In Factis Pax: Journal of Peace Education and Social Justice

Peace and Peace Education on Whose Terms? Envisioning Peace Education in a World Community of Separate but Interdependent States.

2026-07-23T08:57:35+00:00

Peace education seems to have assumed and nourished an illusion of universality where there is a selective application of universal norms and democracy yet it has to adequately grapple with the realities of militarism, statelessness and forced displacement, colonial legacies, crises of democracy and global imperialism that challenge the very foundations of citizenship, justice and peace. Any education which purports to be neutral in the face of structural violence and oppression is inimical to the real interests of democracy. An argument is sustained that, for relevance, peace education has to confront paradoxes featuring universalization of democratic space amidst exclusion. Peace education programmes should seek to produce learners who are not only aware of global injustices but actively committed to dismantling them, challenging unjust norms and institutionalized exclusions. This article advocates for the revitalisation of intellectual thought and social action beyond the contemporary approaches and challenges within peace education scholarship and practice. It compels peace educators, policy-makers and civil society actors to rethink what peace means, who has access to it, and what it demands of us in a fractured world. The article contributes to the re-imagining of a futuristic peace education that builds on its foundational values while responding more directly to the prevailing socio-economic, political and ethical challenges.

Climate Change, Migration, and Social Cohesion among Young People: Evidence from DR Congo, Uganda, and Rwanda

2026-07-03T16:57:34+00:00

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and Rwanda, extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, and landslides disrupt communities and force people to migrate. These movements affect their social integration, educational trajectories, and participation in local communities. This study adopts a multi-site, mixed-methods approach to examine the impact of climate-induced displacement on youth vulnerability and social cohesion. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, community observations, NGO reports, institutional records, local statistics, and school records. The study compares the experiences of displaced youth and host communities across the three countries, highlighting both challenges and strategies of resilience. Findings revealed the mechanisms through which migration affects social cohesion, the vulnerabilities of youth in displaced contexts, and the role of community networks in fostering resilience. The study contributes to the international debate on climate migration by providing empirical, intersectional evidence from a fragile region, offering recommendations for policymakers, local authorities, and development practitioners to enhance social cohesion and support youth affected by climate-induced displacement. The findings redefine climate migration as a multi-level governance issue with direct implications for social stability and youth development.

Pedagogy of Peace as Moral Rectitude of University Institutions in Post-War Sierra Leone

2026-01-23T23:04:07+00:00

This article posits that the active promotion of peace education constitutes a fundamental moral imperative for higher education institutions (HEIs), particularly in societies emerging from violent conflict. Framing this imperative as the “pedagogy of peace”, it argues that such pedagogy transcends mere curriculum addition. It represents instead a core attribute of institutional rectitude — a commitment to fostering the knowledge, virtues, and civic dispositions necessary for sustainable peace. Drawing upon a transformative mixed-methods study of all accredited universities in Sierra Leone, this article examines the degree to which this moral mandate is understood, embodied, and enacted in the post-war Sierra Leone. The findings reveal a significant normative consensus on the importance of peace education, yet a considerable gap exists between rhetorical commitment and integrated, transformative practice. The analysis identifies institutional policy vagueness, resource constraints, and a predominant focus on extracurricular and remedial activities over deep curricular reform as key limiting factors. The study concludes that for universities in Sierra Leone to fully realize their moral vocation as agents of social reconstruction, a more deliberate and holistic institutionalization of the pedagogy of peace is required, one that aligns mission, curriculum, pedagogy, and community engagement into a coherent framework for ethical citizenship.

Trauma-Informed Group Work in the Classroom to Address Affective Political Polarization

2026-03-11T12:33:34+00:00

Recent U.S. presidential elections have intensified political polarization and social tensions, contributing to rising reports of election-related stress, anxiety, and symptoms consistent with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (American Psychological Association, 2024). Many Americans experienced challenges to both their lived realities and their deeply held core values, creating strife intrapersonally, interpersonally, and institutionally. However, to date, there has been no formal recognition of the growing number of clients seeking mental health services for election-related post-traumatic stress. Additionally, peace and dialogue initiatives are rarely mentioned in these discussions, nor is there a unified trauma-informed framework for addressing it. This article presents a conceptual review of the effects of political polarization across individual, relational, and institutional levels, with particular attention to educational environments. Using a trauma-informed approach, the article introduces a structured, trauma-informed group therapy model that integrates psychoeducation, facilitated dialogue, and mutual support as a framework for social repair. Adaptation of the model is proposed here for use in peace education and classroom contexts, offering practical strategies for fostering safety, reflection, constructive engagement across difference as well as promoting civic empathy and sustainable peace.

How to Teach Students to Assess Political Candidates’ Potential to Be Peace and Justice Leaders

2026-06-23T15:10:58+00:00

Those interested in creating a more peaceful and just world want to vote for elected officials who will serve these aims best. As peace educators, we can and should help students make informed choices about the candidates who are best suited to achieve this. This is extremely important for the 2028 election, as the United States is engaged in several wars and violent conflicts, and human rights and social justice domestically are under attack. This article describes a strategy that peace educators can use to help students assess political candidates’ potential to be peace and justice leaders. It offers a case study, conducted with a class of upper-level undergraduate sociology majors, of a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis focused on California Governor Gavin Newsom as a peace and justice candidate for the Democrats in 2028

Ethical Mediation and Peace Education: Teaching Conflict Memory through Hiroshima for Post-Conflict Sri Lanka

2026-04-16T07:08:09+00:00

This article examines how Hiroshima’s peace education mediates traumatic historical memory through structured ethical and pedagogical practices. Drawing on semi-structured interviews conducted in 2026 with retired and current junior high school teachers, peace practitioners, and memorial guides, together with analysis of students’ experiential reflections on peace learning activities in Hiroshima, the study explores how atomic-bomb survivor testimony is presented to young learners. The findings show that emotional engagement with difficult history is moderated through age-appropriate narrative framing, guided classroom dialogue, and collaboration between schools and memorial institutions. Students’ reflections indicate a movement from emotional response toward commitments to peace and intergenerational responsibility. The article argues that ethical mediation operates as a structured pedagogical mechanism through which traumatic memory is transformed into moral and civic learning. By conceptualising this process, the study contributes to peace education scholarship and offers analytically grounded insights for post-conflict societies such as Sri Lanka.