Decolonizing Peace Education Knowledge Production: Academic Publishing, Conference Structures, and Leadership Education

• In Event: New Directions in Critical Peace and Human Rights Education: Centering Transformative Agency, Dignity and Decoloniality in Theory, Praxis, and Scholarship

Proposal

How do we decolonize the field of peace education, one historically dominated by voices from the Global North? Deeply ingrained knowledge production processes need to be examined in order to make space for amplifying diverse voices, honoring diverse ways of knowing, and equitizing and advancing the field of peace education. In this presentation, the power dynamics inherent in the academic publishing process, in conferences structures, and in leadership education/mentorship are critiqued in order to shed light on transformative potentials of decolonization and reinhabitation (Gruenewald, 2003).

Amplifying the voices of marginalized and minoritized individuals and groups requires a deliberate interrogation of relationships and structures. Social justice efforts in peace education need to focus on transforming relationships and structures that perpetuate differentials in power, access, and meaningful participation in decision making (Author, 2007; 2008). Situated power analysis plus engaged change, with ongoing reflective feedback loops, are vital (Author, 2013). Interrogating power up, power down, power over, power with, and power within constructs have long been a critical feminist project (Townsend et al. (1999) and critical peace education enveavor (Author, 2013). Decolonizing peace education will require a multi-pronged analysis of power to unearth the past and transform access and opportunity.

An equity lens moves beyond more simplistic notions of equality and centers fairness and justice at the heart of transformative action. In this presentation, data from a content analysis research project conducted on published articles in the Journal of Peace Education from 2004-2021 will be offered. The content analysis reveals that published articles are disproportionately written by authors from Global North institutions with topics related to their respective countries. How then do we as peace education scholars and stewards of the field of peace education ensure access and fairness in the publication process?

In addition to examining the academic publication process in a decolonizing approach to peace education knowledge production, a critique of traditional conference structures will be offered. Some peace education scholars and conference organizers have attempted to transform the “expert” model of keynotes in academic conferences into a co-learning, dialogic community where power is leveled and participants are encouraged to actively be involved in the co-production of knowledge through experience. Reflections on non-traditional academic spaces and learning communities aimed at disrupting “conference” norms will be offered.

How do we decolonize the peace education learning process itself? Data from a course that attempted to decolonize leadership education will be offered. Finally, a look at a “critical mentorship”approach, with three key features, will be considered: (1) Intentional representation and recruitment, (2) Inclusive critical consciousness, and (3) Student (--also read faculty) generated signature work that is both transportable and capital building for future success within the institution and beyond. (Longmire-Avital, 2020, p. 1). Equitizing and transforming the knowledge production process and whose voice is heard is vital.

Author

• Edward Brantmeier, James Madision University