International Agencies and Peace Education

Introduction

“Since wars begin in the minds of men [and women], it is in the minds of men [and women] that the defenses of peace must be constructed” (UNESCO 1945). This notable phrase which is found in the Preamble of the UNESCO Constitution that was written in 1945 enshrines the rationale for the organization’s establishment and indeed for much of the very idea of the United Nations as a whole. At the end of the Second World War, the international community believed that economic, social, and political action was necessary to create and maintain peace. At the same time, the idea underpinning the establishment of the specialized agencies which make up the United Nations system, such as UNESCO, was that action in the domains of education, culture, and related fields was of paramount importance in this quest as well. This is also enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), which in its Article 26, paragraph 2, states that “Education shall be directed to the full...