The lessons in this resource were written by a team of writers from the International Institute for Global Education. Global education seeks to integrate the concepts of world-mindedness with student-centred education. World-mindedness involves the idea that education has a key role to play in the development of citizens who demonstrate respect for people of other cultures, faiths and world views and who understand global issues. Student-centeredness holds that youth learn best when they are encouraged to learn and explore for themselves and when they are addressed as individuals with a unique set of beliefs, experiences and strengths.

In many classrooms, most instruction is based on either the "learning about" or the "learning for" approach. Learning about is a knowledge-oriented approach, mainly concerned with the assimilation and interpretation of facts, concepts, data and evidence. The learning for approach, values acquisition or development of skills, which in turn enables students to apply the knowledge they have acquired. What the activities and materials contained in this resource seek to do is to add the learning in (or through) approach, whereby the actual process of learning is as significant as the intended content of learning.

This approach recognizes that learning is reinforced through the very nature of the classroom environment. The quality of interpersonal relationships and the methods of teaching and learning need to be consistent with the core values that the learning material intends to develop. In this resource, that means values such as the respect for peace, non-violence, diversity, human rights and social justice. Peace is as much a process as a goal, so it is necessary to allow students to practise peace through experiences that promote peaceful behaviours such as co-operation, compromise and negotiation.

Activity-based learning maximizes the opportunity to harmonize the medium with the message. It increases students' involvement and validates the process of learning. In this process, teachers are not the only sources and transmitters of knowledge. Rather, teachers are expected to play a critical role in debriefing, by essentially building knowledge around the learners' own reflections on their involvement in the activity. Interaction in the activities widens the scope for learning. The dynamic interplay of ideas and perspectives creates its own momentum that can lead to unimagined outcomes from which every participant can benefit. In addition, activity-based learning incorporates multiple learning styles - often within the same activity, as students move from individual work to pair and group discussions. This method enhances each student's potential within a short time frame.

Overall, the principles upon which the following activities are founded help students to both construct and reinforce a democratic, humane and equitable culture. Co-operation, empathy, fairness, respect and peacefulness are practised through this inclusive and participatory learning process.