The American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) will showcase the Peace Education Program as part of its Winter Training Institute on February 23. APPA is one of the leading professional organizations in the community corrections industry and is hosting the virtual training to highlight tools that members can use to reduce recidivism and keep communities safe.
An international panel will present “A Cross Cultural Exploration of the Peace Education Program” to show how the program can transcend barriers and help diverse groups of people in community supervision settings.
This Peace Education Program curriculum is proven to promote behavioral and attitudinal change. The program has already been successfully offered at 683 correctional facilities across the globe including dozens in the U.S. A comprehensive recent study found that 89 percent of 604 incarcerated participants in four continents benefited by helping them feel empowered to face past events, gain a willingness to change, better manage their anger, and avoid fighting.
Another recent study by the Johannesburg Department of Social Development found that the Peace Education Program benefited 95% of houseless participants by enhancing self-awareness, tolerance, contentment, and self-reliance. Many were parolees.
The Peace Education Program can be offered as professional development for corrections staff as well as a tool for clients to discover their own inner strength and personal peace. Lasting behavioral change requires personal motivation, self direction, and external support. The Peace Education Program can help individuals value their experiences and open them to the possibility of innate strengths.
The panelists at the Winter Training Institute include Peace Education Program Director Willow Baker, Doctors Mitesh Desai and Andrew Ramsay, and African Choice Foundation Deputy Director Anne Wolfson (all pictured at top of this page, left to right).
“We appreciate being part of this training institute and are thrilled to introduce more members of APPA to the Peace Education Program,” says Willow Baker, who is also a member of the APPA International Affairs Committee. “APPA and The Prem Rawat Foundation share a goal of helping people overcome difficult circumstances to live with dignity.”
The Prem Rawat Foundation makes the Peace Education Program available free of charge, and you can learn more and apply for the materials here.
Learn more about the American Probation and Parole Association Winter Training Institute here.
Dr. Michael Gilbert shares his perspective on how the Peace Education Program benefits people in the corrections system. Dr. Gilbert is a Criminal Justice Professor at the University of Texas, San Antonio, and the Executive Director of the National Association of Community and Restorative Justice.
