Teaching About the Violent Past

In this book launch, we will explore how education can contribute to reconciliation after violence. What role do teachers play in navigating contested histories, trauma, and memory in societies shaped by conflict? And what can educators in Europe, and in the Netherlands specifically, learn from experiences with teaching the violent past from Kenya, Côte d’Ivoire, and Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo?

In their recently published book Teaching About the Violent Past: Opportunities and Challenges for Teachers in Conflict-Affected African Societies, Line Kuppens (University of Amsterdam) and Justin Sheria Nfundiko (Université Catholique de Bukavu & Université Officielle de Bukavu) explore how secondary school teachers in Kenya, Côte d’Ivoire, and in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo engage with difficult pasts in their classrooms. The book introduces an innovative interdisciplinary framework for exploring secondary school teachers’ engagement with so-called conflict-history education, using both qualitative and quantitative methods. This practice-oriented book aims at identifying teachers’ needs to feel confident and competent in driving reconciliation in their classrooms and provides concrete pedagogical strategies and policy recommendations to support them in this essential role.

During this event, the authors will not only present their book, but also engage in a roundtable discussion on teacher professional development for conflict-history education, and reflect on the role of context, exploring how insights from the African case studies are relevant to contemporary European and Dutch classrooms, together with prof. Bjorn Wansink (Utrecht University) and a secondary school teacher (name to be announced), connecting research to classroom practice.

Speakers

Line Kuppens is an assistant professor in conflict studies at the University of Amsterdam, and visiting fellow at the Centre for Research on Peace and Development, KU Leuven. Her research focuses on peace education and the politics of remembering and forgetting violent histories.

Justing Sheria Nfundiko is an associate professor at the Université Catholique de Bukavu and Université Officielle de Bukavu. His research focuses on the role of education in consolidating peace.

Bjorn G.J. Wansink is an associate professor at educational science at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. His research interests center on civics and history education, multicultural education, critical thinking, sensitive topics and peace education. He has worked as a teacher trainer in different post-conflict societies.