Dear Friends,

As winter gives way to spring, we hope you are having a meaningful and hope-filled start to the season.

We are grateful to present you the second issue of the Educating for Peace newsletter. This initiative was inspired by the dedicated teachers and educators in our growing network who are seeking thoughtful and timely resources on peace and disarmament education. This newsletter serves as a platform to highlight educational initiatives, share practical tools, and strengthen a community of educators committed to fostering dialogue and learning around this vital topic.

In this issue, we are excited to spotlight several valuable resources. One highlight is the recently launched Global Classroom from the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW), a 10-month educational program designed for anyone interested in learning more about nuclear weapons, their humanitarian consequences, and pathways toward disarmament. We also feature the Critical Issues Forum (CIF) program facilitated by the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, which has developed an extensive “Learning and Engagement” resource page available on its website. These materials offer educators accessible and thoughtful ways to bring complex human security issues into the classroom.

We are also looking ahead to our upcoming Educating for Peace conference, which we are co-organizing on the weekend of April 25–26. This gathering will bring together teachers from diverse disciplines and schools committed to peace and disarmament education. Our hope is to create a space for meaningful exchange where we can learn from one another in the spirit of dialogue and collaboration.

As peace scholar Elise Boulding reminds us: “War is not inherent in human beings. We learn war and we learn peace. The culture of peace is something which is learned, just as violence is learned and war culture is learned. So we are engaged in an enormous learning process for the whole planet. The new community-based ways of teaching and learning which draw on the people of the community to teach and have the children moving in and out of a school room and into the community, learning to appreciate all the resources of that community — that’s the start of a peace culture.”

In deep gratitude,

Kevin Maher (Ikeda Center), Tetsushi Ogata (Soka Institute for Global Solutions), and Masako Toki (James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies)

IPPNW GLOBAL CLASSROOM

The International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) is hosting a 10-month-long Global Classroom for anyone interested in learning more about nuclear weapons and/or wanting to join the global effort to abolish nuclear weapons! This program runs from February–November 2026 and features leading experts from the global disarmament movement, academia, health sector, and the United Nations. A recording from the launch session and module 1 are available on their website, and it is not too late to register for the remaining modules! On the registration page, please type "Educating for Peace Newsletter" in the section "How did you find out about the Classroom?"

LEARNING & ENGAGEMENT

Facilitated by the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, the Critical Issues Forum (CIF) program created an extensive "Learning and Engagement" resource page which is available on its website. Some of the valuable resources available there include: a beginner’s guide to nuclear issues; resources for understanding weapons of mass destruction including chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons; links to hibakusha testimonies, a teachers' toolkit, and much more! Explore their categories from beginning to end, or start with the topic you find most relevant for you and your students!

CHECK OUT THE RESOURCES

NOBEL PRIZE LECTURE: NIHON HIDANKYO, 2024

In 2024, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Nihon Hidankyo, the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations. This video is a recording of the lecture delivered by one of the three Co-Chairpersons of Nihon Hidankyo, Terumi Tanaka, on December 10, 2024 in Oslo. In it, he states, "The average age of the A-bomb survivors is now 85. Ten years from now, there may only be a handful of us able to give testimony as firsthand survivors. From now on, I hope that the next generation will find ways to build on our efforts and develop the movement even further."

WATCH THE VIDEO

BOMBSHELL (FILM)

On January 6, a new film called Bombshell premiered on PBS American Experience. Produced by Ben Loeterman and Gaia De Simoni, Bombshell examines the official narrative surrounding the atomic bombings of the Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Through propaganda, censorship, and the co-opting of the press, officials promoted a benevolent picture of atomic power while downplaying its catastrophic human toll. Against this powerful machinery, a small group of journalists identified gaps in the official narrative and courageously reported on the human consequences of the atomic bombings.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FILM

APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN FOR THE NEXT EDUCATING FOR PEACE CONFERENCE

APRIL 25–26, 2026

The 2nd annual Educating for Peace conference is coming up on April 25–26 (optional dinner on Friday, April 24). This conference seeks to bring together and empower middle and high school teachers to explore effective ways to teach students about the threats and historical legacies of nuclear weapons and instill in them a sense of shared responsibility and commitment to safeguarding the future of humanity’s peaceful existence. Conference sessions will include presentations by educators who are developing/implementing disarmament curricula in their classrooms as well as other nuclear disarmament experts. The conference will also feature workshops for participants to brainstorm and discuss lesson plan ideas, potential barriers, and how to grow and sustain a network of dedicated teachers.

LEARN MORE AND APPLY

2025 Conference Teacher Highlight

Overall, how would you describe your experience at the 2025 conference?

"The 2025 conference was a rare opportunity to step back from the pace of school life and spend time in conversation with scholars, educators, and practitioners who are thinking seriously about nuclear disarmament and peace. I valued being part of a community that approaches this issue not only as a policy challenge, but also as a moral and educational one. What stayed with me most was the emphasis on dialogue and the responsibility educators have to help young people grapple thoughtfully with difficult global questions. As a teacher working with high school students, I left the conference both encouraged and challenged to bring these conversations more intentionally into my classroom and into the broader life of our school."