Gonz√°lez-Alfaya, M. E.; Mu√±oz-Moya, M.; M√©rida-Serrano, R.; Olivares-Garc√≠a, M. A. (2019). 'C√≥rdoba, through Children's Eyes'. Assessing Citizenship Literacy in Early Childhood Education and Special Education Classes. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, v27 n1 p28-39. This dissertation assesses an innovation experience carried out by the RIECU network (Early Childhood Education Schools -Teachers' Centre- University). The aim is to enable children to investigate the wealth of their city's heritage through an inclusive proposal, due to the value of a paradigm of peaceful intercultural coexistence. 234 people participated: Early Childhood Education and Special Education teachers, advisers and children, as well as students and professors. The experience focused primarily on development of project to learn more about the monuments and main features of the three cultures that coexisted peacefully in the city of C√≥rdoba. This project was assessed with the help of a mixed focus group in which all the parties involved participated. The data analyzed reveal that: (1) Children explored the main features of the monument assigned and the culture to which it belongs; (2) The innovation experiences positively impacted educational inclusion processes; and (3)… [Direct]

Norris, Jeff (2016). Biodiversity and Peace: Where Technology and Montessori Come Together in the Children's Eternal Rainforest, Costa Rica. NAMTA Journal, v41 n2 p63-80 Spr. Jeff Norris, initially shocked by the Montessorians who are calling technology into question, states that technology can offer a means of development for the child who is concurrently supporting and learning from the rich and overpowering biodiversity of the rainforest. He speaks for the Children's Eternal Rainforest citizen's science as well as the combined visit to the United Nations' University for Peace offered by the Montessori Institute for the Science of Peace. He extols the three-period lesson and independent group research as useful, interpretive-learning approaches that awaken the interest of each student. A bibliography is included. [This paper was presented at the NAMTA conference titled "A Montessori Integrated Approach to Science, Mathematics, Technology, and the Environment" in Portland, OR, Mar 31-Apr 3, 2016.]… [PDF]

Gautam, Chetanath; Lowery, Charles L.; Mays, Chance D. (2016). The Praxis of Gandhi's "Satyagraha": The Scholar-Practitioner Educational Leader as Moral "Truth Holder". International Journal of Educational Leadership Preparation, v11 n2 p71-86 Dec. Through contemplation of a drastic divergence in thought from a paradigm of physical discipline and retaliation in learning environments to one of a peaceful demonstration of reflection and respect the authors construct a framework of spiritual leadership. From this framework a metaphor of satyagraha emerges as a means of leading schools and modeling meditative behavior for all–students, staff, and stakeholders. This alternative metaphor of educational leadership is based on the truthful speech of Gandhi, MLK, and Nelson Mandela–each with their own radical take on creating counternarratives to violence through non-violence and peaceful resistance. These counternarratives form four principal themes that require some degree of contemplation: truthful speech and teaching, authenticity of leadership, reality of experience as education, and goodness as advocacy and activism for social justice, equity and care. In conclusion, the authors explore how this connects the scholar-practitioner… [PDF]

Pherali, Tejendra; Turner, Ellen (2018). Meanings of Education under Occupation: The Shifting Motivations for Education in Palestinian Refugee Camps in the West Bank. British Journal of Sociology of Education, v39 n4 p567-589. Despite being a protracted refugee crisis that entails international debates and controversies, discussions about Palestinian education have frequently sidelined the perspectives, needs and priorities of the Palestinian refugee population. Drawing upon a qualitative study in the West Bank and engaging with theoretical ideas of Johan Galtung, Paulo Freire and Pierre Bourdieu, we argue that the nexus between educational motivation and motivation for Palestinian liberation, which was particularly significant during the periods of 'Palestinian uprising', seems to be declining today in the present day context of oppression and structural violence. The growing disassociation among young refugees with Palestinian liberation, and with education as a means to this liberation, can be seen as a process of symbolic violence. Building upon these findings, we propose a new analytical framework for understanding the interrelationship between education, violence and struggle for social and political… [Direct]

Lovric, Ivan (2017). How the Catholic Schools in Bosnia and Herzegovina Are Helping to Build Inter-Faith Harmony and Understanding after Years of Conflict. International Studies in Catholic Education, v9 n2 p192-205. From a modest beginning in 1994 with a single school and a little more than 500 pupils, the system of Catholic schools in Bosnia and Herzegovina developed to its 7 currently functioning Catholic School Centres, with 14 schools and 4683 enrolled pupils. From the beginning these Catholic schools were open equally to Catholic and non-Catholic children. This intentional and strategic choice emphasised, once again, that the Catholic Church in Bosnia and Herzegovina stands on the side of those who oppose separation and segregation across the lines of national or religious affiliations. In committing itself to the education of all the country's youth, the Catholic Church saw a way to promote and reinstall into the body of Bosnia and Herzegovina's crippled society values of a peaceful and a harmonious coexistence of different people based on the respect for sanctity of each person and importance of its religious, cultural, and national identity…. [Direct]

Kaya, Kemal (2019). Comparison of Seventh-Grade Turkish and Iranian Social Studies Textbooks in Terms of Value Education. Educational Research and Reviews, v14 n17 p595-607 Nov. One of the objectives of comparative education research is to compare within a certain period of time educational systems that have developed in similar or different environments and processes. The aim of this qualitative study is to compare the value education in Turkish and Iranian seventh-grade social studies textbooks. Data were collected using document analysis. Results show that both books underscore the values of scientificity, sensitivity and responsibility. Unlike the Turkish social studies textbook, the Iranian social studies textbook addresses the religious aspects of those values as well. The Iranian social studies textbook also highlights the values 30% more than its Turkish counterpart. This article examining textbooks is limited to determining the placement of values; it is not intended to measure the effectiveness of textbooks in the formation of attitudes…. [PDF]

Bouma, Gary; Halafoff, Anna; Rasmussen, Mary Lou; Singleton, Andrew (2020). Religious Literacy of Australia's Gen Z Teens: Diversity and Social Inclusion. Journal of Beliefs & Values, v41 n2 p195-213. Australia is a culturally, religiously and linguistically diverse country, however, learning about the religious dimensions of this superdiversity is inadequately reflected in the national school curriculum, notwithstanding recent attempts to address this at the state level in Victoria. Debates regarding the role of religion in school have raged across the country for decades and have impeded the introduction of learning about diverse worldviews and religions, and even research on this topic. Competing views of Australia's national identity, as a multifaith and/or secular and/or Christian nation, continue to affect both policy and curriculum in Australia, and thereby the level of religious literacy of its citizens. Using data from a national study of young Australians and their worldviews, this research investigates levels of religious literacy and appreciation of religious diversity of 'Generation Z' Australians, for whom superdiversity is the norm. In doing so, it concludes that… [Direct]

Guti√©rrez √Ålvarez, Daniel Felipe; Hern√°ndez Varona, Wilson (2020). English Language Student-Teachers Developing Agency through Community-Based Pedagogy Projects. PROFILE: Issues in Teachers' Professional Development, v22 n1 p109-122 Jan-Jun. This paper presents a narrative inquiry study on agency development in student-teachers of an English language teacher program at a public university in the south of Colombia. Our goal was to understand how student-teachers develop agency when narratively inquiring their community by planning and conducting community-based pedagogy projects on issues they found pertinent to investigate. The data were gathered through semi-structured focus group interviews, individual journal entries, and video-recorded talks about their inquiries. As a conclusion, we acknowledge that certain social and narrative practices such as interacting within their inquiry groups, interacting with their communities, voicing their communities' necessities, and acting upon the inquired necessities facilitated developing agency and contributed to rethinking their roles as transformative members of their communities…. [PDF]

Cabedo-Mas, Alberto; Forrest, David; Nethsinghe, Rohan (2017). The Role of the Arts in Education for Peacebuilding, Diversity and Intercultural Understanding: A Comparative Study of Educational Policies in Australia and Spain. International Journal of Education & the Arts, v18 n11 Mar. This article reviews and analyses educational policies and curricula for general education in Australian and Spanish systems, in relation to their concerns for arts education to contribute to values education and the acquisition of peaceful, social and civic competences in schools. The use of the arts to shape individual and community identities, to enhance relationships between people, to promote positive conflict transformation, development and, in general, contribute to peacebuilding, has been acknowledged worldwide. Curriculum helps to legitimise what is considered to be important to learn within a society and therefore determines what is included to be understood as good artistic knowledge and practices. The documentary analysis of both Australian and Spanish educational documents in relation to teaching and learning of the arts gives responses on the extent the arts are expected to contribute to build peaceful and sustainable societies, and faces some current challenges of the… [PDF]

Mokuku, T≈°epo (2017). The Connotations of "Botho Philosophy" and Its Potential Contribution towards Environmental Conservation: The Case of Tlokoeng Community in Lesotho. Environmental Education Research, v23 n9 p1230-1248. This paper explores innovative environmental education strategies to conserve biodiversity in a rural-based context, in Lesotho. A case study approach was employed to investigate the community's conception of botho philosophy and how it might promote nature conservation. Focus Group Interviews were conducted with 105 participants. The responses were analyzed to determine the community's emerging definition and conception of botho. The findings indicate features of botho that parallel the ones that are found in the literature. In addition, botho was described metaphysically as a holistic spiritualised worldview that is concerned with a harmonious co-existence with others, nature and the Creator and empirically, in terms of moral attributes that foster co-existence within the socio-economic and natural systems. It is illustrated that botho can contribute towards environmental education discourse and nature conservation and thus diversify the pre-dominantly Euro-centric knowledge… [Direct]

Malveaux, Gregory F., Ed.; Raby, Rosalind Latiner, Ed. (2019). Study Abroad Opportunities for Community College Students and Strategies for Global Learning. Advances in Higher Education and Professional Development (AHEPD) Book Series. IGI Global Community colleges serve more students than any other institutional type in the United States, and internationalization is an inherent component of community colleges that advances student knowledge, facilitates student success, and serves the needs of local communities. As most community college students do not enroll in four-year institutions, their only opportunity for international experience is while they are in community college. "Study Abroad Opportunities for Community College Students and Strategies for Global Learning" provides innovative insights into international study and education abroad through community colleges, while discussing the value of adding study abroad programs to two-year institutions. This publication examines community colleges' contributions in a local society, study abroad opportunities, peacebuilding, international education, and risk management. Designed for administrative professionals, community college leaders, educators, academicians,… [Direct]

Jeynes, William H. (2015). People of Faith: The Unrealized Asset in Creating Greater International Understanding and Peace. Religious Education, v110 n5 p534-544. There is no question that the 21st century has thus far been one of increased tensions between the West and the Middle East, former Soviet bloc nations, China, and various other nations. A number of these nations either are highly religious or are experiencing religious revivals. To the extent that clear secular trends are in place in the West, these developments could exacerbate these tensions. With these facts in mind, in this article it is asserted that people of faith in the West are well positioned to build bridges of mutual understanding between the West and these other nations, when perhaps secularists cannot…. [Direct]

Bronshtein, Yifat; Dvir, Yuval; Natur, Nazeh; Yemini, Miri (2018). International Education as a Novel Entity in a Public Education System: The Establishment of a New Public International School in Israel. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, v48 n6 p935-953. This study traces the founding process of Eastern Mediterranean International School (EMIS) by analysing the motivations and interests of different stakeholders involved in the establishment process. In this novel initiative students from Palestine, Israel, and other countries study within the Israeli public school system towards an International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with founders, educators, Ministry of Education officials, a parents' survey, and content analysis of related documents, the authors show how the school was established and approved despite the supposedly contradicting hegemonic discourse of the official Israeli policy. They conclude by suggesting some implications for scholars and policy-makers…. [Direct]

Makuwira, Jonathan; Spence, Rebecca (2005). Do We Make a Difference? Teaching and Researching Peace at Tertiary Level. Journal of Peace Education, v2 n1 p17-31 Mar. This article reflects upon the theories and methodologies that inform peace studies teaching and research practice. It explores the challenges faced by tertiary educators working within the narrowing confines of current university structures, and, by analysing the motives, process and methodologies that have shaped one particular program, suggests that a dynamic and adaptive approach to teaching is necessary to ensure relevance and currency. It promotes the idea of partnership between educators and students and between researchers and participants in order to ensure that activities contribute to constructive social change. It concludes that tertiary educators can and do contribute to promoting social justice by adopting emancipatory adaptive pedagogies and methodologies…. [Direct]

Goldstein, Rebecca A. (2005). Symbolic and Institutional Violence and Critical Educational Spaces: In the Name of Education. Journal of Peace Education, v2 n1 p33-52 Mar. This article will explore how symbolic and institutional violence shaped students' understandings of themselves within the educational context, and will argue that the creation of critical educational spaces can enable students and teachers to explore and transgress the internal and external influences and violence that shape the learning experience. Bourdieu's construction of symbolic power, violence and the institution will be employed to illustrate the complex and contradictory ways in which schools and their representatives commit egregious acts against students under the guise of benevolence. The article will also illustrate how the development of a critical educational space in a magnet program entitled the \Becoming Teachers Program\ enabled students and teachers to transgress and combat the normative and oppressive relations of the institution as a result of and in response to school violence, and pose some considerations for how we approach teaching for peace and social… [Direct]

Moon, Seungho; Tocci, Charles (2017). Knowledge to (Non)Action for Nonviolence: A Conversation between Deleuzian Thought and Eastern Epistemology. AERA Online Paper Repository, Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (San Antonio, TX, Apr 27-May 1, 2017). This presentation promotes cross-cultural conversation regarding the theorization of non-violence in education. Through the use of duoethnography, two researchers exchange ideas related to diversifying the notion of non-violence. Author 1, informed by Korean Taoism, Neo-Confucianism, and Donghak (Eastern Learning), argues for non-violence not as the opposite term of violence but as active action (Wuwei). Author 2 utilizes concepts from Deleuze and Guattari to connect non-violence with desire, machine, and the body without organs. We argue, "non-violence" is not a thing, but an "adjective." Non-violence as "adjective" creates an open-ended space to imagine a different approach to interpreting human interactions. This presentation will provide educators with salient epistemological frames in order to challenge and advance the field of non-violence education…. [Direct]

Bickmore, Kathy (2005). Foundations for Peacebuilding and Discursive Peacekeeping: Infusion and Exclusion of Conflict in Canadian Public School Curricula. Journal of Peace Education, v2 n2 p161-181 Sep. Formal curriculum guidelines reflect prevailing understandings and political will, and help to shape the resources available for implemented curriculum. The understandings embodied in such public curriculum reinforce patterns of social violence and injustice, yet at the same time may provide diverse students with opportunities to develop commitment and critical citizenship capacity to handle social conflict. This paper examines the discourse about conflict, social diversity, and (in)justice in the mandated English Language Arts, Health, and Social Sciences curricula of three Canadian provinces. On one hand, all these curricula acknowledge the existence of bias and multiple viewpoints, and encode expectations for conflict management and critical inquiry skills, recognition of ethno-cultural diversity, and awareness of international interdependence and justice concerns. Thus a significant proportion of the knowledge, skill, and pedagogy called for by international peace and conflict… [Direct]

Horenczyk, Gabriel; Tatar, Moshe (2004). Education in a Plural Society or Multicultural Education? The Views of Israeli Arab and Jewish School Counselors. Journal of Peace Education, v1 n2 p191-204 Jan. We suggest that in societies with highly complex and conflictual cultural diversity, different perceptions of pluralism and multiculturalism are likely to be related to divergent expectations for multicultural education. Our study examines–through semi-structured interviews–the perceptions of cultural pluralism and multicultural education among 37 Israeli school counselors from two national groups–Arabs and Jews. Our findings suggest that the majority-minority context largely determines the counselors' views of multiculturalism: Arab counselors focus primarily on the Arab-Jewish divide which places them within the unprivileged minority, whereas the Jewish counselors equate multiculturalism primarily with the approach toward Jewish immigrants who belong to their own ethnic/national group. Counselors' responses seem to reflect their national and school organizational cultures, and it is suggested that training institutions should provide them with the knowledge, values and skills to… [Direct]

Bajaj, Monisha (2004). Human Rights Education and Student Self-Conception in the Dominican Republic. Journal of Peace Education, v1 n1 p21-36 Mar. In 2001, a 3-month course in human rights based on critical inquiry was offered to 8th graders in a slum area of Santo Domingo. The students' attitudes, behaviors and knowledge of human rights principles were measured before and after the course. The curriculum focused on international principles and entrenched local problems such as discrimination against Haitian migrants, police brutality, violence against women and exploitation of child labor in free trade zones. This paper will discuss the field of human rights education, the study's findings about the nature of student response to the course and its impact on student identity, solidarity with victims of human rights abuses and self-confidence as a result of human rights education. (Contains 1 figure, 1 table and 9 notes.)… [Direct]

Cairns, Ed; Hewstone, Miles; McGlynn, Claire; Niens, Ulrike (2004). Moving out of Conflict: The Contribution of Integrated Schools in Northern Ireland to Identity, Attitudes, Forgiveness and Reconciliation. Journal of Peace Education, v1 n2 p147-163 Jan. As the integrated education movement in Northern Ireland passes its twenty-first anniversary, it is pertinent to explore the legacy of mixed Catholic and Protestant schooling. This paper summarises the findings of different studies regarding the impact of integrated education in Northern Ireland on social identity, intergroup attitudes and forgiveness and reconciliation. The research is discussed in relation to its implications for the theory and practice of integrated education in Northern Ireland and also for other societies with a legacy of ethnopolitical conflict. It proposes that integrated education in Northern Ireland impacts positively on identity, outgroup attitudes, forgiveness and reconciliation, providing hope and encouragement for co-education strategies in other countries that have suffered from prolonged conflict. Despite a number of challenges, it is clear from the research presented here that integrated education holds great both for building social cohesion and for… [Direct]

Kepenekci, Yasemin Karaman (2005). A Study of Effectiveness of Human Rights Education in Turkey. Journal of Peace Education, v2 n1 p53-68 Mar. The aim of the research is to examine the effectiveness of Civics and Human Rights Education courses taught in primary schools in Turkey. The criteria for the effectiveness of the courses are determined as "content", "educational activities", "teaching methods", "educational materials", and "evaluation of students". A total of 71 teachers teaching these courses participated in the study. The opinions of the teachers for the effectiveness of the courses were gathered by 12 open-ended questions. Content analysis method was used to analyse the views of the teachers. To conclude, more than half of the teachers think that the courses are not effective due to having mainly an informative purpose. (Contains 1 table.)… [Direct]

Roberts, Sherron Killingsworth (2005). Promoting a Peaceful Classroom through Poetry. Journal of Peace Education, v2 n1 p69-78 Mar. Today's classrooms hold many students who often possess dysfunctional approaches to conflict as entertainment. Abrasive talk shows, confrontational radio, even political debates, and the frenzy surrounding them may be considered evidence of this dysfunctional approach. Because we live in a post-9/11 reality and a time of war, the opportunity to give peace a chance in our classrooms is imperative. Through the use of formula poetry, elementary and middle school students can find organic and authentic means of reflecting and seeking conflict resolution. This manuscript outlines the thoughtful application of reading and writing poetry, in particular formula poems, for the purpose of creating and maintaining peaceful classrooms for our students…. [Direct]

Smith, Alan; Worden, Elizabeth Anderson (2017). Teaching for Democracy in the Absence of Transitional Justice: The Case of Northern Ireland. Comparative Education, v53 n3 p379-395. In many cases, political circumstances do not allow formal for transitional justice processes to occur in countries undergoing a transition from a violent past. In this paper, we ask if education can become a default front line of transitional justice work in the absence of explicit action by the state to address past injustices. Drawing from interviews with educators and using a new citizenship education programme in Northern Ireland as our case study, we argue that several factors, including organisational constraints within the education system, limit the potential of the programme for supporting transitional justice goals. While the effectiveness in this particular case is limited, Northern Ireland provides an example of a citizenship education programme that has moved away from an emphasis on national identity and embraced human rights. Other divided societies might find this model to be an effective conduit in which to promote transitional justice…. [Direct]

Armas, Andres; Dolcino, Cristina; Gass, Michael; Gough, Sarah (2016). Play for Peace as a Violence Prevention Model: Achieving "Voluntad y Convivencia". Journal of Experiential Education, v39 n4 p412-426 Dec. Violence prevention is a key focus for many intervention programs, yet little is known about how or why certain programs are able to successfully produce effective prevention efforts. The purpose of this study was to identify the essential elements of the Play for Peace (PFP) program, how it creates change in participants, and how it is successfully implemented in communities. Using an intrinsic case study research design, data were collected from participant observation and interviews and systematically sorted and triangulated to identify patterns and generalizations. Based on these findings, a multi-level experiential learning model emerged. This model focused on empowering individuals to be actively contributing and civically responsible citizens, striving with a strong will to achieve and maintain the peaceful coexistence of a nonviolent community (i.e., a culture of "voluntad y convivencia"). Recommendations on how to expand the positive effects of the PFP program are… [Direct]

Mandel, Udi; Teamey, Kelly (2016). A World Where All Worlds Cohabit. Journal of Environmental Education, v47 n2 p151-162. In response to Stefan Bengtsson's search for alternatives to Education for Sustainable Development practices outside the mainstream of the state and its policy formulations, this response outlines how our journey, experiences, and approaches reflect a de-professionalizing encounter with autonomous places of learning emerging from indigenous knowledge, social, and ecological movements in different parts of the world. The article proposes an enlivened form of inquiry-in-solidarity as an ethical and intellectual framework for such encounters. Such an alternative approach to research opens up for official policy makers in ESD and academically institutionalized researchers contributing to the "politics of policy" the possibility of an ongoing ecological conversation between different knowledge traditions and practices and ways that they may engage, critique, celebrate, and deepen the questions we each ask in times that increasingly require innovative, hopeful, and urgent answers…. [Direct]

Johnson, Ane Turner (2017). Conflicted Communities, Contested Campuses: A Cross-Case Comparison of Community Engagement at Two African Universities in Conflict Contexts. Review of Higher Education, v41 n1 p61-89 Fall. Higher education institutions around the world are sites of contestation. Armed groups have targeted universities in efforts to divert valuable resources, destabilize communities, and suppress dissent. Moreover, conflict has engendered poor relations with community members that should be characterized by collaboration between the institution and the local community. Using qualitative case study methods, this work explores the experiences of community engagement at two universities in sub-Saharan Africa in two post-conflict nations, Kenya and C√¥te d'Ivoire, in order to understand higher education's role in the community and the campus-community connection in building peaceful academic places…. [Direct]

Kaewkumkong, Ampa; Sen, Ke (2019). Challenges of the Buffer School Policy Implementation in the ASEAN Community Era: The Case of the Thailand-Cambodia Border. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, v39 n2 p237-251. Buffer Schools, an emerging Thai border school policy, was first launched in 2010 to response to ASEAN initiatives. Buffer Schools aim to establish close cooperation among neighbour countries, thereby creating a sense of historical and cultural connection that can nurture unity and confraternity in the region. This paper examines the effectiveness of implementing pilot school policy focusing on the Thailand-Cambodia border, which has faced several border disputes over the years. This paper analyses the challenges in achieving policy goals. The theoretical foundation is based on contemporary education policy implementation in practice and research. Therefore, the three dimensions of policy, people, and places are examined, together with the concept of border school development. This research employs a descriptive mixed-methods strategy that has gathered data from policy stakeholders by survey questionnaires, interviews and field study. The findings reveal that Buffer Schools face… [Direct]

Watts, Ruth (2005). Gender, Science and Modernity in Seventeenth-Century England. Paedagogica Historica: International Journal of the History of Education, v41 n1-2 p79-93 Feb. The seventeenth century in England, bounded by the scientific stimulus of Francis Bacon at the beginning and Isaac Newton at the end, seemingly saw a huge leap from the Aristotelian dialectic of the past to a reconstruction of knowledge based on inductive methods, empirical investigation and cooperative research. In mid-century, Puritan reformers inspired both by the scientific thinking of Bacon and by the educational reforms of Comenius, hoped that educational reform at both school and university level would follow political and religious changes. In 1661, after the restoration of the monarchy, the founding of the Royal Society suggested that acceptance of experimental and practical science at the highest level had been achieved and that this would impinge on education. None of these assumptions can be accepted at face value. Indeed, the whole intellectual and educational history of the seventeenth century is far more complex than often portrayed. Various scientific and… [Direct]

Fakandu, Ali Muhammed; Jemeli, Chemulwo Monicah (2019). Equitable Access to Education and Development in a Knowledgeable Society as Advocated by UNESCO. Educational Research and Reviews, v14 n6 p200-205 Mar. Any vision of knowledge societies must affirm the core aspirations for peaceful and sustainable knowledge societies in a way that acknowledges the interests of all stakeholders. It is essential to recall that knowledge societies are concerned with human development, not only with technological innovation and its impacts. This report focuses the role equitable access to education plays in achieving equitable knowledge society. UNESCO's vision of equitable knowledge societies builds on equitable access to education. The widespread recognition that equitable access to education is a major driver of economic competitiveness in an increasingly knowledge-driven global economy has made high-quality equitable access to education more important than ever before. The imperative for countries is to raise higher-level employment skills, to sustain a globally competitive research base and to improve knowledge dissemination to the benefit of society…. [PDF]

Awad, Yomna; Bickmore, Kathy; Radjenovic, Angelica (2017). Voices of Canadian and Mexican Youth Surrounded by Violence: Learning Experiences for Peace-Building Citizenship. Research in Comparative and International Education, v12 n1 p26-45 Mar. How do young people living in high-violence contexts express a sense of democratic agency and hope, and/or frustration and hopelessness, for handling various kinds of social and political conflict problems? The management of conflict is a core challenge and purpose of democracy, severely impeded by the isolation and distrust caused by violence. Publicly funded schools can be (but often are not) part of the solution to such challenges (Bickmore, 2014; Davies, 2011). This article is drawn from a larger on-going project probing the (mis)fit between young people's lived citizenship and conflict experiences, and their school-based opportunities to develop democratic peace-building capacities, in non-affluent local contexts surrounded by violence, in an international comparative perspective. We report on focus group conversations with several small groups of students, ages 10-15, in two Canadian and four Mexican schools in marginalized urban areas. Diverse participating young people tended… [Direct]