Introduction

Abstract

It is widely acknowledged that one model of peace education (Bekerman & McGlynn, 2007; Harris & Morrison, 2003; Salomon & Nevo, 2002) or educational response to conflict (Gallagher, 2004; Davies, 2004) cannot possibly fit all societies. Why then put together an edited collection of papers that represent widely differing contextual situations if models are not transferable? The answer is this: while the number and range of international peace programs continue to proliferate, there is a marked absence of interdisciplinary and comparative research to guide academic development and inform practice in this challenging arena. It is these deficits that the present volume aims to address. This book continues the project started with Addressing Ethnic Conflict Through Peace Education: International Perspectives (Bekerman & McGlynn, 2007) by drawing on a wide range of theoretical, methodological, and contextual perspectives and hence resisting the constraints and limitations of remaining only within one area of academic turf. Rather than focus on ad hoc peace education efforts, this book further investigates the need for long-term, systemic approaches and innovative pedagogies. While actively acknowledging and problematizing the complexity of human interaction and the restraints imposed by sociopolitical and historical contexts, it teases out not a blueprint for peace education, but rather principles, insights, and lessons learned that are of use to policy makers and practitioners in the development of peace education.