The conference curriculum will be composed of panel modules that will take place throughout the day on Saturday and Sunday. Each addresses a unique aspect of the peace process, drawing in academics, professionals, and community organizers to closely examine the intricacies of creating peaceful societies. From responses to psychological trauma to the construction of physical infrastructure for equitable settlements, these panels provide something for everyone. If you can’t make it to all of them, be sure to come out to a couple that interest you and explore some of the interdisciplinary components of peace.
Bridging Divisions: Educating for Peace
Education is often heralded as a panacea for healing deeply divided societies, yet institutions of education and socialization are all too often misused to preach hatred and division and to reinforce myths that justify violence. This topic will consider how a curriculum should be structured to socialize populations away from their ethnocentric perceptions and to reduce the negative self-fulfilling attitudes that lead to intractable conflict. In a time when many of the world’s conflicts are taking place between sub-state groups or communities, education has the opportunity to become a particularly effective tool in conflict resolution. Furthermore, though education is set at high-levels, the effectiveness of policy or the existence of education in a policy vacuum is entirely dependent on community-level implementation. Speakers will explore various curricular approaches, education in multiple conflict situations, difficulties in establishing education reform, and the dangers of unreformed education methods in conflict zones.
