In
Sri Lanka there now appears to be a general trend to place more emphasis
on education for peace as a tool for conflict prevention. The National
Education Policy says under the headline of „Education for National Integration,
1996, p.11“:
„There
is a great deal of strife and tension within our society which has brought
about many traumatic conditions. It is therefore important that there is
a reawakening of an active sense of National Cohesion, National Integrity
and reinforcement of the senses of National Unity.“
„The
teaching of Sinhala to Tamil speaking children and Tamil to Sinhala speaking
children will reduce the barriers of communication.“
Concepts
on education for conflict resolution, peace and multi-cultural education
will be introduced. Extra-curricular activities ... will provide opportunities
for children from different ethnic groups to interact.
This
means Peace Education is recognized as a tool of prevention and of social
reconciliation, given that Peace Education is a long-term process, which
aims
to
modify behavioural patterns through changes in values and perceptions
and
which expands the educational concept from a narrow focus on the arts
and
suggests a different way of thinking about it. Educational policy is now
directed at encouraging multi-cultural activities. Diversity is now considered
a source of creativity. Such a concept is freed from any connotations of
ethnic exclusivity.
In
this spirit the Sri Lankan-German education program, funded by the „Bundesministerium
für Wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit“, has formulated an Agenda. It
has the purpose of mobilising the energies of the people, particularly
of children and teachers, especially in the North East Province in recognition
of today’s urgent cultural challenges.
These
actions seek to:
– enhance
and deepen the discussion and analysis of a multicultural society
– foster
the emergence of an intercultural consensus on culture and development,
particularly through the national recognition of cultural rights, and of
the need to
balance these rights with responsibilities
– try
to ensure that through intercultural education internal conflicts can be
at least
reduced
– initiate
a process of consultation to all educationists on the island that will
lead
to a national conference on Peace Education
– promote
the widest democratic participation by all, especially women and
children.
. |