Peacebuilding &conflict transformation A ... - Peaceworkafrica

▶ Discover inner peace —this means finding ways to deal with one’s ownpsychological conflicts.▶ Learn to live together, against the polarization of human beings.▶ Respect human dignity, based on human rights, duties and justice.▶ Be your true self — this means acquiring the strength of character to behonest, direct in expressing one’s needs, feelings and thoughts withoutletting others down.▶ Develop critical thinking — this is an essential skill for creative problemsolving.▶ Resolve conflicts non-violently — this is an essential intellectual skillnecessary for sustainable conflict transformation including areaslike analysis, active listening, mediation, creative problem solving andalternative solution seeking.▶ Care for the planet — take part in the global education for the masses.4. Peace & conflict studiesPeace studies is an interdisciplinary effort aimed at the prevention, de‐escalationand transformation of conflicts by peaceful means, thereby seeking ‘victory’ for allparties involved in the conflict 32 .Peace and Conflict Studies is a social science field that identifies and analysesviolent and nonviolent behaviours as well as structural mechanisms for social conflicts,with a view to understanding the processes that lead to more desirable humanliving conditions. It is therefore:…apedagogical activity, through which educators transmit knowledge to students,… a research activity, through which researchers create new knowledge aboutsources of conflict.Peace and Conflict Studies can be classified as:▶ Multidisciplinary — encompassing elements of politics and internationalrelations, sociology, psychology, anthropology and economics.▶ Multilevel — peace studies examine intrapersonal peace, peace betweenindividuals, neighbours, ethnic groups, states and societies.▶ Multicultural — true multiculturalism remains an aspiration, as mostpeace studies centers are still located in the West.4 . P e a c e & c o n f l i c t s t u d i e s 43