How individuals interpret the justifications for historical war can have a large effect on how they see modern warfare. In the social studies classroom, particularly in the U.S. context, so much of what educators focus on in regard to war are the events of World War II. This focus on the Second World War is understandable. However, it could also…

This article engages the question: In what ways and to what extent was William Rainey Harper's founding vision for the R.E.A. shaped by the rhetoric of American imperialism and its legitimation of violence against other nations? Using a historical methodology, this research explores how Harper's originating vision for the R.E.A. grew out of his…

Higher education has become increasingly diverse in recent years as patterns of migration expand and grow. However, while different linguistic communities are brought together, English is often conceived as the de facto lingua franca for research, teaching and learning. This is perhaps especially so in ethnically diverse conflict-affected settings…

The fear of school violence drives "defensive" schooling policies, and it is not unlike the fear that currently supports aggressive foreign policies that sanction drone strikes and the incarceration of suspected terrorists. However, the current measures taken for defense against terrorism are not working, and the same types of…

The Fulbright Program is the United States' flagship educational exchange program. Since 1946, the program has been heralded as a program that promotes mutual understanding across cultures. However, the Fulbright Program's role as a U.S. Department of State initiative warrants further examination of how this educational exchange program functions…

This paper focuses on the limitations of the Eurocentric modernist framework that undergirds Freirean theory and critical pedagogy in relation to critical peace education, highlighting in particular the contributions of post-colonial and decolonial thinking. The paper posits that critical approaches to peace education need to consider these…

This article considers three fundamental perspectives for Catholic education, all mentioned in the encyclical letter "Populorum Progressio" of Paul VI, which have also been present in the teachings of successive pontiffs. The first perspective is the need to build a new civilization and the idea that "the world suffers due to lack…

The Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan last year has produced a desperate humanitarian situation in the country. Nearly half of all households are experiencing acute food insecurity, maternal and infant mortality rates are rising quickly, and 97% of families are at risk of dropping below the poverty line. Most concerning is the intentional…

When Lebanon gained its independence from France in 1943, it adopted a system that divided political power along clearly defined sectarian lines. The institutionalized sectarian nature of the country resulted in tensions that led to civil war in 1975. Lebanon quickly disintegrated into a number of irreconcilable cantons and seemed to be destined…

Higher education has proven to be a welcome and useful bridge between the United States and Vietnam, two countries that cut ties in 1975 in the aftermath of a painful war. In 1991, as the two nations began to reestablish diplomatic relations, the Fulbright exchange program with Vietnam quickly became the largest in Asia (Abuza, 1996). A…

Within the polarised political culture of the 1970s, in which political differences were emphasised instead of being played down, Dutch right-wing politicians frequently accused left-wing politicians and educators of indoctrination in educational settings. In this period of economic stagnation and an ongoing Cold War, peace education -- which was…

South Sudan achieved political independence in 2011, before plunging into a series of civil wars that have culminated with the signing of the Inter-Governmental Authority for Development, IGAD, driven peace agreement. The Sudan People's Liberation Movement, SPLM, Government has not created conducive environment for political stability in South…

Background: Universities, globally, and in South Africa, continue to be confronted with demands for transformation, humanisation of pedagogical practices and to embrace social justice. Aim: In this article, we bring to the surface possibilities of "Ubuntu" pedagogy within a social justice framework. We intersect Collective Fingers Theory…

The American Revolution is central to the identity of citizens of the United States. It is, therefore, rarely critiqued in the U.S. social studies classroom. This article examines how teachers can discuss the American Revolution using both a critical historical approach and the ideas of peace education, particularly the strand that focuses on the…

This study problematises the contribution of India's school textbooks in students' national identity constructions in an overseas school in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The textbooks construct students' national identity on the concepts of India's secular democracy, colonial resistance and equal citizenship rights. Notwithstanding study…