Conference Program

This paper offers a theoretical and empirical reflection on nonviolent education, drawing on documentary analysis and qualitative research based on participant observation and the systematization of project materials developed by the association Energia per i Diritti Umani(EDU) in schools in Rome. These practices are examined as situated pedagogical practices, framed within the perspective of universalist humanism(Silo,1991), which conceives personal transformation and social transformation as inseparable processes.

The theoretical framework highlights that violence is not a biological destiny(UNESCO,1991) but rather a culturally and structurally constructed phenomenon(Galtung,2008). From this perspective, nonviolence is understood both as a method of action and as a relational approach grounded in coherence between intrapsychic and social dimensions—namely, coherence among thinking, feeling, and acting, and treating others as one would wish to be treated(Tato & Serfaty,2008). A key distinction is drawn between aggression, understood as a vital energy associated with self-assertion, and violence, its destructive and culturally codified expression(Oliverio Ferraris,2013). Within this framework, anger is not simply repressed but recognized and transformed into a generative force for change(Rosenberg,2006), capable of “extinguishing the fire”(Nhat Hanh,2022) while preserving its transformative potential, in continuity with Gandhi’s conception of nonviolence as an active social force(Gandhi,2017).

If violence is a learned behavior, institutional education represents a primary context in which such learning can either be reinforced or reoriented. Schools can be understood as multidimensional environments in which symbolic, competitive, evaluative, and relational forms of violence are often reproduced, embedded within disciplinary, hierarchical, and punitive logics that contribute to a broader cultural militarization of educational settings(Barnao,2024). Nonviolent education offers a way to counter these dynamics by transforming relational patterns, evaluative practices, and conflict management strategies toward dialogical, cooperative, and inclusive models(Coiro,2024).

Within this perspective, Ubuntu pedagogy(Blackwood,2025)—summarized in the expression “I am because we are”—reframes the school as a space of interdependence and shared responsibility, while Dewey’s experiential and democratic pedagogy(Dewey,1938) situates these practices within a vision of learning grounded in reflective action and active participation. In this framework, nonviolence is not conceived as a normative prescription but as a situated practice learned through cooperation, participation, and critical engagement with conflict. The pedagogy of intentionality(Aguilar & Bize,2018) further reinforces this transformative orientation by enabling individuals to act intentionally within social reality.

This paper analyzes the experience of EDU—active in Italy, Senegal, and India—in outlining a model of nonviolent pedagogy capable of fostering the cultural and symbolic demilitarization of educational contexts. Through the analysis of emotional literacy activities, experiential workshops, and participatory initiatives such as the Library of Nonviolence, the study highlights the generative and holistic nature of the association’s educational approach. This model operates across three interconnected levels: the personal level(emotional awareness and the transformation of anger), the interpersonal level(active listening, mediation, cooperation, and dialogue), and the collective level(the construction of educational communities). Finally, the study emphasizes the importance of systemic networks—from the Universal Civil Service to initiatives such as EDUMANA—identifying collaboration among local actors and volunteers as a key driver in fostering a supportive and socially aware society grounded in Patfoort’s(2013) principle of equivalence.