Development Management Policy Seminar “Education, Conflict and Peace Building: Re-envisioning Education in Post-conflict Societies”

The above seminar was held October 23th 2014 under the theme “Education, Conflict and Peace Building: Re-envisioning Education in Post-Conflict Societies.” It was held in the main conference room of Kobe University’s Graduate School of International Cooperation Studies, and the speaker was Dr. Tejandra Pherali, a Senior Lecturer in the Institute of Education at the University of London, UK.

Dr. Pherali started his presentation by talking about issues related to education, conflict and peace building. In particular some of the key points he addressed include education and its context, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, positive and negative faces of education, as well as education and conflict nexus. In addition, Dr. Tejandra Pherali explained the impact on education, resulting from “people’s war” in Nepal and Cambodian “Khmer Rouge”. Furthermore, he gave a detailed discussion about globalization and neo-liberalism, globalization and conflict, and neo-patrimonialism.

Dr. Tejandra Pherali went on to share some of the suggested prescriptions for peace in post-war societies, as well as methodological and conceptual challenges in the area of education, conflict and peace building. He concluded with his final thoughts regarding education reforms, liberal democracy and free markets, peace, and education for social and political consciousness contrasted with education for serving the economic market.

The seminar was very informative and stimulating, and as such during the question and answer session, the students enthusiastically asked questions in order to further understand the relationship between education and conflict and its role in peace building. All in all, the seminar provided students with the opportunity to broaden and deepen their knowledge in the field of education, conflict and peace building, especially focusing on post-conflict societies.

Authored by Jeje Moses Okurut
Doctoral Student