I'd Rather Teach Peace - Paperback

by Colman McCarthy (Author)

*Advance Praise and Reviews*
"A welcome addition to the literature . . . belongs in every library."-Margaret Mary Reher in American Catholic St

When acclaimed Washington Post columnist Colman McCarthy was invited to teach a course on writing at an impoverished public school in Washington, D.C., he responded, "I'd rather teach peace." Thus began the work he has passionately pursued for the past three decades: teaching courses on nonviolence, conflict management, and peace studies in high schools, colleges, and prisons.

I'd Rather Teach Peace chronicles one semester in six of these schools, as students find themselves challenged and inspired by an unconventional course and by a man who believes that if we don't teach our children peace, someone else will teach them violence.

Author Biography

Colman McCarthy was a columnist for The Washington Post for 28 years and the founder of the Center for Teaching Peace, part of the Washington Peace Center, a nonprofit organization that helps schools establish peace studies programs. He devoted his life to advancing nonviolence and peace education until his death on February 27, 2026.