Results of a Synthesis Report exploring the obstacles and opportunities for education’s engagement with peace, commissioned by INEE, UNESCO and IFRC through the Geneva Hub for Education in Emergencies and in partnership with the Political Economy of Education Research (PEER) network, were presented at the Geneva Global Hub for EiE on 8 April 2022.
The report focuses on education in emergencies programming that has been successful in delivering peacebuilding outcomes, and looks at theoretical literature, to help explain the persistent challenges to education programming and how it contributes to sustainable peace.
In short, it highlights the need to understand that education can only support peacebuilding if it is delivered properly – done poorly, education can be a cause of harm. According to several authors of the report’s case studies, it is essential to recognise and address sources of injustice and barriers to equality within an education system when deciding how to integrate peacebuilding into a curriculum.
In many cases, existing inequalities and injustices create conditions that run counter to peacebuilding efforts – for example, when history teachings about minority communities are in conflict with education for peace, or when “neutral” approaches to education have the effect of erasing the experiences of marginalised groups.
The report presents a framework to help analyse and acknowledge the impact of historical, epistemic, and neo-colonial injustices on education and peacebuilding initiatives. Furthermore, the report explores the potential for education in emergencies programming to contribute to peacebuilding within the triple nexus of humanitarian-development-peacebuilding interventions.
The full report will be ready to be published shortly – keep an eye out here, on eiehub.org.