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Dialogue for Sustainable Peace: An Exploratory Case Study from Chitral
Noor Shamsuddin
Abstract:
This paper explores dialogue as a model and an effective strategy in peace education for promoting sustainable peace in district Chitral, a far-flung and relatively peaceful district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. An in-depth qualitative study was conducted to explore the views of teachers about the role of dialogue in maintaining and promoting peace. In the qualitative paradigm the case study method was used and the data were collected through a semi structured interview schedule and observation. The study finds that teaching the art of dialogue and motivation for dialogue is the need of the day to maintain the ideal peace of Chitral. It also shows that extremist narratives and negative peace of Chitral can be transformed into positive peace through dialogue, acceptance of and appreciation for diversity, tolerance, accommodation of others’ views and critical consciousness. To promote such a critically conscious society, schools can play a positive role if they have proper counselling service and inclusive and accommodative classroom culture. Moreover, democratic environment of the school motivates student to resort to peaceful settlement of conflicts. This in the long turn may become integral part of their temperament and mould their decision making and implementing strategies to peaceful coexistence. The major conclusion is that dialogue is an effective tool for peace keeping and peace building and it can be taught at school level. It also adds that creating peaceful environment and mind setting of students can be better achieved by teachers’ positive attitude and humanly dispositions in times of crisis and conflict.
Keywords:
Peace, Peace Education, Sustainable Peace, Peace Keeping, Dialogue.
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