Developing context-specific peace education initiatives with local communities: lessons from Bolivia

Abstract

ABSTRACT Peace education is often carried out without being appropriately adapted to the contexts in which it takes place and rarely involves those most affected by the work in the design and planning of their own initiatives. This article reports on an original participatory action research project designed to contextualise a peace education initiative with local communities in Bolivia. It draws on fieldwork, including interviews and focus groups with policymakers, educators, and students, to show how local actors, including students, were involved in influencing what peace education should look like for them, focussing on its purpose, pedagogy, and content. Lessons learned are also discussed. The case study is offered within a larger context of how the international community can work with the direct beneficiaries to co-develop peace and education-related initiatives that are responsive to the needs of the particular groups and contexts they are trying to affect.