Policy Analysis and Practitioner Documents
Source: Ereshnee Naidu and Cyril AdonisThis report aims to outline research of South African youth as well as the notion that memories continue to affect generations even when they do not directly experience a specific traumatic event. Primary themes include “life in the new South Africa; reconciliation and the role of memory and forgiveness in the reconciliation process; understandings of the TRC; learning about the past; sites of learning about the past”; and the inherent link between memory and identity. The authors argue for the need to remember the past in a way that allows for critical citizenship engagement as well as one that enables the current and future generations to take constructive ownership of that history and conclude with recommendations of tools for engaging youth, relevant to actors in various sectors.
Source: Elizabeth A. Cole and Judy Barsalou, United State Institute of PeaceThis report surveys the major issues, challenges, dilemmas and debates concerning the teaching of history in the aftermath of violent conflict. The findings of the report are based on a conference hosted by USIP, with assistance from the Carnegie Council on Ethics and International Affairs (CCEIA). Primary topics discussed include: the influence of historical narratives in deeply divided societies; the trend to suspend history education after violent conflict and its implications on the society; pedagogy’s importance to reform efforts in deeply divided societies; structural issues in the education system that determine education’s role in post-conflict social reconstruction; the role of outsiders; and the linkages between history education and transitional justice. The authors argue that greater investment is necessary to train history teachers in new ways to address difficult subjects in their classrooms. They conclude by emphasizing the urgent need for extensive research on the state, principles, approaches, practices and impact of history education in order to effectively utilize it in post-conflict social reconstruction.
Source: Judy Barsalou and Victoria BaxterThis report aims to identify the challenges for those seeking to repair societies post-conflict through memorialization. Primary issues include: memorialization is highly politicized and is affected by who initiates the processes and when; outside providers of assistance play an important but delicate role in memorialization efforts and should be careful not to overstep their roles with respect to local actors; the process of determining what shape a memorial project should take and how memorial space should be used is essential; the repeated failure to deal with memorials and their potentially negative impact can imperil transitional justice efforts and peacebuilding; that successful memorialization draws upon specialists from many fields; in planning and budgeting for tribunals and truth commissions, national and international authorities need to consciously lay the groundwork for national memorialization projects designed to advance the goals of earlier transitional justice initiatives; and effective evaluation also requires assessments before, during, and after project implementation, as well as the understanding that future generations may form entirely different, unanticipated opinions of a memorial. The authors conclude that international actors interested in aiding in memorialization efforts must recognize and respect these challenges.
Source: Peter Buckland, The World BankThis report provides an overview of the key findings of a study of education in post-conflict settings. Primary topics discussed include: the relationship between conflict, poverty and education; factors affecting conflict risk; the impact of conflict on education; preliminary lessons; promising directions in system reconstruction; neglected issues, including sector imbalance, refugees and internally displaced persons and the role of private education; a literature review; a database of key indicators for 52 conflict-affected countries; and a review of 12 country studies. With external actors in mind, the report outlines in detail the specific areas and modalities of intervention with respect to rebuilding educational systems as part of the overall peacebuilding endeavor. The report concludes that conflict presents not only challenges for reconstruction but also significant opportunities for reform of education systems.
Source: Elizabeth Oglesby, Carnegie Council on Ethics and International AffairsThis paper seeks to broaden the debate concerning the impact and effectiveness of truth commissions by examining Guatemala’s Commission for Historical Clarification (CEH) and its struggle to introduce the findings of its report into secondary school history curricula. The primary topics include: an introduction to the context of the CEH; a presentation of how recent history is addressed through the Guatemalan school system; an analysis of international institutions seeking to create educational projects that build a culture of peace; and a critique of such peace education initiatives. The author argues that the CEH report both constructed a public history of the violent past as well as created space for teachers and schools to consider teaching topics that previously had been taboo. She notes that the dominant trend in the Guatemalan school system has been to favor civics and a “culture of peace” education over history education and highlights problematic aspects of this approach. The author concludes that future truth commissions should develop their own educational guidelines and materials in order to increase their impact on society.
Source: Ereshnee NaiduThis manual aims at arming facilitators with tools to allow survivors or community members who have experienced violent conflict an opportunity to conceptualize their own memory processes. Primary issues explored through creative workshops are aimed at using memory work for processes of healing; allowing participants to understand issues associated with concepts of memory; allowing groups to actually conceptualize memory projects; and allowing groups to develop generic skills that will assist individuals to work together on various projects. The author maintains that memory processes can be a vehicle for peacebuilding but they should be conducted according to the needs of the community, and in so doing ensure maximum community outreach and promote community level empowerment.
Source: Kenneth D. Bush and Diane Saltarelli, UNICEFThis study seeks to develop a clearer understanding of the educational dimension of contemporary ethnic conflict, examining both the constructive and destructive impacts of education. Primary topics discussed include: the nature of contemporary conflict; the negative and positive potential of education in peacebuilding; peacebuilding education; possible steps towards the creation of a peacebuilding education and principles and goals of peacebuilding education, including the demilitarization of the mind, the introduction of alternatives to suspicion, hatred and violence and the value of memory. The authors stress that peace education is only one of many educational measures needed in societies prone to ethnic conflict. They conclude that for successful conflict resolution to take place, moving towards solutions that are transformative, that change the underpinning logic and structures of behavior, is paramount.
Source: UNESCOThese 1995 UNECO guidelines on Curriculum in International Education focus on developing curricula based on the education of peace, democracy and human rights. They are the result of efforts sustained over many years, beginning in with a 1988 expert meetings in Germany, then revisited in 1991 in Australia and again in at the 44th International Conference on Education (ICE) sponsored by the International Bureau of Education (IBE) held in Brussels in 1994. They are intended for curriculum developers, author and publishers of educational resources, teachers and school personnel as well as National Commissions for UNESCO and Ministers of Education and their advisors. Objectives to improve ways in which international education is portrayed in curricula, textbooks and other materials are expressed in terms of: knowledge, attitudes, values and skills. Guidelines cover topics related to building on these four objectives through educational means.
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