Work

The potential of peacebuilding education interventions in societies facing the risk of extreme ideological shifts

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: While education is a key tool in peacebuilding, traditional education systems may push those who feel marginalized into extreme ideological shifts in response. Community-based peacebuilding education initiatives (PEIs) are an alternative to conventional educational institutions to promote peace and combat radicalization. This paper's conceptual framework utilizes experiential and transformative learning theories with educational displacement and replacement model to support the idea that PEIs could serve as a platform for transformation. Results were derived from data collected over a thirteen-month period from six PEIs located in Southeast Europe, primarily in Bosnia and Herzegovina, using multi-sited ethnography, interviews, and a thrice-reiterated survey to identify changes in participants. This indicates that adopting targeted approaches in PEIs, alongside the opportunity for the participants to learn about each other and about the violent history, may trigger alterations in intergroup contact quality, and a general decline in unfavorable outgroup perception.

Source: International Journal of Educational Development

DOI: 10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103208

Authors: Nerkez Opacin, Sabina Čehajić-Clancy

Institutions: RMIT University, Stockholm University

Language: English

Topic: Peace and Human Rights Education

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Quality education, Peace, justice, and strong institutions, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,490