Transforming Peace Education through Innovation and Decolonised Knowledge
A Comparative Study of Rwanda and Sierra Leone in the Era of Digital Learning
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22432866 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Yi Yu (0000-0003-4670-3927, Tsinghua University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 15 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Publication date | 2026-05-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal of Chinese Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2212-585X • E-ISSN: 2212-5868 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/2212585x261453952 |
| OpenAlex | W7162340046 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 35 |
This article explores the transformative potential of peace education in post-conflict contexts through a comparative analysis of Rwanda and Sierra Leone. Drawing on positive peace theory, the capability approach, and decolonial perspectives, it examines how education systems both contributed to historical conflicts and were later mobilised to foster reconciliation, social cohesion, and human flourishing. Employing a qualitative comparative case study design, the study analyses programme governance, curriculum content, pedagogical approaches, and the role of ICT in expanding access and participation. Findings reveal that both countries adopted hybrid strategies combining top-down state initiatives with bottom-up community engagement but differed in emphasis: Rwanda prioritised reconciliation and non-formal programmes, whereas Sierra Leone focused on systemic inclusion within formal education. Persistent colonial legacies, structural inequalities, and limited higher education engagement constrain the transformative potential of these initiatives. The paper argues that effective peace education requires integrating three interrelated pillars—educational innovation, human flourishing, and decolonised knowledge systems—to move beyond conflict prevention toward societal transformation. When applied across formal and non-formal education, this approach can cultivate culturally grounded, capable citizens and support the development of sustainable peace in post-conflict societies.
Curriculum · Peace Education · Peacebuilding · Qualitative research · Sierra leone · Sustainability · Sustainable development · Transformative learning · Peace and Human Rights Education · Peacebuilding and International Security · Political Conflict and Governance
Justice as Fairness
Using Documents in Social Research
Algorithms of Oppression
Higher Education and Public Good
The Internationalization of Higher Education
Capability and Well‐Being
Well-Being, Agency and Freedom
Creating Capabilities
Disruptive Learning Ecosystems
The Logic of Violence in Civil War
Decolonial AI
Sharing and listening to stories for peacebuilding in post-genocide Rwanda
The role of education in peacebuilding
Document Analysis as a Qualitative Research Method
The violence of peace and the role of education
The role of education in peacebuilding
Education in the twenty‐first century
Peace education as a form of global citizenship education in universities in divided settings
Toward a Decolonial Praxis in Critical Peace Education
Nation, narration, unification? The politics of history teaching after the Rwandan genocide
The Capability Approach as a Normative Foundation for Social Work with Socially Disadvantaged Children and Youth
Wellbeing, Freedom and Social Justice
Peace education theory
The Capability Approach
Bush path to destruction
School-Based Peace Building in Sierra Leone
Violence, Peace, and Peace Research
Comparative Politics and the Comparative Method
Why we fight
Redefining Case Study
Digital colonialism
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |