A Critical Analysis of Conflict, Education and Fragility in Nepal

In February 1996, the then Communist Party of Nepal [Maoist] (CPN-M) announced a ‘People’s War’ in Nepal, with the aim of overthrowing the constitutional monarchy and establishing ‘a new socio-economic structure and state’ (Bhattarai, 2003; Maoist Statements and Documents, 2003). The ensuing conflict spread rapidly across the country as a consequence of failing to respond to longstanding social inequality (Murshed and Gates 2005), abject poverty and deprivation (Deraniyagala, 2005; Bhattarai, 2003; Do & Iyer, 2007), and the lack of insights into, or political will to deal with the rising insurgency through peaceful means (Thapa and Sijapati, 2004; Bohara et al., 2006)

Social justice, education and peacebuilding: conflict transformation in Southern Thailand

Education is increasingly becoming central to debates about how to promote peace in conflict-affected societies. Equitable access to quality learning, promotion of social justice through educational reforms and conflict-sensitive curricular and pedagogical approaches are viewed as peace supporting educational interventions. Drawing upon the existing body of literature in the area of education, conflict and peace in Southern Thailand and reflecting on Nancy Fraser’s theory of social justice and applying the 4Rs framework, this paper provides a critical analysis of inequalities, cultural repression and epistemic domination through education. The paper argues that the 4Rs framework usefully exposes underlying structural tensions in education but does little to show avenues for rupturing unequal power relations and hegemonies that reproduce systems of domination and social exclusion at the macro level. The real hope, however, lies in the potential use of the 4Rs as a tool for grassroots political socialisation

Schooling in violent situations: The politicization of education in Nepal, before and after the 2006 peace agreement

This article examines the contentious relationship between education and the Maoist insurgency in Nepal, analyzing the political intrusion on the education sector before and after the multi-party polity was restored in 1990, and the violent experiences of teachers and students during the decade-long conflict (1996–2006). It argues that the end of the conflict in 2006 has merely reduced the tangible attacks on education, as the political interference in the education system continues. During the post-accord transition, schools symbolize power centres in the community which provide a space for multi-party political scuffles

‘My life as a second-class human being’: Experiences of a refugee academic

This paper reviews some theoretical ideas about how refugees are positioned within social, psychological and humanitarian debates and then, discusses the concept of ‘refugee academics’ with references to the struggles of Syrian scholars who are living in exile. Drawing upon one Syrian academic’s experiences of displacement and academic life in exile, it argues that the social and political constructs of ‘refugeeness’ and depiction of these academics as victims or societal threats as refugees need to be transformed into narratives of human acceptance, opportunities of coproduction of knowledge, academic diversity and mutual benefits

Education: Cultural Reproduction, Revolution and Peacebuilding in Conflict-Affected Societies

This chapter reviews some of the key debates in the growing field of education and conflict studies. In recent years, the interrelationship between education and conflict has been explored widely in the academic as well as the practitioner literature.1 More importantly, development practitioners are increasingly recognizing the need to understand this complex nexus in order to inform educational programming in conflict-affected environments.2 In the era of globalization, education serves as a mechanism for social, political and economic control, which is exercised in the consensual mutuality between political elites and corporate interests. In this context, societies struggle to cultivate humanity against the dominance of neoliberalism as well as to make schooling relevant to disenfranchised populations while recognizing the social and cultural situationality of education. In this chapter, I will discuss the following key issues relating to education, social change and conflict, particularly focusing on: (1) interactions between education and conflict — that is, education as victim and perpetrator; (2) education as liberation, resistance and revolution; and (3) education as peacebuilder and pedagogies for peacebuilding

Knowledge Production and Learning in Nepal's Madhes Movement: Struggle, Achievements and Disappointments

This report presents findings from a study into learning in Nepal's Madhes movement. It provides a critical analysis of the history of the movement and draws upon extensive interviews with the movement activities to provide an analysis of how Madhesis learnt about the agenda, how they learnt to organise and claimed their rights to equitable representation in the state structures and life with dignity

Ethical reflections on children’s participation in educational research during humanitarian crises

This paper aims to reflect upon ethical dilemmas arising from educational research in humanitarian contexts, particularly when involving children. In recognition of the paucity of knowledge on how to define ethics in humanitarian research, we review the existing body of literature that explores ethical responsibilities towards children involved in educational research at school and their communities. The paper argues that research ethics should be at the forefront of every study that is conducted in crisis contexts and more rigorous review and vetting processes are necessary to protect children, researchers and wider communities who live in crisis settings. We hope to promote an informed debate on research ethics in humanitarian contexts, while encouraging the development of rigorous guidelines, notes and minimum standards