From perpetrator to peacebuilder: Rethinking education in conflict-affected societies

Abstract

T his chapter explores the nexus between education and con ict, positioning education as a contested domain that shapes, and is shaped by, a broad range of social, political, economic and cultural dynamics in con ict-a ected societies. On the one hand, violent con icts and structural violence have detrimental e ects on educational processes and outcomes. On the other hand, education itself can (re)produce structural violence in society. Bringing together the elds of social science and cognitive neuroscience, this chapter provides a multi-faceted lens through which to address the challenges of education in di erent con ict contexts from around the world, highlighting that the search for a collective peaceful future is complex.