Creating peace through art : using art to teach conflict

This thesis explores how visual art can teach conflict resolution and violence prevention to young adolescents. It focuses on developmental factors in early adolescence (11-14 year olds), and the ways art can help young teens develop skills for peaceful problem-solving. The paper details how visual art production and analysis can help adolescents learn many of the same concepts taught in non-violence education. The thesis investigates arts' capacity to deepen comprehension of underlying principles commonly presented in conflict resolution/violence prevention curricula, such as perspective-taking, negotiation, effective communication, self-expression, decision-making and self-reflection. Likewise, educational research indicates that art can provide opportunities for adolescents to practice creative problem-solving, group interaction and critical thinking. Also examined are art and transfer learning, art education and positive social development, and the violence prevention goals of community-based youth art programs An applied critical pedagogy approach is presented, given its compatibility in supporting and expanding non-violent conflict resolution skills. Also included are community-based and in-school workshop curricula, along with respective funding proposals. Within these workshops, art production and analysis are used to help teach violence prevention and enhance conflict resolution skills. Workshops are designed so that participants apply these skills while creating a group-produced public art project (e.g., a booklet and poster); their artwork advocates for peace, and is in tum used to educate peers about non-violence.