The use of Wiki in teaching/learning peace studies: a platform for the disadvantaged

Abstract

There is perhaps a certain irony in the fact that those in peace studies often find it difficult to work together. Peace workers hold very strong views and find it easier to preach than to practice compromise. However, in Australia and New Zealand and the Pacific, university staff involved in teaching and researching peace have decided to work together in a consortium for the benefit of the region as a whole extending out beyond academia to the very grass-roots of remote island villages. The core of the exercise is being funded by the Australian Carrick Institute, which has recognised that the professionalization of the training of those engaged in practical work in the field as peacekeepers and peacebuilders needs to be recognized and planned for. In our region defence forces are becoming increasingly active – but as peace keepers not war fighters. Equally INGOs are more and more involved in working with people, often traumatised people, in post-conflict situations. There are many, many local problems but no national boundaries to good ideas and sharing as widely as possible opens up new perspectives and vistas for possible new solutions. Whilst the core consortium is made up of Antipodean academics, we regard the INGOs, the aid community and defence as stakeholders and our aim is to maximize the involvement of people and especially youth from right across the region from remote islands to urban squatter settlements.