Education for Conflict Resolution (ECR)

Sri Lanka has suffered from civil war for the last 11 years, as a result the government in partnership with UNCIEF, has launched Education for Conflict Resolution (ECR). A group of interior resource persons were trained at the National Institute of Education in different peace strategies. As a result these peace strategies were adapted to create 10 different manuals for principals, teachers and students. The Conflict Resolution methods are drawn from Buddhism and Hinduism around the ideals of harmony. Aggression and passivity are also included. Children are encouraged to express themselves though role play, stories and songs. These methods are developed into an interdisciplinary way of learning and placed in Social Studies. As a result in 1992-1995 it is estimated that 420,000 of 4.5 million of Sri Lanka’s school children have been reached with this curriculum.

Curriculum
The ECR Curriculum is used in formal and informal education settings.

Nilwala College of Education
The college is the focal point for teacher training. Student teacher trainees learn how to incorporate conflict resolution in social studies. They also learn how to tell stories that are related to the themes of social studies and conflict resolution. The ECR project has trained 3,500 principals, 500 master teachers, 3,000 teachers and 7,500 student leaders.