The Justice and Peace Program organized by Dr. Suseela Mathew was a part of the continued efforts of IFOR's branch in India to provide support and training for those seeking to address social and political challenges in the country. This program was for teachers in the higher secondary schools from throughout the state of Kerala. The teachers participating in the program are trained counsellors and deal with students directly at schools. Dr. Mathew described the situation in schools facing students and teachers:
"Schools are hot beds of unrest and violence and this is observed as the overflow of the social and political currents generally. With the influence of media and usage of mobile apps students are being increasingly swayed to resort to display of intolerance and often violently. Often what is seen as assertion of rights by one section is equally an assault of the rights of another section. Dialogue is being substituted with hate filled rhetoric."
The program was designed to enable the teachers to deal with the variety of issues they confront by addressing the way that our emotions can sometimes distract us from the more strategic choices including pursuing legal redress for the concerns and grievances faced. Dr. Mathew pointed out that
"There are provisions of the law which deal with abuse of all kinds and laws which are enacted to protect the child. An effort was made to encourage teachers to use the laws and also to "conscientise" students about what was acceptable and unacceptable. All problems and solutions must face the test of justce and fairplay."
The sessions were elicitive and interactive.