ABSTRACT
“If the purpose of teaching about war is to understand the past in order to prevent repetition in the future, the purpose of teaching peace is to create that future”. These are the words of Ronni Alexander whose essay, part of a pair of Peace Review special issues on Teaching Peace and War, is also included here. Across the essays in these two special issues a key theme emerged: Teaching peace and war, whether in choice of pedagogy or in structuring a curriculum, must be attentive to context. This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book focuses specifically on classroom strategies but also asks us to consider some broader themes applicable beyond the teaching of peace and war. It focuses on peace and war (studies) curricula and starts by drawing attention to standards of import and how they continue to change.
