Embracing Peace Education for Interreligious Awareness in Myanmar: A Case Study of the Judson Research Center

Abstract

There is limited consideration of the role of interreligious awareness in both preventing violent conflict and integrating it into the curriculum of modern peace education. This paper seeks to address this gap by recognizing the significance of religious awareness in peacebuilding through peace education, focusing on the Judson Research Center of the Myanmar Institute of Theology as a key institution in promoting a peaceful society. Myanmar has been prone to religious conflict for a long time, especially as religion has been used by various groups to gain political advantage, and religion has become a sensitive topic. The research method in this study is a qualitative case study conducted through informal dialogue with two key officials and representatives of the center, a literature review (mainly on peace educa-tion to align with the purpose of the article), analysis of documents and research articles, as well as dissert-ations and journal articles, including studying the practices of the research center itself. As a research article and not merely a desk paper based on existing published articles alone, the findings of this article are thus not based on pre-conceived themes. Rather, the themes emerged based on actual field observation, interviews, and contextual analysis. This paper highlights the importance of peace education for peaceful communication among different religious groups and its contribution to improving interreligious awareness for building peace. Ultimately, it empha-sizes the critical role of peace education in fostering mutual understanding, respect, and trust for the establishment of a peaceful and harmonious society. Keywords: communication, Judson Research Center, peacebuilding, peace education, religion