Post Conflict Education for Peace

“All children should have this subject, even older ones. Everybody can learn from this!” says grade two student Ujeli Damai, 12 years old, with conviction in her evaluation of the MS Nepal supported conflict resolution initiative. She is complemented by class mate Fatima Kathun, 10 years old, “Also adults! They should also learn all that we have learnt”.We are in the heartland of the Terai district of Kapilvastu in Magarghatta village with a mere population of approximately 300. The flat agricultural landscape is scattered with scorched houses that stand as poignant reminders of the communal violence that took place in September 2007, the fourth time in recent history.The physical wounds are slowly being healed through rebuilding of houses. But as in all communal conflicts, the psychological torment and distrust linger on. However, on the educational front, a movement is under way to invest in a more peaceful future. The local NGO Siddhartha Social Development Centre (SSDC), MS Nepal, Save the Children US, the District Education Office and 12 local schools have collaborated for introducing an internationally recognized peace education programmer in Kapilvastu, shortly after the conflict had subdued. 12 years old second grader Saddam Hussein is one of the participants of the Peace Education class. He says, “I liked the class. We learnt about the different festivals, Dashain, Tihar and Eid and what the different groups do and believe. I think that is good; we live together; we should know about each other's festivals”.