Religious Education and Peace: An Overview and Response

This article provides some concluding reflections on religious education and peace-making in different countries in East and West (Indonesia, Korea, Japan, Israel, Spain, Germany, USA), as discussed in the previous papers of this volume. I mention the changed nature of modern forms of violence and war, so that peace is no longer just an option in the contemporary world, but must be an imperative if the global community is to flourish. Reference is made to the Declaration Toward a Global Ethic (1993) and the Earth Charter (2000) as helpful instruments for developing peace education. The religions of the world possess considerable seeds for peace-making which religious education can use as resources for overcoming violence and promoting a culture of peace.