Peace, Dialogue and Citizenship Education in West Africa: Non-Formal Learning for the Development of Strong Institutions and Civil Society

My doctoral research relates to the sustainable development of countries on the DAC list. I examine the interface of dialogue, peace and education in conflict-affected and fragile societies. In particular, I consider how dialogue is often viewed as a pathway to reconciliation and social transformation in both peacebuilding and educational discourses and I challenge the linear approach often taken between personal and societal change. I highlight the importance of non-formal learning spaces and daily life as vehicles for such dialogue and potential change and I argue that these spaces take on a critical role in conflict-affected areas where formal schools often cease to function but where peace and citizenship education is acutely needed.

My thesis has developed a concept of 'humanising dialogue' drawn from the works of Paulo Freire and Martin Buber and applied it to a real-world situation: street discussion spaces in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. These spaces were composed of two distinct forms: plenary-style spaces called agoras or parlements that once amassed hundreds of people and small, informal circles of friends and neighbours called grins where issues were discussed whilst preparing traditional tea.

These spaces became important political milieus in the early 2000s during Côte d'Ivoire's political crisis and represented sites of both learning and action, sometimes veering towards violence in the 2010-2011 post-electoral crisis. The sites also exemplified political and social divisions, with grins generally regrouping northern, Muslim Ivoirians who supported Alassane Ouattara while agoras generally catered to Christian Ivoirians, many from the West and South, who supported Laurent Gbagbo.

In my research, I consider these spaces in the post-conflict context, exploring their transformation in peacetime and examining how dialogue occurs in different spaces and how members view their participation as contributing, or not, to peace and reconciliation. My qualitative study conducted in 2014 involved over 100 observation hours in 40 discussion spaces and in-depth interviews with 30 participants. Findings showed that members of both grins and agoras actually viewed peace as a top-down process that needed to start with the government; nevertheless, spaces often became the starting ground for local-level change and improvement, through social networks and the creation of small associations. This research also highlighted the value of single-group dialogue in settings where intergroup dialogue was not a possibility. For example, in considering Freire's concept of reflection and action, the research demonstrated that through discussion spaces, sites of grassroots change were actually developed where neighbours would form associations to combat the issues they found most pressing to their community.

During the GCRF postdoctoral fellowship, I will be able to expand upon this research while simultaneously applying it in a multinational education project. The United Nations and other development organisations have recently made prominent declarations regarding the role of youth in peacebuilding, globally and in the Sahel region. As a Research Fellow for UNESCO's current Global Citizenship Education project in the Sahel, I will use my research and experience to develop strategies for non-formal education for out-of-school youth and those at risk of recruitment into extremist groups. In addition, my theoretical knowledge of peace and citizenship education and dialogic learning will also contribute to the development of learning materials and evaluation systems. More so, during the fellowship I will be able to engage with academics, students and development practitioners in the region to share my findings and to mobilise them in projects, research and policy. Thus the GCRF Postdoctoral Fellowship provides an ideal continuation of my previous research.