Zones of Conflict

Members of the Education Program take a break during a workshop in Manila.

The Education Program has recently begun expanding its scope to include working with educational institutions in zones of conflict, where emerging generations face the daunting task of putting together a society destroyed by violence and hatred. In these situations, the interpretation of history and the role of educational institutions in transmitting that history often become a flashpoint for violence and pose the most challenging obstacles to reconciliation.

The objective of this initiative is to build local capacity to deal with regional conflicts and to foster the development of curricular resources that promote mutual respect and a shared vision of the future rather than destroy it. By strengthening these educational institutions, the Institute hopes to promote the growth those civil society structures that form the basis for a lasting peace. Just as importantly, the Institute will use this opportunity to help in the process of reforming education in many of these countries making the transition from war to peace and from repressive political systems to democratic ones.

In this program, the Institute works with local partner institutions to create faculty workshops aimed at increasing conflict resolution capacity and establishing networks among faculty with similar interests. The Institute has held these workshops in the Balkans and Southeast Europe, Cairo, Singapore, and Manilla. The program also plans to develop future workshops in other regions around the globe.