History

Education for Peace, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and is the only non-denominational, non-partisan peace education initiative directed toward and including children and youth in Monroe County. The Education for Peace Project was founded in 1989 by Dina C. D'Aiuto, Rochester City School District Educator and Dr. Deborah Sunbeck, Clinical Psychologist, in response to the increased violence occurring within our local schools. D'Aiuto and Sunbeck saw a need to promote peaceful coexistence among all students and hopefully prevent violent situations in our schools and community.

Their initiative has grown over the years with larger attendance at the annual Education for Peace Conference and more schools participating in this event. The Peace Conference initially assembled Parochial, Suburban and Rochester City School District students to share their school's efforts for peace and to recognize students who are chosen to represent their school as Peace Ambassadors. The conference has expanded from a two-hour assembly into a two-day conference providing workshops that address conflict resolution, cultural diversity, peer mediation, the arts and other alternatives to violence, issues concerning women and girls and ways to work for peace.

The growth and uniqueness of this project totally run by volunteers, has generated both interest and recognition within and beyond the Rochester area. The Education for Peace Conference has become an effective role model program, which promotes awareness, educates and provides the tools for peaceful coexistance within our schools and community.

The Mayor of Rochester, Robert J. Duffy, and County Executive Maggie Brooks have proclaimed the week of April 27th to May 3rd as "Education for Peace Week".

Board of Directors

Dina C. D’Aiuto President
Thomas Warfield Vice President
Ashwin N. Shah Treasurer

 

Advisory Board

Dr. Walter Cooper
Assuntina Fallone
Arun Gandhi
David Koon
Susan Ware

Co-Founders

Dina C. D’Aiuto
Dr. Deborah T. Sunbeck