Pastoralist Education and Peacebuilding in Ethiopia

Populations residing in the four Developing Regional States (DRS) of Ethiopia are vulnerable to frequent manmade and natural disasters. These regions rank low in development indicators, including education. This study will look at the opportunities and challenges of peacebuilding through education and how, in this context, PBEA interventions might strengthen social cohesion and community resilience.

• This document is intended to be used by UNICEF staff, implementing partner ministries and organizations as well as other practitioners in the wider fields of Education in Emergencies as well as education and peacebuilding.
• It is hoped that the study will contribute to discussion and planning to strengthen peacebuilding through education initiatives designed to increase access to quality education for remote and marginalized communities, particularly nomadic pastoralists and agro-pastoralists.
• It will explore how education might advance peacebuilding and community resilience in vulnerable contexts prone to conflict through UNICEF supported Alternative Basic Education (ABE) centers for pastoralist and agro-pastoralist children and youth.
• It will also explore opportunities for UNICEF to develop and work with partners to implement ABE programming even more effectively and the challenges facing programme efforts.

This study examines Alternative Basic Education (ABE), implemented in the Somali region that intends to make gains towards PBEA Outcome 4: Increased access to quality and relevant conflict-sensitive education that contributes to peace. ABE programming aims to support children (grades 1-4) in pastoralist and semiagricultural areas as well as hard to reach communities to complete a full cycle of basic primary education.Using an analysis based on the ABE programme theory of change (ToC), the report finds indicators ofprogress on outputs and intermediate outcomes as well as preliminary signs of final outcomes, increasing levels of social cohesion and resilience among conflict affected and vulnerable communities. The report finds, however, that the pathways of change may be different than those theorized by the ToC.