What makes a peaceful and non-violent society? How can development be made sustainable in conditions of violent conflict and insecurity? The answers are complex, yet education’s role, though multifaceted, is crucial, whether it involves encouraging people, particularly the young, to vote, or supports participation in political processes and becoming politically active. What students are taught and how teaching is conducted are cornerstones of the relationship between education, conflict and peacebuilding.

Peace and non-violence are not promoted simply by the virtue of children and youth attending school, but by teachers enabling students to acquire useful skills when confronted with circumstances that may lead to conflict or violence. Education reflects social tensions, including conflict-related ideologies and stereotypes, so the relationship between education, peace and conflict deserves far more attention to enable the promotion of positive contributions to peacebuilding, access to justice and protection from violence, whether large-scale or intimate.