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A focus on conflict and education is one of the most pressing concerns of the current times, and yet the role of education in the perpetuation, or the mitigation, of international conflict is curiously underplayed and under-researched. This paper looks firstly at the contributions that education makes to conflict, through the reproduction of inequality and exclusion, through perpetuation of ethnic or religious divisions, through its acceptance of dominant aggressive masculinities, through selection, competition and fear, and through distorted curricular emphases on narrow cognitive areas of learning. However, the paper also outlines some 'possibilities for hope', such as resilient schools, the impact of peace education initiatives and the rise of global citizenship education. It is argued that comparative and international education has a highly important role in establishing patterns of educational contribution to peace or conflict, and in dissemination of research to act as a lobbying force to influence education policy and practice. The paper outlines eight priorities, including alternative international studies focusing on 'achievement' in peace education; crosscultural or longitudinal studies of impact of peace education and war education; and tracer studies of why young people join fundamentalist organisations.

This paper is based on a recently published book, Educating Against Extremism (Davies, Educating Against Extremism, 2008), which explores the potential role of schools in averting the more negative and violent forms of extremism in a country. It examines the nature of extremism; identity formation and radicalisation; religious belief, faith schools and the myth of equal value; justice, revenge and honour; and free speech, humour and satire. The paper argues that religious fundamentalism, as well as state terrorism, needs to be addressed in schools. The argument in the book is for a greater politicisation of young people through the forging of critical (dis)respect and the use of a secular basis of human rights. Specific forms of citizenship education are needed, which provide skills to analyse the media and political or religious messages, but also enable critical idealism to be fostered.Re´sume´-É DUQUER CONTRE L'EXTRÉ MISME : VERS UNE POLITISATION CRITIQUE DES JEUNES-Cette e´tude est base´e sur un livre re´cemment publie´, Educating against Extremism (Davies, Educating Against Extremism, 2008), qui explore le roˆle potentiel des e´coles pour empeˆcher les formes plus ne´gatives et plus violentes d'extre´misme dans un pays. Elle examine la nature de l'extre´misme; la formation et la radicalisation de l'identite´; la croyance religieuse, les e´coles religieuses et le mythe de la valeur e´gale; la justice, la vengeance et l'honneur; ainsi que la libre parole, l'humour et la satire. Cette e´tude soutient que le fondamentalisme religieux doit eˆtre aborde´dans les e´coles, aussi bien que le terrorisme d'e´tat. L'argumentation de ce livre plaide pour une plus grande politisation des jeunes par le forgeage d'un (ir)respect critique et l'utilisation d'un fondement se´culaire des droits de l'homme. On a besoin de formes spe´cifiques d'e´ducation a`la citoyennete´, qui fournissent des compe´tences pour analyser les me´dias et les messages politiques ou religieux, mais qui permettent e´galement la stimulation d'un ide´alisme critique. Zusammenfassung -UNTERRICHTEN GEGEN EXTREMISMUS: FÜ R EINE KRITISCHE POLITISIERUNG JUNGER MENSCHEN -Der Text baut auf dem ku¨rzlich erschienenen Buch Educating Against Extremism (Davies, Educating Against Extremism, 2008) auf, in dem untersucht wird, welche Rolle Schulen bei der Vermeidung der schwerwiegenderen und gewaltta¨tigen Formen von Extremismus in einem Land spielen ko¨nnten. Untersucht werden das Wesen des Extremismus sowie Identita¨tsbildung und Radikalisierung; religio¨se Ü berzeugung, Schulen mit religio¨ser Basis und der Mythos der Gleichwertigkeit; Gerechtigkeit, Rache und Ehre sowie freie Meinungsa¨ußerung, Humor und Satire. Es wird die Ansicht vertreten, dass man sich in den Schulen mit den Themen religio¨ser Fundamentalismus und Staatsterrorismus befassen muss. Die Autorin pla¨diert fu¨r eine sta¨rkere Politisierung junger Menschen, indem kritischer Respekt bzw. kritische Respektlosigkeit herausgebildet werden und die Menschenrechte auf einer sa¨kularen Grundlage zur Anwendu...