Teaching for Peace and Social Justice in Myanmar: Identity, Agency, and Critical Pedagogy

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Description

Bringing together scholars and educators based in Myanmar, the USA, the UK, Denmark, and Thailand, this book presents new perspectives and research on the struggle for social justice and peace in Myanmar at this critical juncture. It shows how actors from diverse backgrounds and regions of Myanmar are drawing from their identities, evoking their agency, and using critical pedagogy to advance social justice and peace. The chapters provide the compelling life stories of the authors, specific examples of what they are doing, and insights of how their work might be applied to other contexts. The topics discussed include addressing structural violence, peace curriculum development, identity-based conflict, teaching the history of the country, promoting inclusion, civic education, critical pedagogy, teacher agency, and agendas of research funding for peacebuilding. The foreword and afterword, written by well-known scholars of Myanmar, address the relevance and importance of the book vis-a-vis the current social and political crisis following the February 2021 military coup.

Reviews

As Myanmars brave people again reject the authoritarian quashing of their democratic rights, this excellent book reports the effort of educators to construct an alternate future. Sustainable peace is possible only by redressing legitimate grievances, overcoming inequities, and building an integrated society respectful of diversity. Mary Shepard Wongs volume is a vital instalment in understanding education as peacebuilding. * Joseph Lo Bianco, Professor Emeritus, University of Melbourne, Australia *
A timely and critical collection of scholarship which brings together diverse dialogues, experiences, and reflections on the practices of working towards peace in our classrooms across and beyond Myanmar. * Elizabeth Maber, Assistant Professor in Sociology of Education, University of Cambridge, UK *
A practical book offering numerous insights into how reflective educational approaches and respect for linguistic and cultural diversity can facilitate peace and positive social change. The case studies, written by Myanmar practitioners and their international colleagues, will be of great interest to educators and others in Myanmar and beyond * Christina Fink, Professor of Practice of International Affairs, Elliott School of International Affairs, The George Washington University, USA *
This edited book is a beautiful and passionate compilation of reflections on education, pedagogy, peace and social justice in Myanmar. With contributions from both seasoned scholars and junior researchers, and academics and practitioners from both outside and inside Myanmar, the book carries with it a strong Myanmar voice and innovative insights on the potential and possibilities educations role in supporting the construction of sustainable peace. Whilst tinged with sadness as a result of the 2021 military coup, the books multiple authors carry with them the hope that the legacies of their peacebuilding work in education is laying the foundations for the current civil disobedience movement (CSM). * Mario Novelli, Professor in the Political Economy of Education, University of Sussex, UK *
Using their own stories, and representing Myanmars diverse ethnic and religious identities, the contributors to this timely volume show that educations opportunity for radical transformation can be realized only by acknowledging and working through political obstacles. They might say: If you want peace, educate for justice. * Elliott Prasse-Freeman, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, National University of Singapore, Singapore *

Author Bio

Mary Shepard Wong is Professor and Director of TESOL Field-Based Programs at Azusa Pacific University, USA. She is a three-time Fulbright Scholar (Hong Kong, Burma, Taiwan) and author/editor of four books including, as lead editor, Spirituality and English Language Teaching: Religious Explorations of Teacher Identity, Pedagogy, and Context (2018).