April 17, 2024 – Targeted Conflict Resolution Education (CRE) programs for teachers are indispensable tools for nurturing sustainable peace within both schools and the wider community. This we have observed in all sorts of places, notably in the Cape Flats, South Africa, an area in suburban Cape Town characterized by entrenched social tensions and a history of violence. In this context comprehensive strategies to address its complex conflict dynamics have proved essential for stabilizing efforts to foster sustainable development and peacebuilding are crucial.
Educators, serving as influential figures in young learners’ lives, possess a unique opportunity to instill principles of peace and tolerance. By imparting teachers and educators with specialized conflict resolution skills, these programs empower them to not only manage classroom conflicts effectively but also to propagate peacebuilding principles beyond school boundaries, thereby fostering a culture of harmony and mutual understanding within the community at large. This is why WPDI puts so much emphasis on training future trainers, on making sure teachers develop a deep understanding of the dynamics of conflict and on reinforcing their capacity to foster positive transformation.
In this context, in February we conducted a training session for 37 teachers at Riverside Primary School in Athlone, Cape Flats. This initiative was initiated following an invitation from Principal Mr. Petersen, prompted by the ongoing conflicts and violence within the school community. The comprehensive training encompassed subjects such as Human Rights, the South African Legal Framework, Peacebuilding, Conflict Resolution, and Leadership skills. The interactive nature of the training proved highly engaging, prompting requests for a follow-up session to delve deeper into Conflict Resolution Education topics. We also held a similar training session for 58 teachers at Levana Primary School in Lavender Hill.
Teachers were overtly thankful for being given the opportunity to learn new skills to help them navigate the complicated social dynamics of their school. “School conflict is on the rise, discipline problems are escalating, and rumors quickly escalate into more serious problems. As a result, we find ourselves escalating a situation because we are not well skilled in handling such situations, thank you so much WPDI, I now feel so empowered I can better navigate any situation in my school,” explained Willem Johannes, a teacher at Riverside Primary School.
The idea of these training programs is to enable teachers to enrich the education learners receive with components on positive values, attitudes and behaviors, fostering a peaceful and safe learning environment, collaboratively. Amidst numerous challenges stemming from learners’ difficult backgrounds, marked by poverty, teachers struggle to focus solely on teaching. The escalating violence in the Cape Flats schools exacerbates their stress, compounded by limited resources and support for learners. Faced with such challenges in their daily work, the participating teachers welcomed the approach and tools of Conflict Resolution and peacebuilding training, recognizing their applicability not only in classrooms but also in their personal lives. Many suggested involving parents in such programs to promote peace both at home and in schools, which we indeed apply in other countries and will aim to implement in the Cape Flats to ensure an even more holistic approach to peacebuilding in local communities. Indeed, the main goal of this program in the Cape Flats is to benefit both the individuals enrolled in them and, ultimately the community as a whole.
In partnership with
