Nurturing Ethical Behavior

Believe it or not, the recipe for teaching ethical diversity can be found in a cookbook. The Ethics Cookbook created by the Lester B. Pearson College of the Pacific's Pearson Ethics Initiative in Canada doesn't just compile instructions for your everyday casserole. This book uses an unconventional format to help students, parents, and teachers understand their own ethical values and appreciate the values of their peers. Using stories, discussion topics, and useful activities, The Ethics Cookbook hopes to spark dialogue and acceptance worldwide.

In Costa Rica, one organization is preparing a generation of soldiers to battle for peace. The Rasur Foundation’s Peace Army spreads the seeds of non-violence using a two-step method that helps students and teachers tap into their inner peace. Using a heart rate monitor call the Freeze-Framer and a proven nonviolent communication strategy, schoolteachers are trained to identify first their own emotions and practice calm communication to resolve conflict. Once these skills are mastered, they are then able to teach their students—the next army of peacemakers—how to identify their emotions and to feel and speak with diplomacy.