Chapter 2: KEY CONCEPTS IN UNDERSTANDING
2.3. The effectiveness of education and training in dealing with conflict
heavily relies on the ability of the mediator to honour the confidentiality of information shared by disputants. Effectiveness in questioning should also characterize the mediator. Successful mediators are adept at asking probing and clarifying questions. They ask insightful questions that uncover concerns and interests that underlie positional statements. A successful mediator should also possess other characteristics: an appropriate sense of humour, the ability to act unobtrusively in conflict, persistence and patience, and specific knowledge about the subject area in which they are mediating.
Negotiation and mediation are some of the methods used in resolving conflict nonviolently.
For the sake of a peaceful cohabitation, our way of life should be characterized by nonviolence.
Thus, an important question might be asked: can education and training people in nonviolence practice be effective? Let us consider this question in the following section.
Peace studies should equally be introduced in the curriculum from pre-schools to universities.
Harris (2004, p. 127) acknowledges that “Schools are often the only institution that society can formally, intentionally and extensively use to achieve this [peace education] mission”. The role of education as tool of general development playing a significant role in building peace has been recognized. A reduction in levels of aggression and violence was observed where peace education matters were introduced in curricula of school and universities, such as in Japan, Australia, Northern Ireland, the UK, the USA and South America (Harris, 2004).
Nevo and Brem (2002) carried out a study to assess the effectiveness of peace education programmes across all levels of education and criteria. The study revealed that between 1981 and 2000, almost 300 studies described a peace education programme and 79 specifically analysed the effectiveness of the programme. Of these 79 programmes, 51 were assigned to be effective, 18 were partially effective and 10 were classified as non-effective. These results were described by the authors as presenting ‘a very encouraging picture’.
Eckhardt, quoted by Kaman and Harris (2000) conducted a study at Washington University, St.
Louis in 1983 to assess the impact of studying peace. Specifically, the research was designed to measure changes in values or compassion that occurred as a result of studying peace or related areas. The questionnaire was applied before and after the course of study was undertaken. The study revealed evidence of attitude changes in the compassionate direction.
Another study (Kaman and Harris, 2000) examined students at the University of Papua New Guinea to assess changes effectiveness of peace education. A same questionnaire was given to two different groups of students: Politics students and Peace Studies students. The students were tested before and after their different courses were undertaken. The study found that after their study Peace Studies students had significant and higher scores on critical thinking and values. That is, Peace Studies students had become more positive, generous and more optimistic that a more peaceful and just society is possible. Such changes did not occur for the Politics students.
However, teaching about peace is not enough. “Education for peace should permeate all aspects of school life, with implications for learners, teachers and administrators” (Harris, 2004, p. 126). Teaching methods, methods of discipline, decision-making processes in classroom and school, and all aspects of the school environment should be part of educating for peace as the curriculum itself.
Nevertheless, schools and universities are not the only contexts in which peace education is possible, as argued above. In this regard, Harris (2004) asserts peace education can be undertaken throughout society via the mass media, through religious organizations, through community structures and publicity campaigns. Those examples and others are good channels that can be used to teach about the non-violent resolution of conflict. I concur with the statements of Seville’s scientists (UNESCO, 1986) when they urge us to make peace a possibility in the minds of our educators at all levels and in those who will be the beneficiaries.
Different actors in education, such as parents, teachers, students, church leaders, and politicians should therefore stand up and put together their contribution so that violence can be eradicated.
Educating and training in nonviolence should be our choice if we want to build peaceful societies. Even though education is a slow process of changing people’s attitudes as asserted by Harris (2004), but it is a thorough and potentially effective way to build sustainable peace.
2.4 Conclusion
It is important to note that there is no academic literature on conflict in Rwanda other than that related to the genocide. A search was made using the Academic Search Complete database, whose website describes itself as 'the world's most valuable and comprehensive scholarly, multi-disciplinary full-text database, with more than 7,100 full-text periodicals, including more than 6,100 peer-reviewed journals'. They keywords used were conflict AND Rwanda (136 academic journal articles, 1991-2009), conflict resolution AND Rwanda (23 articles, 1996- 2008), conflict management AND Rwanda (33 articles, 1996-2009) mediation AND Rwanda (21 articles, 1994-2008). Only one article of all these was relevant to the present study (McNairn, 2004) and while that described the benefits of training in conflict management, this was done in poor rural communities. As scholars, we know nothing about the nature, extent, causes and consequences of conflict in Kigali. Chapter 4 will therefore fill a major gap in the literature by reporting the views of a sample of Kigali residents about conflict in their city.