Abstract
During first few years of life, a child’s brain architecture develops rapidly, allowing for the formation of habits, the ability to recognize differences between and among groups of people, and the development of emotional ties that are forged through social relationships and daily interactions in a child’s home and community. Early childhood education programs can promote the development of the skills that enable children to become agents of change and to build peace in their communities. Evidence suggests that incorporating peace education into early childhood development programs has a positive impact on a child’s social and emotional development, and may help reduce the possibility of behavioral problems later in life.
Children growing up in many regions of the world are exposed to unstable and adverse living conditions creating uncertainty and insecurity for them and their families. Children are frequently exposed to aggression and violence in the neighborhood, at schools, in the home, or on media. Exposure to violence increases the risk that children will engage in future violence and other antisocial acts. Children during early years are most vulnerable to environmental stressors. Early Childhood Development (ECD) literature also highlights the negative impacts of war, violent conflicts, and other forms of interpersonal and grouped violence on growth and development of young children. These effects are not limited to mortality, disease, Injury, malnutrition and disability; they also damage the emotional wellbeing of children with lasting impacts (Evans, 2014).
Early learning contexts such as preschools, child care centers, and kindergartens represent the earliest social settings, outside of family, where children are exposed to interactions, problem solving, waiting, turn-taking, and sharing – not only toys and play spaces but also attention of peers and adults. Developing these skills sets the stage for future interactions, which include emotion regulation, empathy, trust, cooperation, emotional intelligence, and exhibiting appropriate behaviors and attitudes, setting the stage for future interactions.
Unfortunately, a majority of current preschool curricula are unable to put explicit focus on social and emotional development and address peacebuilding. In order to combat the prevailing conflicts and violent situations, education and particularly, curricula can be the most effective medium. Directing peacebuilding efforts towards future generations would enable us to transform and set new foundations for sustaining peacebuilding efforts.
This evaluation project will provide useful insights for the refinement of early childhood education (ECE) curriculum towards a more comprehensive framework, addressing the needs of young children for social, emotional, and moral, as well as peacebuilding. The project’s goals and objectives focus on structural violence and social justice aspects. Communities and schools are a major focus of peacebuilding around the world; this project is looking at the efficacy of peacebuilding curricula to improve prosocial behavior, problem solving, developing conflict resolution skills and living in harmony, among preschool children. The findings of this project will provide practical implications for introducing peacebuilding curricula in public and private schools of Pakistan.