Life-changing Peace Education in Timor-Leste

"Education is the most powerful weapon that can be used to change the world!"

The transformative role of education, specifically history and peace education echoes among hundreds of gatherings in Dili, Timor-Leste.

"Having a sense of a shared history is a central component in the formation of identities, and this is what is generally referred to as the reconciliation process. The UNESCO Project focusing on Quality History and Peace Education will contribute to enabling our children and youth to get prepared to become responsible citizens of Timor-Leste and the World." H.E. Armindo Maia, Minister of Education, Youth and Sports (MoEYS) said.

On 12-13 July 2022, UNESCO Jakarta, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, and the Chega National Centre of Timor-Leste, organized a National Meeting on Conflict Reconciliation and Peacebuilding. The Meeting brought together more than 100 attendees including government officials at national and district level, schoolteachers at basic and secondary education level, academics, media, and civil society organizations in the fields of education, history, and peacebuilding, to stimulate meaningful discussion around the role of history and peace education in Timor-Leste.

The project, entitled "Digitalization of Chega National Centre for Conflict Reconciliation and Peacebuilding in Timor-Leste", was launched in December 2021 with the enthusiastic support from the Government of the Republic of Korea. It will be implemented over the next three years to strengthen national accountability and capacity to build a better future of peace, justice, and prosperity, and Timor-Leste's contribution towards Conflict Reconciliation and Peacebuilding in the Region.

"Korea, sharing the similar history of war, conflict, and poverty puts a great emphasis on education of the next generation, as it is the greatest tool for peace, development, and prosperity." KOICA Country Director said.One of the highlights of the meeting was the discussion among schoolteachers and education directors from 13 municipalities that took place on 13 July 2022 about history education at schools. While acknowledging some progress made over the years, there are still many challenges experienced by teachers and students, including a shortage of history textbooks, limited pedagogical skills, and a lack of knowledge and competence in teaching history ways that promotes peace and reconciliation. The discussion called for further investment from the government to build the capacity of teachers for quality history and peace education.

© UNESCO

During the National Meeting, a National History Teachers' Study Network was launched including 26 teachers and 13 education directors from 13 municipalities. The Network members will receive training for trainers (ToT) through Teachers Training Modules developed under the project and ultimately become mentors of other teachers in their respective municipalities, to spread the movement for transformative and quality history education for peace.

"The promotion of peace through education is at the heart of UNESCO's mission. UNESCO's History and Peace Education Project was initiated to support the Government of Timor-Leste's endeavor of planting and nurturing peace in the minds of people in Timor-Leste, especially the young generations who are to be the driving force of inclusive, peaceful and sustainable development of the country," said Mohamed Djelid, Director of UNESCO Jakarta.