World Council for Curriculum and Instruction

The World Council for Curriculum and Instruction (WCCI) is a transnational educational organization committed in its mission to advancing the achievement of a just and peaceful world community and promoting person-to-person, professional relationships. It is a nongovernmental organization of the United Nations in consultative status with a consultant to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The preamble of the WCCI constitution challenges educators in the world community to ensure that education contributes to the promotion of equity, peace, and universal realization of human rights, developing a comprehensive sense of respect of self, others, and the environment.

The history of the WCCI originates with the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), its 1950 Committee on International Understanding, and its 1966 Commission on Cooperation in Education. Alice Miel is credited as the founder of WCCI and the first to suggest a world conference. Louise Berman, another well-known curriculum scholar, was also essential to the founding of WCCI.

ASCD has long been distinguished by its attraction of researchers in curriculum studies and teaching at odds with more traditional approaches. In 1970, when ASCD held its first world conference at Asilomar in Pacific Grove, California, more than half of the 300 participants represented countries other than the United States. Endorsing more diverse and international approaches, participants determined to form an international organization, designated the WCCI. In 1974, WCCI officially separated from ASCD. WCCI sponsors conferences, exchanges, and global projects, and publishes related papers (see Table 1).

Leaders of WCCI include Louise Berman, Virginia Cawagas, Gulab Chaurasia, Jaime Diaz, Maxine Dunfee, Mina Fayez, Larry Hufford, Estela Matriano, Norman V. Overly, Alice Miel, Frithjof Oertel, Betty Reardon, Piyush Swami, and Swee-Hin Toh, who have been role models in curriculum development as well as in peace education.