schools | YOUTHs | Community conflicts.

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Peace Buddies is a school, youth  and community conflict resolution program that helps minimize bullying, violence and interpersonal conflicts for increased peace and coexistence in schools and communities.

 Young people have been found to learn more from what they see and how they are treated.  Peace Buddies promotes the culture of peace and non violence amongst youth, schools and communities by fostering trust, and reducing exclusion. We believe that the youth have skills that  are relevant to resolving their own issues within their environments, communities and societies.  We train them in different non-violent conflict resolution skills  to help them resolve their  disputes and use their voices in our societies.

The trainings are facilitated by renowned, highly educated personnel on tested and approved conflict resolution methodologies. 

"Peacebuddies" is a 501 c (3) founded by Dr. Cecilia Cunningham out of her concern for the recurring violence in schools and amongst youth . Dr. Cece is a College Professor and specialized in Schools, Organizational & intercultural Conflicts Resolutions.  

The idea behind #Peacebuddies program is based on the philosophy of how young people learn. Young people learn a lot from what they see and how they are treated. Instituting rules and order that limit students’ freedom has been found to hinder character development, violence prevention and proper conducive learning environment. You will be amazed at how much young people can do when they are taught to practice and internalize particular norms and roles in relation to conflict resolution by wielding different types of authority in relation to student conflict.

There are three packages to the Schools/Youths program; a student-to-student conflict resolution, Restorative Program for minor/juvenile offenders and school based Conflict Prevention Program.

PEER MEDIATION:

Our student-to-student program is a comprehensive conflict resolution program that is intended to help students solve problems themselves by identifying underlying common interest and needs to find solution to meet such needs. There are twelve simplified steps in the program. The last one ending with signing of agreement. Each of these steps also provides advice for role playing activities and handouts that guide students in the process. Older kids can do a 40 hr training while much younger ones are trained for 15 hrs. They are certified and licensed to mediate simple issues that pertain to them. Resources are always provided for them after training that includes Trainers Manual, Peer Mediation videos, Truancy Mediation Manuals, Mediation in the classroom and communities, etc to help them upgrade to full time Mediators.

PEACEKEEPING CIRCLES & RESTORATIVE JUSTICE:

Our Restorative Justice Program reabsorbs juvenile offenders into their groups/communities/societies. Restorative Justice is based on the premise that crime is a violation of people and relationship rather than mere violation of law. The program provides opportunities for victims, and offenders of a crime to come together and discuss the events with the intention of arriving to some understanding and providing appropriate repercussion and healing.  Restorative Justice is mostly used in the USA to reduce the reliance on formal juvenile system procedures. It was also the traditional Justice System in most Africa countries, Aborigines and other locals before westernization. Peacebuddies program use it to address serious offenses in schools and amongst the youth that includes vandalization, petty theft, and other crimes that could have serious consequences like eviction from school or juvenile detention. There are -4- different programs depending on the type/nature of offense committed. Each of the program involves a process whereby all the parties with a stake in a particular offence come together to collectively resolve how to deal with the aftermath of the offence and its implications for the future. 

MULTICULTURALISM IN SCHOOLS:

Then last but not the least is our multiculturalism program. Multiculturalism is the philosophy and practice of honoring cultural differences through developing systems that institutionalize pluralism. This program is a full school-based starting from the classroom, to leadership and the entire school system creating diversity awareness and helping students improve on their interpersonal relationships.  

MEDIATION  - THEORIES & PRACTICES:

We also have Trainings in the three major Mediation Models for Conflict Resolution Practitioners and youths that want to advance their skills  in Community, Family, or Property Dispute Management.