Abstract
Conflicts disrupt people’s lives and are detrimental to the aspirations of
youth in particular. They undermine the chances to construct a firm base for
an independent life worth living. Yet, only regarding young people as victims
who lack education and decent work opportunities does not do justice to the
experience and resilience they developed in conflictive situations. A number
of studies conducted on youth, education, and work in various (post-)
conflict contexts reveal that youths show agency, even within the limited
possibilities they have1. Highlighting youth engagement, this paper explores
the interconnectedness of youth emancipation and peace building, stressing
the role of international cooperation to support and strengthen partnerships
for education at both macro and micro levels. Reflecting on our experiences
in an ongoing international cooperation project in northern Mozambique, we discuss opportunities for sustainable partnerships in education amidst
the numerous uncertainties created by nearby conflict and the global
Covid-pandemic.
Against the backdrop of a cooperation project focusing on Agricultural
Education and Training, we argue that this type of education can best
align with international agendas such as the Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs) and foster youth emancipation and lifelong learning goals
when international and local actors come together to elaborate a collective
understanding about enhancing youth’s technical and life skills2. As our
intervention has proposed, this can be achieved in informal set-ups as
communities of practice. To support this argument, we provide an account
of the development of communities of practice in the framework of a Nuffic3
funded cooperation project involving three institutes dedicated to Agricultural
Technical Vocational Education and Training (ATVET) at secondary school
level and two agricultural faculties of universities in northern Mozambique
as well as higher education institutions in the Netherlands and Portugal. Our
understanding is that, by encouraging interventions based on communities
of practice, international cooperation can become a catalyst for long-lasting
transformations.
The two lead questions to be discussed in this paper are: how can
agricultural education contribute to counter radicalisation and foster
livelihood opportunities for rural youth? And what role can international
cooperation play in developing appropriate education in this respect? We
discuss these questions reflecting on our experiences in the building of the
communities of practice and on students’ testimonies on their experiences in
one of the communities of practice.
youth in particular. They undermine the chances to construct a firm base for
an independent life worth living. Yet, only regarding young people as victims
who lack education and decent work opportunities does not do justice to the
experience and resilience they developed in conflictive situations. A number
of studies conducted on youth, education, and work in various (post-)
conflict contexts reveal that youths show agency, even within the limited
possibilities they have1. Highlighting youth engagement, this paper explores
the interconnectedness of youth emancipation and peace building, stressing
the role of international cooperation to support and strengthen partnerships
for education at both macro and micro levels. Reflecting on our experiences
in an ongoing international cooperation project in northern Mozambique, we discuss opportunities for sustainable partnerships in education amidst
the numerous uncertainties created by nearby conflict and the global
Covid-pandemic.
Against the backdrop of a cooperation project focusing on Agricultural
Education and Training, we argue that this type of education can best
align with international agendas such as the Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs) and foster youth emancipation and lifelong learning goals
when international and local actors come together to elaborate a collective
understanding about enhancing youth’s technical and life skills2. As our
intervention has proposed, this can be achieved in informal set-ups as
communities of practice. To support this argument, we provide an account
of the development of communities of practice in the framework of a Nuffic3
funded cooperation project involving three institutes dedicated to Agricultural
Technical Vocational Education and Training (ATVET) at secondary school
level and two agricultural faculties of universities in northern Mozambique
as well as higher education institutions in the Netherlands and Portugal. Our
understanding is that, by encouraging interventions based on communities
of practice, international cooperation can become a catalyst for long-lasting
transformations.
The two lead questions to be discussed in this paper are: how can
agricultural education contribute to counter radicalisation and foster
livelihood opportunities for rural youth? And what role can international
cooperation play in developing appropriate education in this respect? We
discuss these questions reflecting on our experiences in the building of the
communities of practice and on students’ testimonies on their experiences in
one of the communities of practice.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | L’après-conflit |
| Subtitle of host publication | Approche croisée: justice, institutions, médias |
| Editors | Anne Cousson, Ludivine Thouverez |
| Publisher | Université de Poitiers, Centre d'Études Supérieure |
| Pages | 75-95 |
| Number of pages | 21 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9782370323798 |
| Publication status | Published - 2023 |