Students’ Awareness and Participation in the Education for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract

This research explores the education for peace (EFP) in a multicultural and post-conflict state of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The purpose of this study is to determine EFP awareness and participation among high school and college graduates. This research used the survey method to analyse students’ awareness and participation in the EFP in their high schools and colleges. The same method was used to analyse students’ perceptions of the EFP and the culture of peace among the students. The results indicated very low awareness and participation of students in the EFP. Regarding the student’s perception of EFP and the culture of peace among the students, the results indicated that there is insufficient implementation of EFP in high schools and colleges in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This indicates that with an introduction of the EFP in the schools, curricula, seminars, programmes, and textbooks the culture of peace would increase among the students, which is one of the main assumptions of this study. These findings led to our main recommendation that an introduction of EFP in high schools and colleges and active involvement of students through the learning process may lead to greater multicultural understanding within the culture of peace, tolerance, and understanding in Bosnian multicultural society.