has long been an and men, to learn to tackle disagreements
active member of civil society. Let us briefly and conflicts in non-violent ways.
mention that she is a consultant and former
co-president of the International Peace The United Nations Agenda for Sustainable
Bureau, former director of UNESCO and Development (2016 – 2030), with its
director of the Norwegian Commission 17 universally accepted Sustainable
for UNESCO. We were curious to learn Development Goals (SDGs) to be achieved
more about her different activities as she by all the countries of the world, sees
is a famous peace activist in Norway and a peace, human rights and development as a
faithful reader of Diva. So, now let us leave comprehensive whole. SDG 16 on building
the floor to Ingeborg Breines peaceful societies, justice and functioning
institutions is of particular importance in
Q: You are a peace educator. Could you please this context. SDG 4.7 is likewise important,
tell us more about what such a job involves? not least in order to try to counter the
To teach peace and non-violent conflict ongoing, growing and sometimes aggressive
resolution can, and should, be done much militarization of the mind, in schools, in
more, in the regular school system as well universities and through mass media. It
as outside – through organisations, training reads: “By 2030, ensure that all learners
courses and ways of living. I am not a acquire the knowledge and skills needed
professional peace educator, but spend most to promote sustainable development,
of my time as a retired international civil including, among others, through education
servant promoting, on a voluntary basis, the for sustainable development and sustainable
vision of a culture of peace, as developed by lifestyles, human rights, gender equality,
UNESCO and in cooperation with different promotion of a culture of peace and non‐
peace organisations and peace activists. violence, global citizenship and appreciation
of cultural diversity and of culture’s
Peace education is at the core of UNESCO’s contribution to sustainable development.”
mandate. A humanistic approach to
education is echoed in the report, UNESCO has developed important
Education for the 21 Century. Learning the normative instruments on peace education,
Treasure Within, which outlines four main and Member States must, for example, report
educational goals: learning to be, learning every fourth year on their implementation
to learn, learning to do and learning to of the 1974 Recommendation Concerning
live together. Learning to live peacefully Education for International Understanding,
together is considered as basic as literacy. Cooperation and Peace and Education
Unfortunately most school systems today Relating to Human Rights and Fundamental
encourage competition and prepare for Freedom. This reporting mechanism is
hierarchical structures, instead of training gaining importance also in connection with
in cooperation and mutual understanding. the implementation of SDG 4, Target 7.
Besides disarmament and demilitarization,
one of the biggest challenges today is Education is vital in the quest for a culture

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