Abstract
This chapter examines how peace education supports the peacemaking process at various stages of conflict escalation. It highlights three theories of change that explain the transformations facilitated by peace education and describes different approaches for facilitating these transformations. The chapter also showcases the two major challenges facing peace education: the sustainability of impact and the connection between micro-level educational interventions and macro-level peacemaking processes. Drawing from studies examining peace education across various conflict contexts, I argue that the processes of peace education greatly determine how effective these programs are at improving relationships between conflicting groups before, during, or after a peace agreement. These processes include both the pedagogy and structure of these programs. Moreover, combining theories of change to build bridges between enemy groups and promote shifts in consciousness motivating youth to engage in peacebuilding activities is critical for sustaining transformations promoted by these programs and scaling up these transformations.
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Acknowledgements
I would like to thank the editors of this volume for their helpful feedback and support throughout the process of writing this chapter. I am also particularly grateful to Anthony Wanis-St. John for his mentorship during my time at American University. I am also thankful to Susan Hirsch and Arthur Romano for their large role in shaping the ideas in this chapter. And I am grateful to Daniel Boerger and Harry Nitzberg for their detailed edits and revisions throughout this process. Portions of this chapter originally appeared in my dissertation: Alexander Cromwell, “Building a Culture of Peace: The Long-Term Effects of Encounter-Based Peace Education with Pakistani Youth” (PhD diss., George Mason University, Fairfax, 2019), ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.
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Cromwell, A. (2022). Peace Education as a Peacemaking Tool in Conflict Zones. In: Mac Ginty, R., Wanis-St. John, A. (eds) Contemporary Peacemaking. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-82962-9_24
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-82962-9_24
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