Peacing it together : why peace education is an integral aspect of development for post-conflict societies

Abstract

Peace education, a relatively new prevention strategy, is based on teaching curriculum designed to address the immediate needs of children living in a post-conflict society. Children are provided with the tools and techniques to help manage conflict and hatred in their own lives - redefining the notion that conflict is an inevitable part of life while fostering the understanding that conflicts need not be dealt with using violence or hatred. The success of peace education programs is evidenced in the Education for Peace (EFP) program in Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH). While the characteristics of this program are culturally specific, it provides hope for other post-conflict societies. There are underlying ideals stemming from this program that establish a foundation that can be replicated in other developing countries emerging from conflict. Although peace education has been critiqued and largely overlooked, this thesis has demonstrated how peace education is an effective tool in helping to reduce the prevalence of conflict.