The influence of education on violent conflict and peace: Inequality, opportunity and the management of diversity

Abstract

This article examines the ways in which education and educational policy impact upon the likelihood and dynamics of violent conflict. It argues that education is rarely directly implicated in the incidence of violent conflict but identifies three main mechanisms through which education can indirectly accentuate or mitigate the risk of conflict: through the creation and maintenance of socio-economic divisions, including horizontal inequalities between ethnic groups; through processes of political inclusion and exclusion; and through accommodation of cultural diversity. It further suggests that designing conflict-sensitive education systems is particularly problematic because the implications of these three principal mechanisms often pull in different directions.

The role of basic education in post-conflict recovery

“…The findings also illustrate that the longer-term and broader impacts of interventions are ultimately dependent on the structural factors that maintain the conflict and thus the broader political, social and economic context (Novelli and Lopes Cardozo 2008;Brown 2011;UNESCO 2011). Among the communities visited in Kenya, Nepal and South Sudan, education was providing a clearly visible peace dividend.…”

“…Despite these recent contributions, however, the field of education in emergencies and post-conflict transition is still in its infancy. The causes of fragility are hotly debated (Mundy and Dryden-Peterson 2011), and there is a need to conduct more research and evaluation to understand the complex and critical processes of educational reconstruction, and the processes through which educational systems contribute to promoting or preventing conflict (Harber 2004;Davies 2005;Smith 2005;Novelli and Lopes Cardozo 2008;Brown 2011), especially at the local level. There are a growing number of country-based case studies that are beginning to demonstrate salient insights, and notable analytical tools include Davies' (2011) conceptualisation of the 'impact of education on the drivers of fragility and grievance'.…”

“…The country is an insightful and pertinent case study because it has been locked in a precarious post-crisis transition. This stems from a number of factors involving: a war legacy; political stalemate; simmering inter-communal conflicts and the threat of violence; attempts to deal with the aftermath of flooding and ongoing vulnerability from the risk of further natural disaster; and deep-rooted deprivation and discrimination for many Nepali (Davies et al 2009;Eck 2010;Brown 2011). The imposition of Nepali as the language of instruction has also fed into the broader grievances amongst non-Nepali speaking castes and ethnic minorities.…”

“…When large numbers of young people are denied access to education, the resulting poverty, unemployment and disaffection can act as a powerful recruiting ground for armed militia. Unequal access to education generates wide disparities between communities and can also cause conflicts, as can the use of education systems to reinforce political domination and the subordination of marginalised groups and ethnic segregation (Brown 2011). When the rebuilding of an education system following conflict does begin, it is often in an environment marked by high levels of political instability and uncertainty, chronic financing deficits, low levels of capacity and teacher shortages.…”

Conflict-Affected Contexts and Emergence of Global Education Policy

“…It is a grey literature oriented to professionals working directly or indirectly with education in conflict-affected contexts, one that attempts to address the challenges they face. More academically focused work has attempted to unpack and analyze the impact of education on the development and amelioration of conflict, as well as the impact of conflict on education itself (see, e.g., Brown, 2011;Buchert, 2013;Davies, 2004;UNESCO, 2011). More academically focused work has attempted to unpack and analyze the impact of education on the development and amelioration of conflict, as well as the impact of conflict on education itself (see, e.g., Brown, 2011;Buchert, 2013;Davies, 2004;UNESCO, 2011).…”