Conference presentation
Peace begins in small moments: Relationship-based approaches for thriving teacher education and social cohesion (Plenary speaker)
Scientific and Professional Conference, OMEP Croatia, 11 (Croatia, 16/03/2026–17/03/2026)
17/03/2026
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Abstract
Peace does not begin in policy documents. It begins in relationships. Before children speak in words, they communicate through connection, responsive gaze, and a calm presence. These everyday exchanges form the earliest foundations of belonging, trust, and respect. Small moments, repeated across thousands of early childhood settings, quietly shape the future. They will not appear in history books, but they matter deeply because they shape the human beings who will shape our shared world.
Consider the educator who kneels to meet a child’s eyes and truly listens. A child who comforts a distressed friend. A group negotiating the rules of a game and finding common ground. A child planting a seed and beginning to understand their relationship with the living world. These moments are ordinary, yet they carry extraordinary significance.
Children are not passive recipients of peace; they help create it. Even in the earliest years, they demonstrate a strong sense of fairness, empathy, and care. When educators invite children to share ideas, resolve disagreements, and participate in decisions, they nurture more than social competence. They cultivate the dispositions that sustain relationship. Children’s voices; expressed through play, dialogue, and collaboration; actively contribute to cultures of inclusion and mutual respect.
Early childhood education is a vital space of peacebuilding. Peace is not an added topic within the curriculum; it is woven through shared problem-solving and daily interactions. In contexts shaped by instability or inequality, early learning settings can offer stability and hope. This responsibility calls for teacher education that strengthens relational competence, cultural responsiveness, critical reflection, and emotional resilience. Preparing educators as peacebuilders requires rethinking what it means to teach; recognising that their daily practice contributes to more just, cohesive, and sustainable communities.
Details
- Title
- Peace begins in small moments: Relationship-based approaches for thriving teacher education and social cohesion (Plenary speaker)
- Creators
- Parisa Tadi - Southern Cross University, Faculty of Education
- Conference
- Scientific and Professional Conference, OMEP Croatia, 11 (Croatia, 16/03/2026–17/03/2026)
- Identifiers
- 991013378851902368
- Academic Unit
- Faculty of Education
- Resource Type
- Conference presentation