Education for Peace and International Understanding in the Asia-Pacific: Trends and Issues

Abstract

Peace and international understanding education as a philosophy and field of practice has grown substantially in recent decades. It is included within global curricular and pedagogical programs of schools, universities, non-governmental organizations, and international agencies. The interdisciplinary field draws on theory and pedagogy from other related educational efforts, including: anti-racism education, conflict resolution education, global citizenship education, human rights education, social justice education, and sustainable development education. At the core of these endeavors is the concept of a culture of peace as an organizing framework that links together these disparate fields of practice at different levels of education, from early childhood to adult learning, and across curricular subjects. International conferences and global agendas of the United Nations and civil society initiatives support the work. This chapter then aims to address the following questions: What is education for peace and international understanding? How is it practiced differently in diverse contexts of the Asia-Pacific region? What are some challenges and opportunities for the field emerging from these unique contexts? What are some theoretical and pedagogical implications? To answer these questions, the chapter will introduce students, scholars, and practitioners to the landscape of peace and international understanding education within the various contexts of the Asia-Pacific region looking specifically to trends and new directions for the field. Theoretical and pedagogical implications will be explored, particularly concerning lingering tensions around global/local, traditional/modern, top-down/bottom-up, and theory/practice debates. The contribution of the chapter is toward illuminating the diverse social agendas and contextual particularities of the Asia-Pacific as entry points into education for peace and international understanding in the region. Educators elsewhere have much to learn from examining the philosophies, principles, and practices of education for peace and international understanding in the Asia-Pacific region.