PBEA: Peace First
Population-based survey on peace and education in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
This report presents the results of surveys about peacebuilding and education conducted in two school districts, Mbandaka and Kalemie, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. As the PBEA program closes, this study was undertaken to investigate parental attitudes and youth's perceptions, attitudes and experiences of education in relation to the social and institutional context and legacy of the past. It compares results among students in 6th grade, their parents, and teenagers exposed to the PBEA interventions, and control groups in the same area but not directly exposed to the interventions.
Interviews were conducted with a total of 2,577 individuals in the following groups:
- 6th grade students in schools supported by UNICEF's Peacebuilding, Education and Advocacy program (PBEA) and in schools not supported by PBEA
- Parents or caregivers of the selected 6th grade students in schools supported and not supported by PBEA
- Youths aged 12 to 17 years old in clubs supported by PBEA and in the community.
The findings are twofold. First, engagement in peacebuilding, promoting or sustaining peace activities and involvement in other groups and associations was significantly higher among groups exposed to the PBEA program. Second, engagement was positively associated with multiple dimensions of social cohesion (e.g. trust to different actors or groups such as family and community, level of solidarity and support), conflict resolution behaviors, and perception of the value of education – this association was true for all groups: students, youth and parents.