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Major challenges facing peace education: What does the research
tell us?
Gavriel Salomon, Center for Research on Peace Education
Haifa University, Israel
September , 2009
http://edu.haifa.ac.il/personal/gsalomon/index.htm
Deligitimization and dehumanization of the other side’s history, beliefs & identity
A major factor underlying intractable conflicts
Develop empathy for the “other’s” suffering and fears
Acknowledge one’s own role in the conflict
Develop non-violent disposition & behaviors
Accept the legitimacy of the “other’s” collective narrative
Major challenges facing peace education
The need to create a social ripple effect
Challenge 1:
The need for impact endurance
Challenge 2:
Does Friendship Between Adversaries Generalize? (Bar-Natan, 2005)
Pretest Posttest Delayed Posttest
Immediate impact of PE on central and peripheral beliefs (Rosen, 2006)
3.193.32
1.97
2.47
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
Pre-test Post-test1
Central
Peripheralt=4.31**
t=1.03, ns
Declining impact of the PE program (Rosen, 2006)
3.32 3.38
2.47
2.13
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
Post-test1 Post-test2
Central
Peripheralt=3.73**
t=.0.21, ns
That which can be changed through an educational intervention can as easily be changed back by adverse socio-political forces
Bi- and Uni-National Football Clubs: Negative Emotions Toward The Other (Zuabi,
2008)
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
Pre Test Post Test Delayed Post test
Bi-National Jewish Bi-National Arabs Uni-National Jewish Uni-National Arabs
Our challenge today is not just to create changes of perceptions,
beliefs, attitudes and behaviors, but to learn how to sustain them over time and against opposing forces
Challenge 3: One size does not fit all:
The need to develop differential programs
0102030405060708090
PalestiniansJews
Perceptions of "Peace" (N=824) (Biton, 2002)
No Violence
Independence
Importance of the Israeli-Jewish and Palestinian Narratives - Jews and Arabs Before the Program
4.26
3.07
3.543.76
1.802.002.202.402.602.803.003.203.403.603.804.004.204.404.604.80
PalesJew s
Pal. Narr.
Jew. Narr.
Percent advocating war as a strategy for peace (Biton, 2002)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
PosttestPretest
Participants
Non-Participants
The Impact of Induced-Compliance activity on the Importance of the Peripheral Beliefs from the Palestinian Narrative - Jewish Participants
2.03
2.83
2.24 2.12
2.112.27
3.142.85
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
4.00
4.50
5.00
Pretest (beforethe program)
Posttest1(after theprogram)
Posttest2(after 2 month)
Posttest2 (3month after the
IC)
Participated in PE program not participated in IC
Participated in PE program and participated in IC
The Impact of Induced-Compliance activity on the Importance of the Peripheral Beliefs from the Israeli-
Jewish Narrative - Arab Participants
3.423.13
3.403.37
3.173.323.53 3.39
1.001.401.802.202.603.003.403.804.204.60
Pretest(before theprogram)
Posttest1(after theprogram)
Posttest2(after 2month)
Posttest2 (3month after
the IC)
Participated in PE program not participated in IC
Participated in PE program and participated in IC
Learning to apply general beliefs and principles
to specific situations
Challenge 4:
Obedience to authority: Milgram, 1964
Zimbardo’s simulated prison,
1973
Darley & Latane (1968), the bystander effect
"The problem comes down to this: We are not putting to work what we know… We do not have a knowledge gap – we have a monumental use-of-knowledge gap" (Perkins, 1992, p. 3).
•Increase mindful, deep processing?
•Train real-life applications?
• Cultivate dispositions in concrete contexts?
Conclusions:
Peace education can, under certain conditions, be effective for those who participate in it and for a relatively short time.
However, to be truly effective, i.e., to have necessary societal and lasting effects, the macro challenges need to be successfully addressed.
…And a question:
To what extent do these challenges apply also to –
-Human rights education (e.g. Armenia)?
-Anti racism education (e.g., Germany)?
-Democracy education (e.g., Congo)?
And their likes.
