Purpose: The purpose of this project is to critically examine the formal educational curriculum used within the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The primary focus will be to examine the curriculum in terms of its transformative potential to build peace.  This project will explore how teachers, leaders and decision makers view the current curriculum and its place within the wider peacebuilding efforts in Iraq.

Research Questions:

1. How does the current curriculum contribute to preparing future citizens equipped with basic characteristics necessary for living peacefully?
2. How can the stories be used as effective teaching material to support the peace building process?
3. Is there hidden violence structured into the education curriculum of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq?
4. What are the potential ways of transferring the educational curriculum in the region into a peace building tool?
5. How can the current curriculum be improved and how do the teachers, leaders, and decision makers look at them?  

Research Methods and Data Collection: To address the research questions outlined for this project, I will use a multi method and data collection approach: a. Research Design: adopting a mixed-methods research design of qualitative and quantitative approaches to gain a comprehensive understanding towards the complex issues of violence and peace as an outcome of formal education. b. Document Analysis: analyzing the existing textbooks and policies provided by the regional government to assess their content, meaning, and potential influence on violence creation and peace building. c. Interviews: conducting in-depth interviews with teachers, school leaders, curriculum developers and decision makers to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges in terms of making changes in the policies and school textbooks. d. Surveys: designing and administering surveys to teachers and school supervisors to learn about their perspectives on school curriculum, its impact on violence and peace building, and their recommendations for change. Also, distributing surveys among the students to learn about their understanding of the stories and to find out how the stories shape their opinions.

Expected Findings: Curriculum's Contribution to Peaceful Citizenship: The research is anticipated to reveal insights into how the current curriculum contributes to or hinders the development of citizens equipped with the fundamental characteristics necessary for peaceful living. Effectiveness of Stories in Peacebuilding: The study is expected to highlight the efficacy of stories as teaching material for supporting the peacebuilding process. It may provide examples of narratives that have positive impacts on students' understanding of diverse cultures and their role in fostering tolerance. Identification of Hidden Violence: The research is likely to uncover instances of hidden violence within the education curriculum, using Galtung's Violence Triangle as a conceptual framework. This understanding will contribute to addressing social injustice and promoting positive peace. Transforming Curriculum into a Peacebuilding Tool: The study aims to identify potential ways of transforming the educational curriculum into a tool for peacebuilding. This may include recommendations for policy changes, content revisions, and inclusive practices that align with positive peace and social justice.

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