Regional Workshop of the ICQN-PE: Fostering a community of practice in Africa to promote peace through education

Date: 
04 December 2012 to 06 December 2012
Location: 
Naivasha
Kenya

Partners:

ADEA, Ministry of Education-Kenya, German BACKUP Initiative-Education in Africa, Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE), INEE-GIZ Pan-African Knowledge Hub, UNESCO


About the ICQN on Peace Education

Peace and security are critical ingredients for social and economic development of any nation. In Africa, conflicts not only hamper economic development but have also been a block to the achievement of Education For All (EFA) goals. The EFA Global Monitoring Report 2011 revealed that countries affected by violent conflicts are among the furthest from reaching the EFA goals. According to the report, violent conflicts also reinforce inequalities, grievances and desperation that trap countries in cycles of violence. In regard to children accessing basic education, the report further states that out of the total number of school going children, 42% were from countries affected by violent conflicts. There is therefore need for addressing violent conflicts to facilitate the achievement of education goals.

Education is a vehicle through which social and cultural values are passed on from one generation to another. For this reason, education provides an avenue for inculcation of social skills and values for the future of a society. The education sector also promotes respect for rights and nonviolence, nation building, social cohesion and positive values through peace oriented curricular.

The Inter-Country Quality Node (ICQN) under ADEA aims to bring together countries facing similar challenges with strategic partners to promote dialogue and collective learning and to create space for collaborative action on education for peace. The ICQN on Peace Education was the first ICQN to be established and was conceived at a side meeting of African Ministers of Education held at the Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE) Global Consultation in April 2009 in Istanbul. The ICQN was then formally launched at a workshop held in Mombasa, Kenya from 14-16 September 2009 at which time Kenya was installed as the lead country. The major output of the meeting was the signing of the Mombasa 2009 communiqué by the Ministers of Education present.

Achievements of the ICQN on Peace Education

Since its establishment in April 2009, the ICQN on Peace Education has had a number of key achievements.

  • Initial meeting in Mombasa, Kenya in September 2009 at which the ICQN was officially launched with ten (10) countries present. 
  • Ministers of Education from (Angola, Cote d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Kenya, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda) committed to promoting peace through their education systems by signing the Mombasa Communiqué at the launch meeting.
  • Roundtable on "Education, Peace and Development" held in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo in July 2011 as a opportunity for knowledge exchange among ICQN and relevant non-ICQN countries
  • Four major studies conducted by the ADEA Secretariat on behalf of the ICQN on education reconstruction in DRC, Kenya, Liberia and Zimbabwe over 2010-2011. National policy forums being held as follow-up to the studies with the first taking place in Kenya in July 2012. A study on peace education in Kenyan universities has also been carried out.
  • Exhibition on the ICQN in the Innovation and Knowledge Fair during the ADEA Triennale in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso in February 2012.
  • Parallel session on peace-related issues also held during the Triennale in Ouagadougou.

The ICQN through the above initiatives has been able to raise the profile of peace, conflict management and transformation within the education sector (government and partners), develop capacity of policy makers and implementers on peace education and generate information (data) on peace education.

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