Elements of a Framework for Moral Education or Peace: Evolving a Unity-Centered Pedagogy in Higher Education

This article seeks to contribute to the theory and practice of peace education at the university level through the lens of spiritual moral purpose. It outlines a concept of peace from a Bahá’í perspective and identifies three key elements that shape an approach to peacelearning initiatives in higher education: (1) sense of moral purpose, (2) core concepts of human nobility and the unity or oneness of humanity, and (3) expression of purpose through personal development and social action, each of which is described in relation to theory and research. It then presents an application of this conceptual framework in a unity-centered pedagogy for peace that emphasizes cultivating personal moral qualities and dispositions, as well as identifying, understanding, and removing barriers to unity, in the form of injustice and prejudice, which obstruct the path to peace. This evolving pedagogy is explored in terms of educational purpose and context, moral considerations, curriculum content and learning activities, and the learning environment, and illustrated with examples from a case study of an undergraduate peace education course. The article concludes with a discussion of how unity-centered pedagogy may serve as a resource for university peace educators.