Strategic Issues & Experiences in the Promotion of Education for Peace and Conflict Prevention

1. Strategic Issues & Experiences in the Promotion of Education for Peace and Conflict Prevention Hameed A Hakeem, Education Adviser & Coordinator “APPEAL” UNESCO Bangkok (Asia & Pacific Regional Bureau for Education) International Forum on Learning to Live Together: Education as an Instrument for Social Cohesion, Conflict Prevention and Resolution, Bishkek, June 2012

2. Contents • The challenge: Why address this issue? • EFA-related issues • What are the sources of strategic directions for learning to live together? • 4 Pillars of Learning: a strategic framework to address the issue • Promising experience and elements for policy recommendations Bishkek, June 2012

3. I.The Challenge… “In a world that is more connected than ever, intolerance is not an option, and “passive tolerance” or mere peaceful coexistence is not enough. The mixing of different identities and the rapprochement of diverse cultures, between States but also within societies, calls for us to devise models of citizenship and social participation where individuals manage to live together truly, rather than just “side by side”. Simple citizens or public leaders at every level can help to demonstrate that tolerance is the way to make the most of human diversity as a source of vitality, creation and social cohesion.” Director General of UNESCO on the International Day of Tolerance, 16 November 2011.

4. “Globalization, the extent of migratory-related phenomena, and multi-culturalism have today recast the question of how to live together for many communities with different cultures and religions. Tolerance is thus important to us all, as it makes possible the existence of those differences at the same time as the differences make its existence necessary.” Director General of UNESCO on the International Day of Tolerance, 16 November 2004.

5. Ignorance can be the basis for conflict and misunderstanding. Education: Principal means of promoting peace and tolerance in the long term But what kind of education? Is today’s education contributing as it should to the promotion of mutual understanding and civic responsibility? Do we need to re-orient education to create better communities and a better world?

6. II. EFA-related issues - Goal 1: ECCE Gross enrolment ratios per country Source: Global Monitoring Report UNESCO , 2011

7. Goal 1: ECCE Gross enrolment ratios per sub-region Source: Global Monitoring Report UNESCO , 2011

8. Goal 2: Primary Education Progress and Issues in EFA 6 Goals Retention patterns vary across countries Expected to complete primary Children expected to start primary school Expected to reach grade 2 Expected to reach grade 3 Expected to reach last grade 100 children Mongolia 100 93 Niger 60 17

9. Progress and Issues in EFA 6 Goals Goal 3: Learning and Life skills for Youth • Demand for secondary and tertiary education is growing – but large global inequalities exist; • 74 million adolescents out of school • Weak linkages between education and employment • Rich countries – reforms needed to enhance efficiency and equity

10. Progress and Issues in EFA 6 Goals Goal 5: Gender Parity Many countries are moving too slowly on disparities • 69 countries still to achieve gender parity at primary level (4 countries in South and West Asia) • Gender parity in Seconday Education is low (0.87 in South and West Asia) • Gender imbalances in education are transmitted directly to job markets GJ KIM

11. Progress and Issues in EFA 6 Goals Goal 6: Quality of Education • Too many school children learn far too little • International assessments reveal large inequalities across countries • Absolute levels of achievement within countries are often very low – and very unequal • Inequalities reflect school performance as well as household characteristics • However, trade-offs between quality and quantity are not inevitable

12. What are the causes? Educational marginalization driven by interacting layers of disadvantage Cross-cut by povertyandgender. Five key processes which drive marginalization: Poverty, vulnerability and child labour Group-based disadvantages Location and livelihoods Disability HIV and AIDs 3. Drivers of Marginalization Marginalization

13. 3. Drivers of Marginalization 5 Main Reasons of Marginalization

14. 3. Drivers of Marginalization 5 Main Reasons of Marginalization

15. 3. Drivers of Marginalization Combatting Marginalization The inclusive education triangle Three broad sets of policies which can combat marginalization

16. 4. Education under Attack 4. Education and Conflicts Conflicts and Disasters • Armed conflict is a barrier to Education for All • Conflict destroys opportunities for education • How does education contribute to conflict?

17. Conflicts and Disasters Education’s hidden crisis in conflict-affected states • 35 conflict-affected countries, average duration of war in the poorest is 12 years • The balance sheet for education: • 28 million children out of school in conflict-affected countries - 42% of the global out of school total • Child death rates more than double • Only 79% of young people in conflict areas literate • Conflict reinforces education inequality • Internally displaced and refugees have some of the worst education indicators

18. Conflicts and Disasters Impact of conflicts on children, teachers and schools • Armed conflicts within countries • Indiscriminate use of force and targeting of civilians • Conflict-related poverty and disease are a major killer • Children, teachers and schools are on the front-line • Rape and sexual violence are a widespread ‘terror tactic’ • Diversion of finance and aid from classrooms to guns

19. Aid follows security agendas Conflicts and Disasters Aid is skewed towards a small group of countries identified as national security priorities 2002 - 2003 Aid to basic education 2007 - 2008 200 Constant 2008 US$ millions 180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 Chad Afghanistan Sudan Somalia D.R. Congo Pakistan Iraq Cote d'Ivoire C.A.R.

20. Conflicts and Disasters Humanitarian aid in 2009 – education only 2% US$ Million 2% 4000 Requested amount 3500 Education received Funding received only 2% of all 3000 funding. 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0 Education Food Health Multi - sector Shelter and Coordination Water and Agriculture Economic Protection, Mine action non - food and support sanitation recovery and human rights, items services infrastructure rule of law

21. Conflicts and Disasters • Protectionof children, teachers and civilians from human rights abuses • Provision of education to vulnerable populations trapped in violent conflict, to refugees and internally displaced people • Reconstructionto seize the education peace premium • Peace buildingto unlock the potential of education as a force for peace • Risk reduction for national disaster GJ KIM

22. Progress and Issues in EFA 6 Goals III. Sources of Strategic Directionsfor Learning to Live Together • UNESCO’s constitution • UNESCO’s mandate and functions: 5 key fns: prospective studies & foresight; std setting actions; advancement & sharing of knowledge; capacity builder; catalyst for international cooperation • UNESCO’s Conventions and Recommendations on diverse aspects of education • Reports of Eminent Commissions • Recommendations from Global Conferences

23. IV. Four Pillars of Learning provide a Strategic Framework to address issuesof social cohesion, conflict prevention & conflict resolution • Learning to know – acquiring the instrument of understanding, or learning how to learn • Learning to do – applying learned knowledge in daily life; to be able to act responsibly in conflict situations • Learning to be – acquring universally shared values; developing one’s personality, self identity, self-knowledge, self-fulfillment – the complete person , developing wisdom • Learning to Live Together

24. Learning to Live Together – What is it? • The social dimension of human development • Basis for social cohesion and harmony, conflict avoidance, non-violence, peaceful co-existence • The recognition that differences and diversity are opportunities rather than dangers & are a valuable resource to be used for the common good • The ability to tolerate, respect,welcome, embrace and even celebrate difference and diversity in people, their histories, traditions, beliefs, values and cultures and to use this diversity to enrich our lives • The essence of inter-cultural, inter-faith education

25. Learning to Live Together – Why do it? • To cope with urgent situations of tension, exclusion, conflict, violence and terrorism • To respond constructively to cultural diversity & economic disparity, found within & across the region • To enable people to live in increasingly pluralistic , multi-cultural societies • To provide a peaceful environment for sustainable socio-economic development • To further the mission of ‘constructing the defense of peace in the minds of men’

26. Learning to Live Together – How to do it? • Reformulate policies for systematic education reform – towards education for social inclusion, conflict resolution and mutual understanding – consturcting the defense of peace in the minds of all • Emphasize change in knowledge, skills, attitudes, and bahaviours via changes in education content, approaches, and ethics, both in and out of school • Re-organize curricular contents with a central emphasis on moral, ethical and cultural education • Teach such contents through individual subjects as well as integrate them in the core curriculum

27. Learning to Live Together – How to do it? • Retrain and mobilize teachers and school administrators towards more democratic, participatory interactions and as role models of learning to live together • Create a safe peaceful and harmonious school climate which reflects the ideal of learning to live together • Renew partnerships for the mobilization of all actors in and for education – and among all entities concerned with values education • Link it with what is taught in homes, communities, the media, the workplace and other informal learning contexts

28. In Education we have a powerful tool. We can use this power for good For shared values For learning to live together For intercultural & interfaith understanding For conflict prevention Can we apply what we know from human learning to development of shared values?

29. What is known about values formation? Shared values can help to live together in peace - including different ethnic groups . Begins at an early age…but is an on-going process as learning is lifelong. Moral sense begins to develop within the first 2 years of life: Empathy emerges at around 18 months when children desire to comfort other children. What does this mean? Help with this process early in life. But pay attention to knowledge & beliefs learners bring into the learning task. Use this knowledge as the starting point. Learning is enhanced when teachers identify & work from where learners currently are .

30. To be effective learning values will need to be grounded in practical and locally contexualized activities

31. V. Promising Experience and Elements for Policy Rocommendations

32. Commendable work done by Asia-Pacific Centre of Education for International • Understanding (APCIEU): • established to promote Education for International Understanding (EIU). • aims to instill a culture of peace that encompasses individuals, communities, nations, international/global systems and a sustainable relationship between humanity and nature. Teachers’resource book, Learning to Live Together (2004). The two-volume publication provides a comprehensive introduction to the conceptual framework and pedagogy of EIU in the sense that EIU is explained against the backdrop of UNESCO activities towards a Culture of Peace and with a view to integrating varied pedagogical principles into the curriculum of EIU. An example of APCIEU’s work to Promote Learning to Live Together

33. Promising Experience in Values Edn • Values Education Good Practice Schools Project: • A school-driven, ground-up approach to exploring values education practice in local schooling contexts • Involved school communities with diverse backgrounds to conceive of their own, values education projects and apply for grants to support their implementation • Intention: Create opportunities for schools to use the National Framework in their local contexts and for them to report on what they learnt. • Project established ways of supporting, monitoring and gathering accounts of these diverse school experiences. • Finally, distil generalisations of good practice in values education for sharing with other schools in that country.

34. Promising Experience in Values Edn ctd. 10 Good Practices from Values Edn Good Practice Schools Project Establish and consistently use a common and shared values language across the school Use pedagogies that are values-focused and student-centred within all curriculum Develop values education as an integrated curriculum, rather than as a programme, an event, or an addition to the curriculum Explicitly teach values so students know what the values mean and how the values are lived Implicitly model values and explicitly foster modelling of values Develop relevant and engaging values approaches connected to local and global contexts and which offer real opportunity for student agency Use values education to consciously foster intercultural understanding, social cohesion and social inclusion Provide teachers with informed, sustained and targeted professional learning and foster their professional collaborations Encourage teachers to take risks in their approaches to values education Gather and monitor data for continuous improvement in values education

35. Elements for Policy Recommendations 1. Education should be considered in the strategic assessment of conflict. Studies emphasize that relationship between education and conflict can be both positive and negative (part of the problem/solution) Edn can be a casualty of conflict Edn can also exacerbate tensions and underlying causes of conflicts 2. More systematic analysis required rather than fragmented, compartmentalized responses. Compartmentalized thinking (“preventative”, “emergecny response”, “post –conflict”) could decrease likelihood of deeper systemic analyses of the realtionship between education and conflict and leads to disconnected responses

36. Elements for Policy Recommendations ctd. 3. System-wide approaches are needed: activity of a single agency focusing on a single issue is unlikely to create any positive impact on conflict. It is necessary to view the system as a whole and work together with others in a strategic manner. 4. More attention required on the role of formal education: focusing special forms of education with specific groups of people has led to neglect of issues concerning the huge number of children involved in formal education . Similar attention should be given to systemic issues that have a potential to inflame or ameliorate conflict. 5. Reconstruction as an opportunity to develop conflict –sensitive education systems: attention to nature of conflict as a transforming process & see role of edn as a trasforming process.

37. Elements for Policy Recommendations ctd 6. Education as a Right: tendency to regard education as a luxury rather than a Right in contexts of emergency response. Better not to “wait for peace” before seriously addressing education issues. Education to be regarded as an integral part of the response even during “emergency” operations.

38. Thank you for your attention