Creating a Culture of Peace through Basic Education

While creating a culture of peace is often associated with peacebuilding processes after violent conflict, this study argues that the responsibility for attaining global peace lies with everyone, not just countries in conflict or post-conflict situations. Broadening the scope of previous research, it explores the role of basic education in maintaining a culture of peace in countries considered essentially peaceful. Specifically, this study analyses how the values and principles of peace education are applied in the Finnish education system to promote a culture of peace, based on interviews with basic education teachers. The interviews reveal that teachers believe they play a significant role in fostering a culture of peace, even if done unintentionally, and emphasise the individual's role in creating a more peaceful school environment through identified themes. The theoretical framework used in this study revealed both its alignment with educational practices and the challenges that hinder such initiatives, such as a lack of empathy and individualism amongst students. The findings open a discussion on the importance of actively maintaining a culture of peace, even in societies not engaged in or emerging from violent social conflict.