Education and the Velvet Revolution
The Velvet Revolution and Education
Peace education stands as one of the most undervalued and underfunded points of our educational system that is world-wide. If we look at the typical education curriculum at elementary school, or a high school , which is where youth are most impressionable, any site of compulsory non-violent schooling is almost entirely non existent. Regardless, we often find compulsory history classes, which describe every single war in detail, including its death toll, its generals and all the other players.
Yet given this educational dilemma that is lopsided, once in a while an enthusiastic humanitarian comes to champion a brand new form of instruction about peace, rather than violence.
The Revolution was named “Velvet” due to its soft and non-violent method of peace.
The power of this movie lies in the way it can capture the essence of the Velvet Revolution and how power shifts when individuals the youth, stand up against protest and repression in a non-violent way. The solidarity of the Czech people was so overwhelming that it forced them to bring in new leadership, namely Vaclav Havel, the leader of the revolution and basically crippled the government.
Broken educational systems could no doubt use this picture as a model to teach students at all levels of education about non-violence’s tremendous impact on world history and it. There’s a host of information online yet it doesn’t make it onto the curriculum of most of our schools, lots even on social media, but again you’ll often find facebook blocked in these situation.
Once peace and non violence become “required” curriculum in schools, especially for teens, we’ll begin to find a shift in our belief system regarding what alternatives are accessible to our issues. If a kid has just seen violence, at home, in history books and in the media, then that kid will act accordingly. If a child sees and is educated peaceful approaches to solve disputes and problems subsequently teens will naturally choose this path for resolution.
What was the Velvet Revolution?
The Velvet Revolution was a peaceful and non-violent movement that led to the overthrow of communist rule in Czechoslovakia in 1989. It began with student protests in Prague on November 17, 1989, marking the 50th anniversary of the killings of Prague students by Nazi troops. These protests, sparked by the fall of the Berlin Wall just eight days earlier, quickly gained widespread support from Czechoslovak citizens of all ages. The movement was characterized by its lack of violence, with protesters often using symbolic gestures like giving flowers to riot police.
The protests escalated rapidly, with significant events including the formation of the Civic Forum, led by dissident and writer Václav Havel, who demanded the resignation of communist leaders, freedom for political prisoners, and an investigation into police violence. By November 20, large demonstrations filled Prague’s streets, and by the end of November, the communist government had begun to collapse. Key milestones included the general strike on November 27, which was attended by 75% of the population, and the eventual resignation of the communist party from government on December 7. Václav Havel became the president of Czechoslovakia on December 29, 1989, marking a significant transition to democracy.
The term “Velvet Revolution” reflects the smooth and peaceful nature of the transition, which stood in contrast to the violence often associated with other revolutions. This revolution had a profound impact on Czechoslovakia, leading to its eventual dissolution into the Czech and Slovak Republics in 1993, and it also symbolized the broader collapse of communist rule in Eastern Europe.
Author of How to Watch BBC Abroad
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