Learning to Live Together: Using Distance Education for Community Peacebuilding

Abstract

Peacebuilding, whether at the individual or community level, requires direct contact between human beings. So what role can distance education play? Various contributions, notably the description of the Wan Smolbag Theatre in Vanuatu, document the role of local theatre in enabling people to “discuss the usually undiscussed” and notes that whereas non-governmental organisations (NGOs) identify issues, people tell stories. An important role of distance education, through video and audio recordings, is to carry stories and theatre to larger audiences. // Because many poor people in rural areas are unfamiliar with traditional education systems, they are open to learning in different ways. Distance education is readily accepted because classrooms are not their benchmark for learning. But it must be distance education with a difference. A new role is emerging, that of “infomediary” to bring user-friendly and relevant information to people who need it.