On Wednesday June 15, 2015, PAWA 254 hosted the International Center for Transitional Justice for a consultative forum. The forum that centered on ICTJ’s forthcoming booklet titled, Learning from the Past: an Exploration of Truth, Justice, and Reconciliation in Kenya, sought to engage young people in Kenya about their recent past, drawing from the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) final report. Read more on the event here.
The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) was also seeking views on how to reform the curriculum in such a way that allows young people to engage more critically with issues around justice, social cohesion and peace in the classroom.
The event had lively discussions under the hashtag #LearningFromOurPast as seen on the PAWA 254 twitter handle.
Youth participation in curriculum development enables them to fill gaps experienced in the past. #LearningFromOurPast pic.twitter.com/miOQ1tslBJ
— Chris Mukasa (@ChrisMukasa) July 15, 2015
Thanks @theICTJ + @Pawa254 for a great forum on #LearningFromOurPast! Energy in the room left
no doubt that youth power in KE is growing! — Tatua Kenya (@tatuakenya) July 16, 2015
“We hope #LearningFromOurPast can trigger discussion that triggers action” @rachellgoodman @Pawa254 #Kenya @theICTJ pic.twitter.com/6rstk8nPra
— Virginie Ladisch (@VirginieLadisch) July 15, 2015
“Our political class likes to bury their heads in the sand and pretend everything is OK,” youth views on #LearningFromOurPast in #Kenya — Virginie Ladisch (@VirginieLadisch) July 15, 2015
How can tools like the #LearningFromOurPast booklet help? @Pawa254 @theICTJ @ChrisMukasa @FatumasVoice @iccs_bham pic.twitter.com/mFs6mUosx1 — Christalla Yakinthou (@yakinthou) July 15, 2015
Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it. ~ Edmund Burke #LearningFromOurPast @theICTJ @VirginieLadisch @yakinthou @JFJustice
— Chris Mukasa (@ChrisMukasa) July 15, 2015
Do teachers/parents show us significant aspects from the past that we can learn from? #Mwalimu #LearningFromOurPast pic.twitter.com/yAycHuwTOM — #AsanteMwalimu (@FatumasVoice) July 15, 2015
#LearningFromOurPast forum at #MageuziTheatre. “As long as we bury our past, our future is doomed” ~ @bonifacemwangipic.twitter.com/lsFnHyJHY2
— Pawa254 (@Pawa254) July 15, 2015
Since 2011, at the request of TJRC, ICTJ has been working to develop an adaption of the final TJRC report that would be relevant and interesting for young people. It is designed to be a guide for young people and educators to learn about and discuss issues relevant to preventing conflict, building democracy and social cohesion in Kenya today, considering the crucial role young people have to play in achieving peace and shaping and strengthening Kenya’s democracy.
We are on the lookout for the ICTJ’s booklet and hope that the curriculum developers will incorporate more of the views from this forum and history into the educational curriculum.