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The four films in Cultivating Peace in the 21st Century provide teachers with tools to engage high school students in the search for a "culture of peace" in our homes, schools, neighbourhoods and global communities. The NFB films include Neighbours: an Oscar®-winning parable about two people who come to fatal blows over the possession of a flower (8 min); Balablok: an animated film portraying conflicts between cubes and balls, a parody of socio-cultural differences as the cause of conflict, violence and war (7 min); When the Dust Settles: an animated film from the ShowPeace Series for conflict resolution showing retaliation as a factor in escalating violence (7 min); and View from the Summit: a documentary about the 2001 Quebec Summit of the Americas (75 min, divided into 5 parts for classroom use).

This video is designed to complement the Cultivating Peace in the 21st Century teaching resource for Grades 10-12. It includes ideas on how to incorporate the films into lessons, along with ready-to-copy student material and suggestions for evaluation. To download your free copy of the teaching resource, go to web site This project was developed by Classroom Connections, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting public education in Canada.

2002, 100 min 19 s

Cultiver la paix au XXIe siècle/Cultivating Peace in the 21st Century

Balablok

Neighbours

View from the Summit

When the Dust Settles