What happened and why? Considering the role of truth and memory in peace education curricula

Abstract

This paper is an exploration of challenges arising in the interplay between a standardised peace education curriculum and a localised post-conflict setting. Drawing on interview data from two Kenyan schools, the paper explores the reception of peace education initiatives implemented in Kenya following the post-election violence of 2007/2008 through the voices of teachers and pupils. The analysis identifies two patterns emerging from the pupils’ point of view; firstly an engagement with narratives of conflict addressing what happened during the outbreak of violence, and secondly an awareness of collective narratives of the past, centred on the question of why the conflict broke out. The data identifies a gap between the knowledge and perspectives of the pupils, and the level of engagement by the curricula and teachers in the same issues. Finally, the paper explores some implications of these diverging needs and perspectives in relation to the design and implementation of peace education curricula, particularly in relation to providing sufficient support for the teachers.

Keywords:

• Peace curricula
• education
• memory
• truth
• teacher support
• local context

Notes

1. The data was collected October 2011–March 2012, four years after the PEV.

2. The data applied in this paper is sampled from a larger study. The programme and its implementation are discussed in depth in Lauritzen (2013), Lauritzen (2016a) and Lauritzen (2016b).

3. The names of the schools are changed for ensuring anonymity.

4. The pupils in standard 7 were approximately 13 years old.

5. Establishing peace clubs were initiated by UNICEF following the PEV.

6. As the data-set was larger than the data included in this particular paper, the 16 interviews included interviews with national stakeholders, DEOs, teachers head teachers, parents, SMCs, and pupils.

7. Final template: (1) from violence to peace (attitudes towards peace building; healing and settling back in; rationale for peace; reconciliation and bringing back together; understanding peace), (2) peace building (peace building in community; peace building in school; potential peace building in school; school influence on community; UNICEF peace education), (3) post-election violence (PEV and community; PEV and school; reasons for PEV), (4) situation today (Haag and ICC; negative situation today community; negative situation today school; next election; positive situation today community; positive situation today school), (5) additional comments, (6) Other.

8. These tensions are also connected to the policy aspects of the creation of the programme and the subsequent implementation process. For a more in-depth discussion of this, see Lauritzen (2016a, p. 323–326).