“Civic Education in Divided Societies”

Fostering a culture of peace through peace education in extreme urban violent contexts – the key for social change Violence is reaching unprecedented levels and one could say that this phenomenon is challenging geographical barriers by also occurring in places that are models for the developing world where extreme poverty or stark social inequality are not dire issues. In the end of the 20th century, the world has faced and continues to face violent acts that transcend barriers such as terrorism, transnational crime, ethical and religious conflicts, etc. War, crimes, injustice, oppression and exploitation of mainly poor children and women are part of the daily life of several countries all over the world. Within this uneasy context, children often grow up facing violence as a natural part of their lives and existence. They effortlessly absorb the spirit of violence as an integral part of their personality and end up using it as a means to address any kind of conflict; leading them to be the next generation of violent perpetrators. There is an extreme need to foster peace and multicultural education that can be transformed into reality through different actors and forms, in areas where violence is the language of the street