Teaching peace, building resilience: Assessing the Impact of Peace Education for Young Syrians
Report by International Alert
Authors: Meg Aubrey, Rosie Aubrey, Frances Brodrick, Ruth Simpson
(Original article: International Alert)
Summary
Peace education plays a significant role in building resilience in children and young adults against the effects of trauma and violence, and in developing their resilience and skills to resisting recruitment into armed groups and engaging in violence in general. In October 2015, International Alert launched a project aimed at building an evidence base to demonstrate the role that peace education can play in addressing young Syrians’ needs and increasing their resilience in the face of violence, displacement and war; in particular their resilience to recruitment by armed groups. Evidence gathered through Alert’s work with Syrian civil society organisations in Syria, Lebanon and Turkey shows that the provision of psychosocial support, safe spaces, supportive and positive adult role models, and value-based lessons in non-violence, human rights and self-care helps young people to navigate and cope with the impact of war.
