| By examining a particular community, this study explores the peace building and non-violent conflict resolution methods that can occur organically within communities without outside intervention. In particular, it focuses on how adults learn about peace, and for peace and what peace practitioners, development practitioners and adult educators can learn from these local practices. Information was gathered through a review of the literature as well as field research which was conducted in Koche, a rural village in South Western Showa, Ethiopia.;Through a review of the literature, the definitions of peace and conflict, what is required for a peaceful society, and adult learning needs were identified. Semi-structured, appreciative interviews were then conducted with 27 adult residents of Koche to discuss peace and conflict at the family, associational, school, and community levels.;The study found that the explanations given by the people of Koche in defining peace and conflict, as well as what was required for a peaceful society, closely paralleled what was presented in the literature. In addition, peace education occurring within Koche addressed 7 of the 9 adult learning needs discussed in the literature. The results of this study clearly demonstrate that the people of Koche have high levels of knowledge about peace and conflict, as well as highly sophisticated methods of building peace and educating about, and for peace.;The study discusses the role of adult and peace educators and development practitioners as supporters of local initiatives, and shows the value of employing asset-focused approaches in peace research. In the case of Koche, outside intervention is not needed to create methods, as they already existed. Instead, the role of outsiders is to support the community in their efforts to create a culture of peace. This requires that the outsiders have complete understanding of the local concepts of peace and conflict. While this necessitates that the outsiders step back and allow the community to drive the process of building peace, it does not mean that the outsiders are merely facilitators, as their opinions and available resources may be of value to the process. The findings suggest that peace educators need to recognize the power relations within the community and ensure that all relevant parties who can participate in creating a culture of peace are involved in any peace program. Trainings should also use local methods of learning, including formal, informal, or non-formal learning and should address adult learning needs. Additionally, peace researchers should ensure that they leave a positive impact on the community by approaching their study with an asset-focus, therefore appreciating what the community has rather than focusing on what they do not have. |
