Further distinctions in peace education come from the content taught, the pedagogy or teachers style, and the skills that students learn in order to become peaceful people. Peace education content started out discussing the causes of war and the attempts of international systems to avoid war. In Japan peace education was originally defined narrowly as 'anti-atomic bomb' education. More recently, largely influenced by third world perspectives, there has been a broadening of the notion of peace education to include the study of the origins of Japanese militarism. Peace educators around the world are dealing with other issues, e.g. structural violence, cultural violence, personal violence, racism, and environmental destruction.
Peace education operates differently in various global contexts.
Questions were raised about practical strategies that link theory and practice, especially in the context of countries experiencing war or having recently experienced war. The works of Elise Boulding and Paolo Freire were mentioned. Boulding was acknowledged for feminist peace theorizing about personal and interpersonal violence and her emphasis upon future thinking and the key role of international nongovernmental organizations in promoting peace. Paulo Freire contributes an emphasis upon developing a questioning attitude towards the violence of the status quo and a pedagogy that relies upon a dialogue between teacher and pupil where both together seek alternatives to violence. Peace educators produce critical thinkers who question the emphasis upon militarism found all around the world.