The history of civilization is a complex narrative, characterized by ongoing conflicts and violence that have spanned generations and often perpetuated in vicious cycles. The tendency, however, to resort to violence to subsume heterogeneities and expunge differences impedes development and undermines the moral fabric of the present and future generations. Society cannot flourish in the face of prejudice, injustice and hostility. Peace-building and conflict transformation are indispensable for a sustainable future of human community.
Peace-building necessitates a multi-pronged approach. John Paul Lederach’s principles of sustainable and transformative peace provide valuable frameworks. Sustainable peace focuses on the long-term viability of peace-building efforts by addressing root causes of conflict, promoting dialogue, encouraging grassroots initiatives, and fostering structures and systems that support lasting peace. Transformative peace, on the other hand, aims to fundamentally alter the underlying dynamics of conflict, shifting from a paradigm of violence to one of cooperation and mutual understanding.
Because Peace-building is multi-faceted, it requires a collective effort in which education plays a crucial role. In his message for the World Day of Peace 2016, Pope Francis highlighted that educators have the challenging task of instilling in learners the values of freedom, mutual respect, and solidarity in academic and social spaces.
Recognizing the critical role of education in nurturing these spaces, the Philippine educational framework has embedded peace education in its curricula from basic to tertiary levels. Moreover, a number of higher education institutions have established Centers for Peace, Institutes for Cultural Studies, and Development Studies Centers to explore the deeper historical, contextual, and cultural underpinnings of conflict. Beyond formal education, conflict resolution trainings, symposia, and consultations on peace processes have occupied much of the time of academic-based peace centers and diverse civil society organizations (CSOs) linked through various peace networks.
Despite the numerous creative initiatives undertaken by educational institutions, government and non-government actors, there is still much to be desired in the enterprise of building just and sustainable peace in the country.
Inspired by FSUU’s vision and mission, the 10th edition of the Mindanao Peace Conference and Studies aims to deepen the understanding of relevant issues on the role of education in peacebuilding. MPSC X aspires to ignite conversations regarding shared understandings and meanings about how education can nurture inclusive, safe and just spaces for peace and conflict transformation. Hoping to listen to voices from the academe, the civil society, government agencies, non-government organizations, minoritized and cultural subgroups, the conference seeks to create an opportunity to share diverse perspectives, bridge gaps and foster constructive conversation on education and peacebuilding.
The MPSC 10 calls for papers that explore and/or propose innovative frameworks, perspectives, approaches, best practices, existing studies and share transformative stories in the field of peace education but not limited to the following key themes:
- Multi-cultural Understanding and Tolerance
- The Role of Peace Education in Conflict Transformation
- Dialogue, Non-violent Communication and Inclusivity
- Social Justice Education and Its Impact on Sustainable Peace
- Effectiveness of Peace Education Programs
- Mental health, Emotional Well – Being and Peace Education
- Environmental Justice and Education
- Curriculum Development for Peace-building
- Innovative Teaching Methods for Peace Education
- Technology and Peace Education
- Global Citizenship Education
- Legislations and Policies for Peace Education
Interested scholars are requested to send abstracts (250-300 words) to mpsc@urios.edu.ph on or before September 30, 2024. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance after their submission. Accepted proposals will be presented on November 19, 2024. Speakers are allotted 20 minutes (approx. 2500) words for the paper presentation, and an open forum follows. For inquiries and clarifications please contact us through (085) 975-9840 loc. 4102 or email us at mpsc@urios.edu.ph