Living Values

Living Values: An Education Program [LVEP] started as an outreach programme for the Brahma Kumaris religious organization, [1] called 'Sharing Our Values for a Better World' in 1995.[2][3] Created primarily by Diane Tillman, a Licensed Educational Psychologist and Marriage and Family Therapist in Seal Beach, California, with co-authors Diana Hsu, Pilar Quera Colomina and others, Living Values was born out of an earlier Brahma Kumaris international project called, "Global Cooperation for a Better World" in 1988.[4] It was formalized at the Brahma Kumaris' United Nations office, New York in 1996. In 1999, a USA nonprofit corporation, Living Values: An Educational Program, Inc. (LVEP, Inc.)was established to further develop and disseminate the program worldwide. LVEP, Inc. provided initial support to the formation of an international coordinating organization (ALIVE) in 2004. As of March, 2011, LVEP was estimated to be in use in over 60 countries at thousands of sites.[5]

Activities

LVE provides professional development courses and educational resource materials to help educators help young people explore and develop universal values, according to the cultural background. The twelve values being: freedom, cooperation, tolerance, happiness, honesty, love, peace, humility, respect, responsibility, simplicity, and unity which can be expressed in life through attitude, behavior and relationships. The educational program helps children, youth, educators and parents to understand, develop and share values in daily life.

Living Values Education (LVE) is a way of conceptualizing education that promotes the development of values-based learning communities and places the search for meaning and purpose at the heart of education. LVE emphasizes the worth and integrity of each person involved in the provision of education, in the home, school and community. In fostering quality education, LVE supports the overall development of the individual and a culture of positive values in each society and throughout the world, believing that education is a purposeful activity designed to help humanity flourish. [13]

The implementation of Living Values Education is facilitated by the Association for Living Values Education International (ALIVE), a non-profit-making association of organizations around the world concerned with values education. Drawing on a strong volunteer base, the advancement and implementation of Living Values Education is supported by UNESCO and a host of other organizations, agencies, governmental bodies, foundations, community groups and individuals. It is part of the global movement for a culture of peace in the framework of the United Nations International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World. ALIVE groups together national bodies promoting Living Values Education and is an independent organization that does not have any particular or exclusive religious, political or national affiliation or interest. [13]

In 2001, LVE's series of five books won 'The Teachers' Choice Award' by 'Learning Magazine',[5] a national publication in the USA for teachers and educators. Separate programmes exist for children at risk including refugees and Children Affected by War (LVARCAW), street children, [6] youth in need of drug rehabilitation and young offenders. The Ministry of Labor in Vietnam noted in March 2008 that LVE’ drug rehabilitation program was the most successful drug rehab program in government rehabilitation clinics in the country. [13]

Bibliography

References

  1. ↑ 'Religious Organisations in the UK and Values Education Programmes for Schools' by Nesbit, E, Henderson A. Source: Journal of Beliefs and Values, Volume 24, Number 1, APRIL 2003 , pp. 75-88
  2. ↑ Tillman, Diane; Belgrave, Myrna (2001). Living Values Activities for Young Adults. p. xi. ISBN 1-55874-881-4.
  3. ↑ Arweck, Elisabeth; Nesbitt, Eleanor (June 2004). "'Living Values: an educational program'--from initiative to uptake". British Journal of Religious Education 26 (2): 133–149. doi:10.1080/01416200420042000181910. This article is concerned with the connection between religions and education. It explores the case of one particular values education programme, 'Living Values: an educational program', and its link with the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University (BKWSU) to show how the programme originated and developed, which individuals and institutions were involved in these processes, how such a programme finds application in British schools and what form such application takes. The article traces a 'chain of transmission' from inception to classroom and looks at the reception which a values-based programme finds among teachers, pupils and parents. The article is based on ethnographic and documentary data gathered in a one-year research project (September 2001 to October 2002) in the Warwick Religions and Education Research Unit (WRERU) at the University of Warwick.
  4. ↑ Tillman, by Diane G. (March 1998). "Parenting for the 21st Century, a Values-Based Approach Living Values: Αn Educational Initiative". Education for the 21st Century in the Asia-Pacific Region, UNESCO Conference Melbourne, Australia.
  5. ↑ "Living Values Education Programme". BKWSU. 2009. Retrieved 2009-02-09.

7. ^ 'Religious Organisations in the UK and Values Education Programmes for Schools' by Nesbit, E, Henderson A. Source: Journal of Beliefs and Values, Volume 24, Number 1, APRIL 2003 , pp. 75-88 8. ^ Tillman, Diane (2001). Living Values Activities for Young Adults. p. xi. ISBN 1-55874-881-4. 9. ^ Arweck, Eleanor; Nesbitt, Eleanor (June 2004). "'Living Values: an educational program'--from initiative to uptake". British Journal of Religious Education 26 (2): 133–149. doi:10.1080/01416200420042000181910. "This article is concerned with the connection between religions and education. It explores the case of one particular values education programme, 'Living Values: an educational program', and its link with the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University (BKWSU) to show how the programme originated and developed, which individuals and institutions were involved in these processes, how such a programme finds application in British schools and what form such application takes. The article traces a 'chain of transmission' from inception to classroom and looks at the reception which a values-based programme finds among teachers, pupils and parents. The article is based on ethnographic and documentary data gathered in a one-year research project (September 2001 to October 2002) in the Warwick Religions and Education Research Unit (WRERU) at the University of Warwick.". 10. ^ Tillman, by Diane G. (March 1998). "Parenting for the 21st Century, a Values-Based Approach Living Values: Αn Educational Initiative". Education for the 21st Century in the Asia-Pacific Region, UNESCO Conference Melbourne, Australia.. 11. ^ a b "Living Values Education Programme". BKWSU. 2009. http://www.lvep.org. Retrieved 2009-02-09. 12. ^ http://www.tolovechildren.org/resources/newsletters/May.pdf 13. ^ http://www.livingvalues.net/pdf/LVEP%20Overview,%20April%202009.pdf

Website