people and planet

4
Education and literacy contribute to more participatory politics.................... 97
The relationship between education and conflict is multifaceted.................. 103
Education can play a key role in building a functioning justice system.......110
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................... 111
Violence can be prevented and stable peace is more
likely in societies where institutions are democratic
and representative – of women as well as minorities, of
the poorest as well as the most affluent. Marginalized
groups may resort to conflict and violence if there are
no peaceful alternatives for resolving their grievances.
It is projected that by 2030 up to 62% of people living in
extreme poverty will be in countries at risk of high levels
of violence (OECD, 2015).
Education has a key role in contributing to the political
participation and inclusion vital to ensure social
cohesion, and to prevent and mitigate tensions in
societies that are – as described in the statement above
from the preamble to the 2030 Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs) – ‘peaceful, just and inclusive’ and ‘free from
fear and violence’.
Sustainable peace also requires a well-functioning justice
system that offers citizens, regardless of social status,
a more attractive alternative to violence to resolve
personal and political disputes. If people feel they have
no access to justice to address their legal needs and to
assert and protect their rights, they are more likely to
resort to violent means, undermining the establishment
and consolidation of peace.
This chapter is divided into three sections. It starts
by documenting links between education and politics,
showing that education offers transformative
possibilities for participation, inclusion, advocacy
and democracy. It then examines the multifaceted
relationship between education and conflict and
violence, especially
Education is a key
in contexts where
education is lacking,
ingredient for acquiring
unequal or biased. It
political knowledge shows that education
can contribute to
conflict, but can
also reduce or eliminate it. The chapter also shows how
education can play a crucial role in peacebuilding and
help address the alarming consequences of its neglect.
It examines education and violence unrelated to conflict
and war. The final section provides evidence of how
education initiatives, in particular driven by civil society
organizations, can help marginalized populations gain
access to justice.
EDUCATION AND LITERACY
CONTRIBUTE TO MORE
PARTICIPATORY POLITICS
Political inclusion is about facilitating participation
throughout the political cycle, not just at elections.
Active participation in political processes enables people
to understand and engage with the underlying causes
of social problems at the local and global levels. It also
makes the electorate and polity more representative of
society, holds governments more effectively to account
and helps enforce constitutionally guaranteed rights.
Education is a key ingredient for acquiring political
knowledge, though opportunities to learn are determined
by the availability of information, free from restrictions
or censorship.
2016 • GLOBAL EDUCATION MONITORING REPORT 97