Educating Health Science Students about Peace through Health Topic

Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of menthat the defences of peace must be constructed (UNESCO,1945).Curricular revision in peace education in health sciencedisciplines is an important issue in medical sciences universities.This activity affords teachers and students with the chance toinvolve not only in the contents of peace education but also moreprominently determine difficulties of peace education.Furthermore, significant engagement with peace curriculumallows medical teachers and students to detect violence andprepare a basis for fundamental peace.Medical peace and peace education are required for medical andparamedical students. Articles about peace teaching are, however,unstructured and patchy, and there is a requisite for acomprehensive curricular design. ‘Medical peace education’ isnot a searchable word in the medical database like Medline. Alsoneither the word ‘peace’, nor ‘social-well-being’ is in Medline asthe Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) database.In some universities like Mc Master, The University of BritishColumbia, Harvard, Berkeley and Princeton peace education is apart of medical school curriculum. There is also a similar programat Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. Peace education isreported as an essential instrument for the avoidance of violenceand war, and the construction of maintainable peace.There are many topics that can be included in the curriculum ofpeace education for medical and paramedical students such as; the capacity of conflict management, linking peace and health,violence as a major health conflict, the role of health professionalexperts in peace building, healthcare staff at risk of violence andthe concept of peace medicine. These topics can be included inthe curriculum of medical universities. There are some qualities,tools, values and opportunities for including this important topicin the curriculum. The qualities include skills and knowledge fordiagnosis and treatment of diseases, documentation of healththreats to populations, reconstruction the health sector and so on.The tools are international collaboration and networking, accessto people and different communities, funds and infrastructure andso on. The opportunities are meditation and diplomacy. Thevalues are the commitment to health, doing no harm, humandignity, social responsibility, confidentiality and so on.Peace through health can also be designed as an inter-professionalelective for medical, nursing, midwifery, physiotherapy andoccupation therapy students. A sample of this curriculum will bediscussed in the panel. For delivering the curriculum SPICESmodel (Student-centered, Problem- based, Integrated,Community-oriented, Electiveness and Systematic approach) willbe considered. A range of different teaching strategies will beused.In conclusion, it is necessary to reinforce the need for peaceeducation. It might fill the gap among health and peace inpractice, teaching and research. If a full peace concept is appliedin medical universities curriculum, it would include behavioraland cultural factors that are specific to that community. Based onsuch a perspective, for supporting peace on all levels, and forfirming the conflict-handling capability of people andcommunities it is an urgency to empower our students about thisimportant topic.