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Teachable Moments: Reimagining Education for Peacebuilding in a Divided World A Panel Discussion on Nigeria, Syria, Sudan, and Niger

Sat, March 28, 2:45 to 4:00pm, Hilton, Floor: Ballroom Level - Tower 2, Franciscan A

Group Submission Type: Formal Panel Session

Proposal

We face an unprecedented global education crisis that demands urgent reimagining of how educational systems can foster peacebuilding in divided societies. The theoretical distinction between 'negative peace’, which is the cessation of violence, and 'positive peace’, referring to structural transformations addressing root causes of conflict, has never been more critical as 272 million children remain out of school globally, with over 118 million school-age girls denied educational access. This crisis intensified in 2025 when funding for education in humanitarian settings was slashed by 33%, with some countries experiencing up to 90% reductions in educational aid. Major donors, including the UK, have diverted billions from foreign aid to defense, directly jeopardizing girls' education in conflict zones. All happening while the crises in Sudan, Gaza, Ukraine, and elsewhere have deepened and expanded significantly.

The origins of peace education in violent conflict settings intertwine deeply with political and social developments. While civil society has historically shaped education as a tool for peace, violent conflict and authoritarian influences have fractured societies along religious, ethnic, linguistic, and political lines, creating highly politicized curricula that prioritize regime ideologies over inclusive narratives. Yet these crises also create "teachable moments", critical opportunities where societies must fundamentally reimagine educational delivery for post-conflict reconstruction.

Today's panel examines four contexts where these dynamics converge with devastating impact: Nigeria, Syria, Sudan, and Niger represent diverse manifestations of how educational systems can either perpetuate division or foster reconciliation amid protracted conflict, political instability, and humanitarian crisis. These contexts reveal how educational systems reflect broader societal fractures while offering potential pathways toward reconciliation. Each case demonstrates unique adaptations.

The current humanitarian aid funding crisis compounds these challenges, demanding innovative delivery mechanisms including remote learning, community-based schools, accelerated education for returnees, and crisis-adapted curricula. Without urgent new models, millions risk permanent educational exclusion, with profound socio-economic consequences for post-conflict societies attempting reconstruction.

Current educational responses across these contexts exhibit both division and potential. Curricula often reflect territorial control and political allegiances—regime narratives versus opposition perspectives, secular versus religious frameworks, centralized versus localized content. Yet these same divisions create spaces for experimentation with peace education approaches: trauma-informed pedagogy in Syria, intercommunal dialogue programs in Nigeria's Middle Belt, indigenous language integration in Sudan's periphery, and community ownership models in Niger's rural areas.

The panel explores how these "teachable moments" of crisis can transform educational systems from sites of division into pillars of sustainable peace. Each context offers insights into navigating tensions between immediate humanitarian needs and longer-term peacebuilding goals, between local ownership and international support, between preserving cultural identity and fostering national unity.

Country Contexts

Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, confronts multifaceted security challenges, including Boko Haram insurgency, farmer-herder conflicts, and separatist movements. Over 20 million children are out of school—the highest globally—with 2.9 million displaced by conflict. More than 1,500 schools have been destroyed or closed due to insecurity since 2014, while women’s literacy rates lag at 53% compared to 69% for men. The federal system must navigate diverse linguistic, religious, and cultural needs across 36 states while countering extremist narratives that have stigmatized Western-style education.
Syria, after 13 years of civil war, faces massive educational reconstruction with 2.4 million children out of school and 1.6 million at risk of dropping out. Over 7,000 schools have been damaged, destroyed, or militarized, while 52% of refugee children in neighboring countries lack educational access. Multiple educational systems now operate across regime-held, opposition-controlled, and Kurdish-administered areas, each reflecting deep political divisions through divergent curricula and competing narratives about national identity.

Sudan's ongoing civil war since April 2023 created the world's largest displacement crisis, with out-of-school children surging from 3.2 million to 7.1 million. Among 10.7 million internally displaced persons, 90% of schools in conflict-affected states remain non-functional, with 19,000+ schools damaged, destroyed, or occupied. Historical marginalization and Arabization policies that contributed to conflict now complicate efforts to build inclusive curricula recognizing ethnic and linguistic diversity.

Niger, following July 2023's military coup, confronts suspended international aid, regional isolation, and growing jihadist threats. With 1.5 million children out of school—West Africa's highest rate—only 32% of girls complete primary education, while female literacy languishes at 19% globally. Over 3,000 schools have closed due to insecurity, as traditional resistance to formal schooling, particularly for girls, intersects with security challenges and political upheaval.

Key Discussion Questions for Panel

How can we navigate fragmented educational governance in, and after, violent conflict? In other words, how can educational systems maintain coherence and national unity while operating across multiple authorities and territorial divisions? What lessons emerge from managing educational delivery when different regions, ethnic groups, or political factions control curriculum development, teacher training, and resource distribution?

When we think about transforming conflict narratives through curriculum, what does that look like? How can educational content address historical grievances and contested national narratives while promoting reconciliation rather than perpetuating division? What strategies effectively integrate transitional justice, intercultural dialogue, and peace education into curricula without triggering backlash from communities invested in conflicting historical interpretations?

How is community ownership at odds with international standards during and after conflict? Do local communities, traditional leaders, and grassroots organizations balance cultural authenticity with international educational standards and human rights principles? What innovative partnerships between international donors, government institutions, and community-based organizations can sustain educational programming amid funding cuts and political instability?

In terms of scaling innovation within education systems impacted by conflict, how can we even think about this? What delivery mechanisms and pedagogical approaches can reach the most marginalized children, particularly girls, displaced populations, and ethnic minorities, while building social cohesion across divided communities? How can successful pilot programs and local innovations be scaled without losing contextual relevance or community ownership?

These questions frame our exploration of how Nigeria, Syria, Sudan, and Niger can transform educational crises into opportunities for sustainable peacebuilding, offering insights for reimagining education's role in healing divided societies worldwide

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