Stakeholders Validate Peace Education Assessment Findings under the PEACE Project

How can education contribute to peace, historical understanding, and the prevention of future violence? This question guided the Peace Education Assessment Consultation Workshop, organised by UNESCO in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts (MoCFA), the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS), and the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (TSGM), under the Peace Education, Archives Preservation and Digitization, and Site Conservation for Youth Empowerment (PEACE) Project, funded by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

Held at the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, the workshop brought together 35 participants, including representatives from government ministries, memorial site teams, academic institutions, civil society organisations, and development partners. The consultation provided a platform to review and validate the preliminary findings of the Peace Education Assessment, while encouraging open dialogue on how peace education can be strengthened across both formal education systems and heritage-based learning spaces.

Strengthening Peace Education through Evidence and Dialogue

The Peace Education Assessment forms a key component of the PEACE Project, which builds on earlier efforts to preserve and digitise the TSGM archives. While Phase I of the project focused on safeguarding documentary heritage, including the preservation of over 700,000 pages of archival materials and the digitisation of nearly 500,000 pages—Phase II places increased emphasis on peace education, site conservation, and youth engagement.

The assessment examines current peace education practices in Cambodia through three main lenses:

• Youth knowledge and perceptions related to peace and historical memory;
• Lessons learned from existing peace education initiatives; and
• Opportunities to better integrate peace education into Cambodian Memorial Sites, including Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, Choeung Ek Genocidal Centre, and M-13.

During the workshop, preliminary findings were presented, highlighting both progress made and ongoing challenges, including uneven access to peace education initiatives, variations in pedagogical approaches, and the need for stronger coordination among institutions.

Key Discussions and Emerging Priorities

Participants engaged in small-group discussions to reflect on the assessment findings and identify priority areas for improvement. Key themes emerging from the discussions included:

• The importance of linking classroom-based learning with experiential education at memorial sites.
• The need to strengthen teachers’ and facilitators’ capacity to address sensitive and difficult histories.
• The role of memorial sites as spaces for reflection, dialogue, and civic learning; and
• The importance of sustainability, institutional ownership, and coordination across sectors.

Most participants’ discussions endorse the recommendations and proposed activities, and provide valuable feedback on creative youth-based projects and collaboration. Most participants emphasized the need to develop interactive and engaging tools that better respond to the interests and needs of young people. As youth in a post-conflict society, they are encouraged to reflect on the type of future they envision and how peace education can help shape a more peaceful and inclusive society. Participants also highlighted the importance of identifying collaborative projects and synergies through which formal and informal institutions can work together.

Informing Next Steps under the PEACE Project

A key recommendation of the assessment is to transform Cambodia’s memorial sites into inclusive, youth centred learning hubs that are formally linked to the education system and actively promote peace, global citizenship, and critical reflection—both offline and online. The consultation marked an important step in strengthening the integration of peace education within the Cambodian Memorial Sites (M-13, Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, and Choeung Ek Genocidal Centre). Feedback gathered during the workshop will be used to refine the assessment and inform site-specific and cross-site recommendations, guiding future peace education programming, interpretation, and institutional coordination across these memorial sites.

UNESCO reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with national authorities, memorial site institutions, educators, and development partners to strengthen peace education as a foundation for reconciliation, social cohesion, and sustainable development.

The PEACE Project continues to demonstrate how heritage, education, and youth engagement can work together to promote a more peaceful and informed future for Cambodia.

READ MORE: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/stakeholders-validate-peace-education-assessment-findings-under-peace-project