Peace Education in Nepal

Save the Children, Nepal: Leading Peace Education Initiative in Sub-Regional Level

Education can reduce the intent of violence and attack on education by promoting understanding, tolerance, fairness, and friendship among all nations and among racial or religious groups (UNESCO, 2010). Peace educatin helped to reduce tension among children, teachers and parents in Nepal by increased access of knowledge and skills on mitigating disputes in child clubs, schools and families. The inclusion of marginalized groups in curricula writing process; integration of contents that prevent tensions and intent of violence; collaborative approach of actors led by government; and intervention in multiple sector of education are major characteristics of Nepal's peace education program that accelerated towards positive outcomes.

Major Outcomes:
Peace education in Nepal is amied to foster to foster nonviolent behavior by imparting knowledge on human rights, civic participation, and value diversity. This initiative is helping children, youth and parents for increased access of information and skilled related to peace, human rights and civic responsibilities. The joint collaboration of government, UNICEF, UNESCO and Save the Children and other orgainzations helped to reduce the violence.

Save the Children (SC) has been working with Ministry of Education for integrate peace, human rights and civic educatin in formal and non-formal curricula. Similarly, it has been helping the Government for teacher professional developement.

SC is also collaborating with UNICEF and providing technical leadership for implementation of peace, human rights and civic education in child clubs in Nepal. Moreover, SC is implementing peace educaiton for youth clubs, for ex-combatants, and riot affected community in Nepal.

As the technical partner of Save the Children Sweden's Regional Office based in Kathmandu, SC Nepal is helping to initiate peace education in Pakistan and Afghanistan through the SC Country offices. SC Nepal is extending its knowledge in Sri Lanka in November by inviting the Ministry of Education and SC team in Nepal.

By: Raj Kumar Dhungana