Can multiple perspectives to foster inter-group empathy help mitigate conflict in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo? An exploration of the pedagogical tool ‘Uprooted’ - 12th April

Marked by more than twenty years of armed conflict, peace remains fragile in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), more particularly in the eastern provinces of Kivu. Amidst persistent tensions, there is a clear imperative to foster coexistence and reconciliation among current and future generations. While the education system alone cannot claim to rebuild peace or reconcile a country, teaching and learning about mutual experiences of past and present suffering can mediate and contextualize the selective and uncritical knowledge about the conflict that young people have and, ultimately, foster mutual understanding and empathy between (previously) conflicting groups. In this seminar, they present educational materials that were developed to encourage critical reflection and debate on the drivers of conflict in Eastern DRC and reflect on their potential from the perspective of teachers in the region.

Speakers

Prof Justin Sheria Nfundiko

Prof Justin Sheria Nfundiko is an Associate Professor at the Université Catholique de Bukavu (UCB) and at Université Officielle de Bukavu (UOB) in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). He is also a researcher at the Centre for Research on Peace and Conflicts in the African Great Lakes region. He teaches Peace Education and Sociology and Politics of Education. His research focuses on the role of education in consolidating peace in the DRC.

Dr Line Kuppens

Dr Line Kuppens is Assistant Professor of Conflict Studies at the University of Amsterdam. Her current research focuses on (perceptions) of group-based, or so-called ‘horizontal’ inequalities in education in the multicultural contexts of Nigeria and Kenya. She also conducts research on education, peace and conflict in divided and post-conflict societies.

For more information, please contact Dr Shalini Bhorkar by emailing shalini.bhorkar@stmarys.ac.uk

Centre for Research into the Education of Marginalised Children and Young Adults (CREMCYA).