Research on Values as Important Components of Peace

The aim of this research was to clarify the basic values for peace education. In this research, we consulted a study on values that was conducted in 2003 in Australia and investigated values among Japanese primary and junior school students and adults, so as to make clear whether common values exist between Japan and Australia. The results were as follows. Firstly, each country has values that are particular to it and rooted in its cultural and religious backgrounds. Our research found that Japan and Australia share multiple values. Secondly, although countries share values, the actual content of those values differs depending on the country, It will be desirable to foster common values by using diverse methods that are suited to the circumstances of particular countries. Having conducted the present comparative research on the two countries Japan and Australia, we believe that it will be possible to further clarify common values by carrying out the same surveys on multiple countries with differing cultural and religious backgrounds. Thereby, the educational contents and methods for constructing peaceful societies could also be clarified. This might constitute a step towards the building of world peace through education.