In this time of COVID, strife, and confusion, it sometimes seems like the world is shattering. What the world needs now is peace. The workshop leader, Rebecca Oxford, is a peace author, language teacher educator, and former teacher of foreign languages and her home language. The workshop begins with a short process of humor and peace. Rebecca then reminds participants of three kinds of peace: (a) peace of mind and heart (inner peace, or peace with oneself); (b) peace with other individuals, groups, countries, and cultures (social peace, or peace with others); and (c) peace with Mother Earth (ecological peace, or peace with nature).

Following this, brief activities from at least two of the three kinds of peace will be presented, with workshop participants involved. The group will discuss what they saw and how language and peace worked together in these activities. Next, Rebecca shows how to adapt rather easily part of a textbook chapter to incorporate peacebuilding activities. If you are an EFL teacher, the workshop will show how you can easily integrate exciting, motivating EFL peace activities into your regular teaching without necessarily changing the curriculum in any major way. Weaving peace activities into the language class gives students more language practice, more motivation for communicating, and fresh concepts about developing “peace with a purpose.” If you are not teaching a language but are a teacher educator, supervisor, curriculum developer, administrator, graduate student, or parent, you can participate equally in the workshop from your own perspective. Workshop participants will receive free material: descriptions of many peace activities, some with photos; a list of relevant resources; and contact information for people who would be willing to serve as mentors or guides for you. Come to our peacebuilding workshop for a taste of joy, peace, and new ideas!