Post-conflict peace-building in Ife-Modakeke communal crisis: An educator’sview

Abstract

The culture of education suggests peace building and promotion of social cohesion. The idea of peace building is a continuous process and education seems to satisfy the conditions for such continual process. It was argued that a society suffering from prolonged conflict (religious, ethnic or communal); the integration of cultures (people, customs, mores) through education seems to be a hopeful and lasting initiative for conflict resolution. Ife and Modakeke communities in Osun State, Southwestern Nigeria has engaged in seven major wars and the last war was in the year 2000. Although physical violence in Ife-Modakeke communities of Osun State has been prevented, few would deny that the conflict has been reduced due to the psychological dimension of the conflict that still lingers. This paper considers the psychological dimension of the Ife-Modakeke communal crisis. Jerome Bruner’s theory on beliefs and values about aspect of people between the two communities as well as the social institutions provides the theoretical framework. The assumption is that the preconceived notions on violence and mistrust associated with crisis-ridden society in which children of the warring communities were born into need to be changed in an organized integrated school setting. The paper recommended that integrated education brings children from both communities together in shared learning environments, offers a practical, long-term strategy for transforming attitudes and reconstructing social relations