The Role of Storytelling at the Intersection of Transformative Conflict Resolution and Peace Education
Lloyd Kornelsen (2013). The Role of Storytelling at the Intersection of Transformative Conflict Resolution and Peace Education. Storytelling, Self, Society, 9(2), p.237. doi:https://doi.org/10.13110/storselfsoci.9.2.0237.
The paper is written from the perspective of a teacher, looking at how storytelling can be used for both peace education and transformative conflict resolution. The author uses an example of her own class, where her students viewed refugees as the “other” in a discussion. In response, one student told her own story of being a refugee. For the pupils, understanding the story from a first person perspective was what made it so impactful and gave it the potential to counter discourses around “othering”. To the author, the central purpose of storytelling for peace education is teaching children that war is learned and can therefore be unlearnt, therefore giving them the chance to envision peaceful futures.
This article explores the power that storytelling has within the realm of peace education. A transformation of mindsets in the classroom is rarely linked to what a teacher or educator has said, but instead happens when the students engage with different perspectives on their own, as illustrated by the example of the refugee story. Teaching peace education therefore becomes less of an endeavour to transmit knowledge and impose values, but to find a way for children to connect to the topic on their own, for example through stories. Introducing children to the idea that war is not a biological or historical inevitability is a good starting point for peace education through storytelling. Making this the first aim of the peace educator and connecting it to the method of learning through personal storytelling can have a powerful impact on how we teach peace education.
Available at: https://doi.org/10.13110/storselfsoci.9.2.0237.