We are very happy to share this conversation with the Peace Educator and activist Eamon Haftner from Ireland. His personal journey started very early due to the conflicts in his country and his nonviolent resistance was put into proof along his life for many times. He is a member of the World beyond War and Swords of Ploughshares, his work with Peace, Justice, Reconciliation and Dialogue in Ireland and also in International projects in Europe, South Africa, Afghanistan and Palestine is remarkable. We are very proud to have him as a friend and colleague in the International Institute on Peace Education (IIPE) and HOPE – Humans of Peace Education. Thank you Eamon for your dedication to Peace and all your efforts to make this planet a safer place, with freedom and hope for all. You can get to know him by watching our conversation and reading his profile.
In the name of peace,
Regina Proença
Conversations Outside the Box is project developed by the cultural collective Fora da Caixa (Outside the Box) and for this series of interviews we will have the support and partnership of HOPE – Humans of Peace Education, a platform where you can find the profiles of peace educators across the globe and also have access to their projects and achievements.
This partnership also has the support of the community of International Institute on Peace Education (IIPE) and Global Campaign for Peace Education. Our common goal is to make Peace Education and the professionals who dedicate their lives in spreading Peace more accessible and known in the community, schools, universities and public in general. We intend to inspire and show how much we have done and plan to do in the future.
Join us for this transformative and revolutionary journey!
Eamon Rafter
I was born and am based in Dublin, Ireland where I originally studied History & Politics in Trinity College Dublin. I then worked as a teacher in Ireland, Australia and Indonesia 1985-1995 in diverse formal and non-formal contexts. Returning to Ireland I did a Masters degree in UCD and a Post Grad Diploma in Adult and Community Education working in a range of education projects with marginalised communities and in curriculum development. Further study included a Post Grad Cert in Education for Sustainability, a Masters degree in Peace Studies again at Trinity College and I then began to work fulltime as a peace educator,
I have worked for twenty-five years as a peace educator/facilitator in education for peace, justice and reconciliation projects with communities affected by the Irish conflict and in cross border dialogues. Underpinning my work is learning skills for dealing nonviolently and creatively with conflict. I have worked extensively with the legacy of the conflict, exploring shared understandings of the past and developing relationships through dialogue for common action. I have also been involved in many European projects and in Palestine/Israel, Afghanistan and South Africa and hosted diverse international groups in Ireland. I also conducted training for facilitators in dialogue process with Masters students in Dublin and Belfast.
In recent years I have been with the Irish chapter of World Beyond War, Swords to Ploughshares (StoP) and Lex Innocentium 21, working to create awareness & resist the militarisation of Europe, defend active neutrality & share learning on non-violent approaches to transforming conflict. I have attended the last four IIPE gatherings in Nicosia, Mexico City, Nepal and Granada, Spain. I’ve also been involved in long term work to develop an integrated approach to peace education and in the exploration of peace pedagogy as a form of activism.
Published work includes:
Editor and contributor: ‘Deepening Reconciliation: Reflections on Glencree Peacebuilding’, 2014
Chapter: ‘The Transformative Power of Dialogue‘ in ‘Connecting Lives: Interbelief Dialogue in Contemporary Ireland’, 2019. Chapter in ‘Freedom to Choose-Report on Consultative Forum’, 2023
Contact e-mail: [email protected]