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Article Title: Integrating Mathematics Education for a Lasting Culture of Peace and conflict resolution on Planet Earth: Particular Focus on Nigeria
by Ekwueme, Cecilia O., Charles-Ogan, Gladys and Uwaezuoke, Felix O.

Abstract:
This paper examined the possibility of integrating mathematics education, especially problem solving modeling, for a lasting culture of peace and conflict resolution on planet earth with particular focus on Nigeria. It showed that intolerance, conflicts, violence and wars are undesirable and their consequence harsh on the inhabitants of the planet earth, Nigeria as a case study having a record of huge losses. It also showed that mathematics education and the mathematical sciences through statistical analysis, training in logical reasoning, mathematical modeling and more precisely, training in problem solving skills could foster a lasting culture of peace in Nigeria thereby providing logical skills for conflict resolution. This is so, because mathematics education inculcates in the learner the ability to reason logically which helps them develop problem solving skills for solving daily problems. The study will unravel other techniques that could be used to resolve numerous conflicts arising from diverse ethnic groups, lack of logical reasoning about realities of life and also proffer peaceful co-existence of Nigerians from different ethnic groups on the planet earth through integration of the realities of life into curriculum and illustrating word problems in mathematics using such situation. It was recommended that problem solving should be integrated into the mathematics curriculum with a sequential approach (that is, from simple to complex) at all levels of the education system in Nigeria.

Keywords: culture of peace, tolerance, mathematics education, problem solving and co-existence

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