Confronting prejudice in a post-ethnic-war environment: NGO education for peace in Bosnia
Creators: name: Stovel, Laura
Publisher: name: University of British Columbia
Year: 2009

description: Education against chauvinism in a post-ethnic-war setting may share a similar vocabulary with anti-racism education when it addresses chauvinistic attitudes and actions. However, much war-related chauvinism differs significantly from racism rooted in colonialism and slavery. Psychoanalytical theory suggests that war-related chauvinism may be strongly influenced by unhealed historical trauma, experienced both at individual and social levels. Conflict transformation theory suggests that there may be a definite order in which educational methodologies can be introduced as they not only address chauvinism, but also assist in transforming a relationship in conflict from one that is highly polarized to one in which dialogue and collaboration are possible. This research examines 14 manuals and outlines of local and international educational programs in Bosnia and Croatia which attempt in some way to address ethnic chauvinism. Supported by background interviews with educators and administrators of 26 educational programs in the two countries, the study highlights patterns suggested by the manuals in an effort to explain why such programs take the form that they do. Although the focus of the research is on Bosnia, comparing Bosnian programs with those in Croatia reveals how contextual differences, including levels of security and the degree of ethnic homogeneity, may influence the nature of post-war educational programs. Similarly, comparing programs designed for a range of groups, from children to adults and from the general public to specific professions, reveals important opportunities for, and obstacles to, educational programming for different target audiences. The study found that few programs surveyed deal directly with anti-chauvinism education and no programs focus exclusively on it. However, programs attempt to improve interethnic relations and challenge chauvinism by applying a wide range of methodologies, from teaching active learning and trauma healing to encouraging interethnic mixing and promoting media and political literacy. By applying models of trauma healing and conflict transformation, such educational methodologies may be understood, in large part, as assisting grieving, trauma healing, and a process of rehumanizing the "enemy" at both individual and community levels. The important interrelationship between local and international educators is also discussed. International educators may contribute an external, comparative perspective and draw from valuable educational methods and materials that have been developed in other countries, but local educators are usually the ones who make this material meaningful to participants. The research found that, although most educators I spoke with are local, much more needs to be done to make the general, international material, which dominates the manuals, more context-specific. The educators developing these programs seem to be very sensitive to the state of trauma and grieving of participants and their communities. As a result of this sensitivity, however, some may be overly hesitant to introduce methodologies that directly challenge chauvinism and refer specifically to the issues of the war. A few programs suggest that such direct engagement with these issues may be both beneficial and well-received. Further research needs to be done on how manuals and programs which deal directly with chauvinism and the issues of the war are used and received.