Anita Yudkin

• Coordinator of the UNESCO Chair, Education for Peace
• Professor at the Educational Foundations Department, University of Puerto Rico
• Participates in the UNESCO Chairs Network on Human Rights

The work on peace education that we engage in at the University of Puerto Rico has focused on, since the foundation of the UNESCO Chair on Peace Education, to make peace a less abstract concept and undertaking, to make it relevant to our particular political, cultural, educational context and, at the same time, to bridge these realities to global issues and knowledge on peace education. So, we have focused on overcoming multiple forms of violence, while disseminating, supporting, creating educational initiatives geared towards a culture of peace based on human rights and sustainable futures. What has kept us going for over twenty years has been the support of a wonderful group who comprise the UNESCO Chair, the contributions we have made to the field both at the local and regional level, the marvelous research/creative work generated by University of Puerto Rico students in their commitment to a more inclusive and just peace and the Freire-inspired conviction that change towards justice is hard, but possible.

I started working on a project about children's rights for teachers through Amnesty International. From there on human rights education which led the way to working on peace education at a broader scale.

Hard to say. Making Puerto Rico visible through the UNESCO Chair's collaborative activities, and participating in valuable networks. One very significant moment was hosting IIPE 2013 in Puerto Rico.