Resources

Introduction

Education is a powerful force for peacebuilding and transformation: it can contribute to changing individuals and communities, promoting a more just and equitable world fostering inclusion, social cohesion and ultimately contributing to creating peaceful societies. Teachers play a central role in the establishment of knowledge, attitudes and values among young people; they also empower them to propose alternative narratives, to engage with their communities and to contribute to building peaceful societies through their actions.

This work can be done through subject areas, e.g., history, civic and moral education, art, music, sports etc., or through dedicated subjects. In any case, there is a need to equip teachers with specific skills and knowledge and this guide can also be used in science subjects.

This work cannot begin or take place in the school environment only. It is important to establish a continuum between the school and its surrounding environment. This requires knowledge of the local context and mobilization of organizations and/or community stakeholders. All these aspects are building blocks of transformative pedagogy, which is the central element of this Guide. Chapter One provides concrete elements of analysis to help understand violence and its root causes in the SADC region and to identify prevention strategies. Chapter Two discusses the importance of education, highlighting key elements that contribute to education for peace building and transformation. Chapter Three focuses on the importance of fostering ethical reflections as spaces for dialogue and identity building to develop a sense of purpose and belonging. Chapter Four provides concrete approaches for teachers to adopt Transformative Pedagogy .Chapter Five highlights core competences for Learning to Live Together understood as the combination of knowledge, skills and attitudes essential to promote mutual understanding and social cohesion (the core competencies presented do not constitute an exhaustive list). Chapter Six discusses learners empowerment and participation in community engagement, equipping teachers with concrete tools and approaches to support learners as active change-makers to transform their communities. Chapter seven focuses on assessment as a key component of the transformative learning process allowing both teachers and learners to self-reflect, make connections, understand where they are in the learning process, how they arrived there and what questions they may still have. Chapter Eight introduces concrete activities for learners that can inspire teachers, as well as provide some ideas of initiatives that can be organised. A table at the beginning of Chapter Eight connects the relevant contents of the Guide with each activity presented.