In this presentation, Visualising Peace student Ekin Cotuk discusses some of the scholarship she has been reading in different fields about peace linguistics, language education policies, the agency that people derive from language learning/fluency, and their intersection with peace and peace-building. Below the video, you can find a summary of the publications she discusses. These are also available in our Visualising Peace Library.
Lall, Marie, South, Ashley. “Language, Education and the Peace Process in Myanmar.” Contemporary Southeast Asia 38 no. 1 (2016): 128-153. https://www.jstor.org/stable/24916598
This article discusses the impact of ethnic conflict in Myanmar on the country’s language and education policies through data gathered over nine months of fieldwork in 2011. The article begins by contextualising the conflict between ethnic groups and the state in Myanmar since its independence in 1948, and situating how language and education policies factor into the conflict. The right to mother tongue language education has been a key driver of the conflict between ethnic groups and the state, as the latter seeks to build a Bamar-based national identity, while ethnic groups are fighting for autonomy to integrate mother tongue education. The article reveals that the ethnic groups’ stance on state-society relations is largely reflected in the groups’ education and language policies, which range from complete separation from the state to demanding more autonomy. To illustrate different stances, the article draws on the education systems of the Mon, Kachin and Karen states, which all vary in levels of proximity to the state education system. Although the country has seen a renewal of the peace process in 2011 through a new government and reform, there remains a concern that educational reform is out of touch with the peace process. The authors conclude that ethnic groups should be further integrated into policy debate and peace negotiations to build a more sustainable peace, calling for the resolution of language policy disputes and disconnecting education from politics.
A striking aspect of peace and peacebuilding that is revealed in this article is the importance of inclusive education and language policies, as most of the conflict taking place in Myanmar is rooted in the marginalisation and erasure of ethnic identities. The article highlights education policies as how groups visualise their relationship to the state in the future, and language and education as shaping the identities of future generations. Examining education and language policy in Myanmar reveals that in certain cases, attempting to build national identity through the promotion of one ethnic identity and one language can further divide, but also shows how easily education and language policies can be politicised and mirror broader state-society relations.
Stewart, Mary Amanda. ““My Journey of Hope and Peace”: Learning from Adolescent Refugees’ Lived Experiences.” Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy 59 no. 2 (2015): 149-159. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaal.445
In this article, Mary Amanda Stewart reflects on how classroom activities centred around the refugee experience informed her teaching of refugee students during an English language summer literacy program. Stewart begins by answering why paying attention to refugee students’ lived experiences is important. She highlights the importance in resisting the assumption that all refugee experiences are the same. She stresses that reading literature about refugee experiences can promote cross-cultural understanding in the classroom, as well as increase consciousness about social issues. She adds that encouraging students to write about their experiences can be empowering, allowing students to have complete control over the way they present their refugee narratives. The second part of her article focuses on how she put these principles into practice while teaching refugee students. Stewart reveals she was not prepared for her students to be recent refugee arrivals, and resolved to let her students guide her in privileging their experiences as she tailored her curriculum.
Throughout her discussion of these topics, Stewart cites various relevant studies and scholars to lay the contextual foundation behind her way of teaching English during the summer program. She provides unedited excerpts from her students’ journals, which allows the reader to see how the scholarly theories materialise in the classroom. There is a short reading list at the end of the article to help teachers implement refugee stories and experiences in the classroom.
This article may prove useful for anyone who is working with refugees in an educational setting. It illustrates the power of including language learners’ own experiences in classroom activities, helping them reclaim traumatic events that potentially led to them needing to learn that language initially, and establish a stronger connection with the language being learned. More broadly, the article speaks to the power of sharing narratives to combat discrimination in an educational environment.
Bohlman, Philip V. “Eurovision 2022 in tempore belli: voices of the people, protest, and peace.” OUP blog, June 9 2022. https://blog.oup.com/2022/06/eurovision-2022-in-tempore-belli-voices-of-the-people-protest-and-peace/
This blog entry by Philip V. Bohlman discusses the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on the Eurovision Song Contest 2022. Bohlman begins by discussing how ‘Stefania’, the song entered for the competition by Kalush Orchestra, interacted with greater context of Russia’s impending invasion of Ukraine. He moves on to trace Ukraine’s participation in Eurovision through time, and suggests the ways in which Ukraine has historically resisted Eurovision’s rules against political messaging in songs by entering songs in Ukranian. Non-conventional elements of Eurovision’s 2022 Contest also took the form of Russia’s prohibition of participating in the competition, and coordinating a protest consisting of audiences singing together in the streets of Turin. Bohlman argues that Eurovision’s future is shaping up to be marked by more gravity and ‘seriousness’, marking a rupture with its previous emphasis on show and entertainment. He cites several newer Eurovision song entries (namely Greek, Lithuanian, and Spanish) that merge this ‘new’ Eurovision with its previous tradition, both thematically and musically. To conclude, Bohlman expresses his belief in the continuity of European support for the Ukranian people, and the development of Eurovision’s new, more political and serious, direction.
One striking thing about this blog entry is how it reframes Eurovision as a medium for political expression, and its potential to unite people to advocate for peace. While the blog could discuss the visualisation of peace in Eurovision more explicitly, it does illustrate how Eurovision’s policies themselves changed to allow audiences to protest for peace, as well as artists to enter songs that visualise peaceful futures for their countries by singing about social justice. In discussing the changes seen in Eurovision’s 2022 edition, the blog presents peace as a cause that promotes unity and instigates reform.
Cohen, Raymond. “Language and Conflict Resolution: The Limits of English.” International Studies Review, 3 no 1 (2001): 25-51. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3186511
This article by Raymond Cohen aims to shed light on the influence of language and culture on conflict resolution. Cohen carries this out by exploring and comparing the vocabulary of conflict resolution in English, Arabic and Hebrew. The premise of his article is to challenge the belief that English can express an unbiased, universal notion of conflict resolution due to its status as a global language. Cohen discusses how focusing on language and culture is useful to understanding how these languages conceptualise conflict resolution. First, he argues that language conveys the reality of different cultures: the language of conflict resolution in that culture’s native language informs how that culture views conflict resolution. Second, he sets out his plan for semantic analysis. This involves identifying gaps in the meaning of words and comparing key words across languages, as well as identifying themes in how these languages understand conflict. Cohen identifies four categories under which the vocabulary of conflict resolution in English can fall: industrial relations, engineering, Christian theology and sports and games. In Arabic, he distinguishes two influences, honour and Islamic ethics. For Hebrew, he identifies military, Jewish and legal influences. Drawing on a variety of words in these languages, Cohen traces the contextual origin of these words and explains their cultural connotations. Discussing the Syrian-Israeli peace process, Cohen provides a concrete example of how the gap between different languages and cultures manifests. To conclude, he suggests that the actors involved in peace processes should be aware of gaps in linguistic and cultural habits of understanding what peace involves.
Cohen’s article encourages reflection on how the native language of a group informs that group’s understanding of what making or building peace involves. In comparing different languages’ conceptualisations of peace, this article stretches our understanding of peace beyond how we discuss it in the English language. The article also reminds us of the power of language in influencing our thoughts and conceptualisations of the world, which stresses the importance of considering language as a factor contributing to how we visualise peace.
Sadembouo, Etienne, Tadadjeu, Maurice. “The role of language in the process of constructing, preserving and reinforcing peace in Africa.” In Language policy and the promotion of peace, edited by Neville Edward Alexander, Arnulf con Scheliha, 47-58. University of South Africa, 2014. doi:10.25159/859-7.007
This chapter discusses the role of language and its relationship to peacebuilding, peacekeeping and consolidating peace in Africa. Specifically, the chapter looks at Cameroon’s language policies and the ways in which it prevents conflict, given the rich linguistic and cultural diversity of the country which could potentially cause grounds for conflict. The chapter starts by providing historical context on the multilingual environment of Cameroon and the inequalities that are present between the languages in its linguistic climate on a geographical, written and spoken level. Proceeding to identify probable sources of conflict between local and foreign languages, the chapter discusses how a research program pioneered by scholars informed the development of Cameroon’s trilingual education policies. The scholars advocated for the inclusion of multiple national languages in the education system. The implementation of this multilingual model allowed for the coexistence of linguistic diversity in Cameroon as well as fostering a sense of national unity. Including local languages in schools, alongside English and French, proved to advance linguistic and cultural fusion, which in turn has fortified peace in Cameroon. The chapter proceeds to set out some parameters for the development of linguistic policies that consider ways to promote peace and prevent conflict, based on the Cameroonian context.
This chapter is a good starting point for anyone who is interested in exploring how inclusive language policies in schools can promote peace in a linguistically varied environment. Although the link between language policies and peace could have been developed and discussed more throughout the chapter, the progression leading up to this discussion is clear and easy to follow. The chapter is also self-conscious in identifying further points of investigation to carry on its research. Using the Cameroonian context, the article tracks the development of theory to its implementation in practice, providing a useful case study.