Peace Education in Post-Conflict Zones

Abstract

Peace education explores the factors that foster the abilities for individuals and communities to live together harmoniously. The field of peace education that examines post-conflict zones has rapidly expanded as an area of study intersecting both peace education and peacebuilding challenges. See the separate Oxford Bibliographies article in International Relations “Post-Conflict Peacebuilding.” Peace education, although challenging to define precisely, emerges as a particular field oriented toward enhancing knowledge, skills, and attitudes toward building understanding, tolerance, and environmental care along with a respect for human rights and freedoms. As such, it has contributed as an area of social importance given that it seeks to focus on the prevention of future conflict and the reduction of current conflicts. The expansion of the field has acknowledged the complexities of applying peace education principles in post-conflict contexts. This serves to enhance the ability to define the field. Many post-conflict peace educators link their work with the theories of conflict resolution and transformation. See the separate Oxford Bibliographies article in International Relations “Conflict Management.” The context in which the education takes place greatly impacts the type of approach taken. Consequently, this means that the “cookie cutter” approach is not able to effectively address the essential areas of need. Contextualized long- and short-term goals need to be considered as components for social change. Toward this effort, the use of localized knowledge is essential to ensure that a curriculum can contribute constructively to the sustainability of peace in a region. Utilizing local approaches supports the possibility of creating a culture of peace that responds to the existent needs and addresses the experiences of conflict and violence. The hoped-for result is the emergence of valuable skills applicable toward the goal of reconciliation. Considering the complexities within conflict-impacted communities, attention must be directed toward critical study of the issues and sensitivities required. In addition to highlighting the local and the potential benefits of intergroup encounters, this bibliography will also focus on the large frameworks of peace education leading to the emergence of post-conflict peace education as a distinct focus area of the education for peacebuilding field.