Education and Conflict Mitigation: What the Aid Workers Say

In February 2011, USAID finalized a new strategy for its work in education around the world. Of its three key goals, the third goal focuses on “access to education in crisis and conflict environments,” establishing the first explicit reference to the impact of crises on education, and of education on crises, for USAID initiatives. With this change, USAID underscores the importance of supporting education programs for conflict-affected populations. To administer effective programs that are not detrimental to the populations they aim to serve, it is important to gain a deeper understanding of current programs and of the ways education and violent conflict interact. In this paper we seek to answer the following questions: What is the relationship between education and conflict? How might education mitigate conflict? Toward this end, what works and what does not in program interventions? We gather practitioner knowledge of the relationship between education and conflict mitigation to prepare USAID education officers to design, implement, and monitor “education in emergencies” programs and to respond better to partners’ needs in the field.