Sarah Dryden-Peterson is a postdoctoral fellow at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto and a member of the INEE Working Group on Education and Fragility.
There were several sessions at this year’s CIES conference (San Juan, Puerto Rico, April 22-27, 2012) that addressed a question with which the Working Group on Education and Fragility has been preoccupied. Does a conflict-sensitive approach to education include policies, programs, and practices that “do no harm”? Or, does a conflict-sensitive approach aim to transform structures, behaviors, and attitudes toward not only an absence of overt conflict but the presence of peace?
Agreement seemed to fall on the side of the second approach, in this conference setting that brought together over 2,000 people from universities, UN agencies, NGOs, and national governments with shared interests in comparative and international education. What does this kind of conflict transformation entail, specifically for education? Presentations over a number of panels led me to two particular take-away messages.
First, conflict transformation cannot only be about a stabilized security situation and a changed (more representative? more democratic?) political system. It includes structural changes in social and economic systems that shift and broaden who benefits from services (eg. health care, education) and employment (in both the public and private sector) and who feels included in decision-making and direction-setting at every level (in families, communities, and states).
Second, conflict transformation needs to disrupt existing power relations. Much discussed at the conference were macro-level transformations of power relations, such as in representation of ethnic and language groups in Parliaments and in curricula. Several panels also shed light on the importance of transformation of power relations at the micro-level: between members of families (adults and children, females and males) and between students and teachers, for example. It also seems to me that we need to think more about the sharing of power between educational policy and practices of learning/teaching and to work towards on-going and dialogue between processes of design and processes of implementation.
So should we opt for the term “peacebuilding” over “conflict-sensitivity” to describe approaches that are not only sensitive to conflict but seek to transform structures of power with an aim towards sustainable peace? Both of these terms – “conflict-sensitivity” and “peacebuilding” – are, of course, politically loaded: the first assumes the existence of conflict, the second assumes peace needs building (and hence is absent).
I am interested to hear others’ thoughts both on the semantics of terminology and, more importantly, on the substance of chosen approaches.
Ken Rhodes (Deputy Director of the FHI 360 Africa Education Team) discusses his finding from a study on the impact and the use of minimum standard for education in emergencies. He is presenting as part of the Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies.
Simmering ethno-religious crises, struggles for political power or natural resources, all of which have led to endless human suffering and consequent loss of lives, destruction of properties and displacement of people, demand that we focus on education. In this article, Blessing Ojone Adejoh talks about the importance of education during emergency response.
Every year, thousands of thousands flee or are uprooted from their homes and are forced to resettle either within their countries or across national borders in search of safety or protection. Deprived of their basic rights and entitlements (key among them education), discrimination and harassment becomes an additional burden. Women and children endure double tragedy as apart from being Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) or refugees, they are at a disproportionately high risk of physical attacks, sexual abuse, forceful abduction and recruitment as child soldiers, sex slavery, or death.
Deng (2004), reminds one that the threatening thing about the generalized violence and violation of human right that often leads to displacement of persons is that they are related to acute crises of national identity. Deng argues the crisis of national identity is further complicated in countries where sectarian tension or grievances coupled with economic marginalization are the main drivers to conflict. In this regard, the failure of a state become visible, according to Deng, when it cannot manage conflict to mitigate or contain violence, protect its citizenry and be able to provide both social amenities and other development opportunities. In other words, “instances when the capacity to respond to crises disappears or diminishes to a minimal standard” (William, 1995) and where in some parts of the country the state capacity to monopolize violence is contested.
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and internationally acclaimed actress Mia Farrow recently visited a therapeutic feeding center in Mao, Chad, where she met with families and children affected by the crisis. In this installment of the ‘Beyond School Books’ podcast series, UNICEF podcast moderator Femi Oke spoke with Ms. Farrow about her experiences in Chad and her thoughts on the role of education during emergencies.
‘Beyond School Books’ – a podcast series on education in emergencies
As Global Action Week (22-28 April) comes to a close, podcast moderator Kathryn Herzog spoke with Spanish professional basketball player Pau Gasol of the Los Angeles Lakers about making early childhood care and education a priority. Mr. Gasol is a UNICEF Ambassador and a champion of education.
El concurso distinguirá a proyectos educativos, científicos y de difusión sobre el tema de reducción del riesgo ante tsunami creados por estudiantes secundarios de escuelas costeras de Chile, Colombia, Ecuador y Perú. El premio consiste en el financiamiento y difusión de tres proyectos por país y en la participación de líderes estudiantiles en la reunión regional “Estudiantes en alerta ante Tsunamis” que se llevará a cabo en 2012 en Bogotá, Colombia.
Durante abril y mayo del 2012 estará abierta la convocatoria para participar en este concurso que busca promover la participación de estudiantes en procesos de reducción del riesgo frente a tsunamis, potenciando la capacidad de la comunidad educativa como promotora de procesos de desarrollo en comunidades costeras vulnerables.
Esta iniciativa, se lanza en el marco del proyecto “Fortalecimiento del Sistema Regional de Alerta temprana ante Tsunamis en Chile, Colombia, Ecuador y Perú”, ejecutado por la UNESCO con el apoyo del Programa de Preparativos ante Desastres (DIPECHO) de la Dirección General de Ayuda Humanitaria y Protección Civil de la Comisión Europea. El concurso es co-organizado por los ministerios de educación y oficinas nacionales de gestión del riesgo de Chile, Colombia, Ecuador y Perú, junto con la Cruz Roja chilena y el Servicio Hidrográfico y Oceanográfico de la Armada de Chile (SHOA); la Comisión Colombiana del Océano, la Fundación Plan y la ONG Protecting Through Education, RET en Colombia; Intermon Oxfam en Ecuador y el Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo (PNUD) en Perú.
Participación y premiación
Para participar en el certamen, los equipos de trabajo -integrados por dos estudiantes y un profesor(a) pertenecientes a establecimientos educativos que estén en riesgo de inundación por tsunami- deben presentar proyectos educativos ejecutables en el lapso de uno o dos meses.
De las propuestas recibidas se espera seleccionar al menos tres proyectos por país, los cuales recibirán financiamiento para su implementación. Posterior a su ejecución, y de acuerdo a la evaluación que realice el jurado interinstitucional, se elegirán a los equipos que ocupen el primer lugar en cada país, que serían invitados a participar en la reunión regional de estudiantes a realizarse en la segunda mitad de 2012 en Bogotá, Colombia. Esta reunión tiene como objetivo fortalecer las capacidades de los participantes, promover el intercambio de experiencias entre los estudiantes de Chile, Colombia, Ecuador y Perú y fomentar la construcción de acuerdos para continuar impulsando acciones de reducción del riesgo desde la escuela hacia la comunidad.
A todos los(as) estudiantes que participen del concurso se les entregará un diploma de reconocimiento a nombre de la UNESCO y la entidad contraparte del concurso.
CONCURSO POR PAÍS
Ecuador
El 22 de marzo se realizó la difusión del concurso a los colegios ubicados en zonas de alta vulnerabilidad en la ciudad costera de Esmeraldas, con la finalidad de promover la participación de la comunidad educativa en los procesos de reducción de riesgo de desastre.
Esta actividad estuvo acompañada por una capacitación para docentes sobre como elaborar proyectos educativos que contribuyan a la reducción de riesgos. Este taller contó con la participación de 25 docentes de 15 Instituciones Educativas de Esmeraldas y estuvo liderado por representantes de la Secretaria Nacional de Gestión del Riesgo, de la Dirección Provincial de Educación de Esmeraldas y de Intermon OXFAM, quienes también acompañarán a los y las estudiantes en la elaboración y ejecución de los proyectos.
Los y las estudiantes deben elaborar sus propuestas hasta el 15 de mayo del 2012. Los tres proyectos seleccionados se ejecutarán durante junio y julio.
Perú
El lanzamiento en Perú se realizó en el marco del taller de capacitación en gestión de riesgos dirigido a docentes de 15 instituciones educativas de La Libertad, Huacho y Cañete los días 17, 24 y 31 de marzo.
El objetivo del taller fue capacitar en la elaboración de planes educativos de gestión de riesgos acorde a la metodología y normativas del Ministerio de Educación del Perú. Los proyectos educativos a ser implementados en el marco del concurso de estudiantes estarán insertos en el plan de gestión de riesgos de las instituciones educativas participantes y se ejecutarán durante los meses de mayo y junio.
Este taller, organizado por el Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo en Perú, estuvo liderado por los representantes del Ministerio de Educación y la Sub jefatura del Instituto Nacional de Defensa Civil.
Colombia
El lanzamiento se realizó dentro del Encuentro Regional de Emergencias realizado el 22 y 23 de marzo en Cali. Contó con el apoyo del Ministerio de Educación Nacional (MEN), y eparticiparon las Secretarias de Educación del Pacífico sur colombiano.
Este encuentro contó con la participación de representantes de la Corporación OSSO, actual Punto Focal Nacional de Tsunami, quienes realizaron una presentación sobre el riesgo ante tsunami en la costa Pacífica colombiana, lo que permitió la contextualización del tema y del concurso. Además se presentaron las bases del concurso que generaron una respuesta positiva y de compromiso por parte de las Secretarías de Educación de Nariño, Chocó, Cauca, Tumaco y Buenaventura.
En coordinación con el Ministerio de Educación Nacional, la Unidad Nacional de Gestión del Riesgo de Desastres (UNGRD), la Comisión Colombiana del Océano (CTN AT), Fundación PLAN y la ONG Protecting Through Education - RET se espera impulsar la participación de los estudiantes al concurso.
Chile
La actividad del lanzamiento del concurso en Chile se realizará en el marco del taller para estudiantes “Gestión del Riesgo de Tsunamis”, a realizarse en coordinación con el Ministerio de Educación y la Cruz Roja chilena durante la primera semana de mayo en la ciudad de Iquique, ubicada en la región norteña de Tarapacá.
El Ministerio de Educación de Chile hará llegar una invitación formal para participar del concurso a más de 100 establecimientos educacionales ubicados bajo la cota 30 de inundación de las regiones de Tarapacá, Arica, Antofagasta y Atacama.
Este concurso cuenta con el patrocinio del Ministerio de Educación, la Oficina Nacional de Emergencias del Ministerio del Interior- (ONEMI), el Servicio Hidrográfico y Oceanográfico de la Armada de Chile (SHOA) y la Cruz Roja chilena, y se implementará durante los meses de junio y julio.
In June 2012, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio +20) will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This conference represents 20 years since member states created and adopted Agenda 21: A Programme of Action for Sustainable Development.
The Zero Draft for Rio +20 was created in January, and includes very little on education, despite the fact that education is often affected by natural hazards (floods, tsunami, tornadoes, etc.), and education can be a critical factor in mitigating both the impact of natural hazard and environmental degradation.
As a contribution to the sustainability agenda and the outcomes of the Rio +20 conference, INEE has issued a statement (full text below and online here) advocating for the inclusion of education in the final document. Please feel free to distribute and use this statement for advocacy. Comments and discussion about this statement can be shared at the end of this INEE Blog post.
Crisis sensitive education: from response to prevention
INEE Position Statement on Rio +20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development
The Rio 2012 Issues Brief No.8 on Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience Building states that “environmental degradation and climate change contribute to the increasing occurrence of disasters linked to natural hazards”. It further explains that the level of vulnerability to disasters is closely and inversely related to levels of social and economic development. The Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE) maintains that through the provision of crisis-sensitive education before, during and after emergencies, children and youth’s lives can be saved and the foundations for sustainable social and economic development of communities and countries can be restored.
Crisis-sensitive education saves lives and builds resilience in schools, communities, and societies to prevent and withstand the impacts of disaster. Crisis-sensitive education follows the ‘do no harm’ principle and addresses root causes of conflict and disaster, for instance through inclusive access to learning content that reduces risks and promotes peace and sustainable development.
INEE’s approach to crisis-sensitive education is in line with the strategic goals based on the Hyogo Framework, and outlined in the above mentioned Rio +20 Issues Brief No.8. From the integration of disaster risk reduction in education sector policies and plans (Strategic Goal 1), to the development and strengthening of education institutions, mechanisms and capacities to build resilience to hazards, (Strategic Goal 2), crisis-sensitive education is at the very heart of sustainable development and crisis prevention. Evidence from the US Geological Survey and the World Bank demonstrate that for every dollar invested in disaster risk reduction between $2-10 is saved in disaster response and recovery costs[1]. Until principles of conflict and disaster risk reduction are fully integrated, implemented and monitored in education sector policies and plans, efforts for sustainable development will continue to be compromised.
Education systems can educate citizens to be resilient to disasters, both in ensuring physical safety of children and in teaching and disseminating information on appropriate preparedness and response behavior. Children, youth and school communities are particularly vulnerable to the impact of natural disasters caused by climate change. For example, the 2008 earthquake in the Sichuan province of China took the lives of more than 10,000 children in their schools. The 2010 Haitian earthquake killed more than 4,000 children and 700 teachers, all of whom were teaching and learning in non-earthquake resistant buildings. These are shocking statistics, particularly when combined with the existing 175 million children likely to be affected by natural disasters over the next decade. Not only do these statistics illustrate that some of the current Millennium Development and Education for All Goals will not be reached, they also demonstrate that the post-2015 goals must explicitly address issues of education for sustainable development and conflict and disaster risk reduction.
Education also contributes to enabling people to escape poverty, build sustainable livelihoods, and act as responsible citizens. Equitable access to quality, relevant education in safe learning environments is a fundamental human right. However, access to school alone is not enough if girls and boys are not learning the skills to equip them for living and working in the 21st Century. Such skills not only include, literacy, numeracy, critical thinking, and problem solving, but also need to promote relevant knowledge in environmental and climate change; disaster risk reduction and preparedness; sustainable lifestyles and consumption; and green technical vocational education and training.
INEE also strives to support crisis-sensitive education during acute and chronic emergency situations. Despite offering both life-saving and long-term benefits to children and communities, education remains one of the least supported sectors in a humanitarian response. Yet education is typically one of the first priorities that children and parents consistently request during the early stages of disasters. One concrete framework for supporting education in such situations is through the use of the INEE Minimum Standards for Education: Preparedness, Response, Recovery[2].
In order to raise the profile of education for sustainable development, INEE calls on actors at Rio +20 to:
Put education front and centre on the Sustainable Development Goals agenda as the mechanism for future leaders to internalize principles of sustainable development;
Focus on access + learning to ensure that next generation is equipped with the skills and knowledge they need to build sustainable 21st century lives and livelihoods;
Champion crisis-sensitive education content and systems, together with safe learning environments in order to address the particular challenges of natural and human-made conflicts and disasters; and
Integrate conflict and disaster risk reduction into education sector planning and programming, ensuring that funding is available to support education in emergencies.
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[1] Red Cross (2007), Building safer, resilient communities
[2] This handbook provides guidance on how to prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters in ways that reduce risk, improve future preparedness and lay a solid foundation for quality education,which incorporates cross-cutting issues such as conflict mitigation, Early Childhood Development, Gender, HIV and AIDs, Human Rights, Inclusive Education, Inter-sectoral linkages, Protection, Psychosocial support and youth engagement
Early childhood care and education – a cornerstone of every child’s development – is one of the most neglected ‘Education For All’ goals, and is unlikely to be achieved by 2015.
To commemorate Global Action Week (22-28 April) podcast moderator Kathryn Herzog spoke with Jack P. Shonkoff, MD, Director of the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, and Chloe O’Gara, Program Officer for the Hewlett Foundation’s Global Development and Population Program, about the importance of early childhood care and education and the issues around early learning.
Each year during its Global Action Week, the Global Campaign for Education and its members all around the world give profile to one of the core areas of the Education For All agenda. In 2012, the focus is early childhood care and education. Using the slogan "Rights from the Start! Early Childhood Care and Education Now!", Global Action Week 2012 is focusing on the first of the six Education for All (EFA) Goals:
"Expanding and improving comprehensive early childhood care and education, especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children".
While all children are among the most vulnerable in the face of an emergency, those considered to be in the ECD phase (prenatal to 8 years) are rendered even more at-risk, particularly those who have not yet entered the formal school system, because of a lack of targeted programming to meet their unique physical and cognitive development needs.
Kabirou Sayo is only 15 years old, yet his life story could fill a book.
“It happened at the end of a school day,” he explained when asked how he came to be a victim of child trafficking. ''I met a man called Baba who traffics in children. He tried to tell me the advantages of leaving for Nigeria.''
Kabirou, then just 12 years old, was eager to leave his home in Bandessar, a tiny village in northern Benin, and Baba bribed him with the promise of a brand new motorcycle and “several luxury goods.”
Kabirou did not know he would be forced to labour for long hours on a farm once he arrived in Nigeria.
Waiting to go home
“After three months, I wanted to come back to my mother and father, but Baba would not bring me,” said Kabirou.
Meanwhile, his father was working to bring him home.
“There was not much I could do to get the boy back,” said Kabirou's father, Sidi Sayo. “I waited for the man who had taken him, Baba, to return. I spoke to him; I was angry. I called Baba to come before the elders… Baba said he had done wrong and would not do it again,” said Mr. Sayo.
Under pressure from the elders, Baba eventually brought the boy back.
“I spent two years over there,” Kabirou said.
Going back to school
Back in Bandassar, Kabirou asked to go back to school.
School is an important alternative to child labour, and it offers children a long-term path out of poverty. Education is also a right belonging to all children, one guaranteed by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the most endorsed human rights treaty in the world.
Djougou is one of 18 target communes where UNICEF is working to help the government increase the primary school enrollment and completion rates. But the challenges are manifold, says Abiba Orou-Tokpo, UNICEF Education Project Officer. “The cotton sector is in crisis and production has fallen. When families lack resources, they are forced to establish priorities, and education is not at the top of the list.”
The problems are not just economic, says Parfait Houssou, the head teacher at Bandessar's primary school. “Many of our schools are short of buildings and equipment. We also suffer from a chronic lack of qualified teachers. The national teacher training college was closed down in 1986 and only recently re-opened. I am quite lucky to have five teachers for six classes. In many schools, children enroll and then sit there, without a teacher. The next year, they just don't come back.”
UNICEF is working to improve education, approaching the challenges from a variety of angles, including establishing partnerships with community and religious leaders; providing furniture and school supplies; and upgrading schools through the provision of latrines and safe drinking water. A special programme also aims to keep girls in school beyond primary school.
Teaching children their rights
UNICEF is also distributing a board game teaching children about their rights. Based on the CRC, the ‘Analyse en boîte’ game uses elements of Monopoly and Trivial Pursuit to help children understand that they have a right to education, to protection from exploitation, and to grow up to be happy and healthy.
In Djougou, pupils in 21 primary schools play the game, and competitions are organized between the top teams. Prizes include pens, copybooks and geometry sets. While judging a play-off at Bandessar Primary School, Deputy Mayor Djibril Amadou commended the initiative. “The game teaches children their rights and prepares them for adult life. You also find that those children in Djougou's schools who have come into contact with the game are better prepared for secondary school.”
Kabirou now attends secondary school, and is grateful for the education he receives. He says he wants to be the Education Minister of Benin when he grows up.
In the meantime, he would like to do some educating of his own. “I would like to tell Baba that if he wants to take people to Nigeria, he should choose grown up villagers, not children,” he said.
El concurso distinguirá a proyectos educativos, científicos y de difusión sobre el tema de reducción del riesgo ante tsunami creados por estudiantes secundarios de escuelas costeras de Chile, Colombia, Ecuador y Perú. El premio consiste en el financiamiento y difusión de tres proyectos por país y en la participación de líderes estudiantiles en la reunión regional “Estudiantes en alerta ante Tsunamis” que se llevará a cabo en 2012 en Bogotá, Colombia.
Each year during its 
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