Education and Conflict Resolution for Democratization, Economic Development and Governance in Guyana

• Author: Ganga Persaud, Trevor Turner
• Pages: 417-435

Ganga Persaud • Trevor Turner 417417

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GANGA PERSAUD and TREVOR TURNER

Clark Atlanta University

Education’s role in solving conflicts cannot

be isolated from its role in society, the

economy and governance. Therefore, we

provide a holistic perspective of the functions

of education in the political economy as a

basis for recommending how education could

be organized for preventing conflict and

maximizing economic development and

democratic governance. The framework

within which this organization of education is

laid out is provided by the High Definition

model of planning.

A High Definition Analytical

Method

To solve any problem effectively, the

solution selected must match the definition of

the problem:

P (Problem) must equal S (Solution)

It becomes imperative that P be defined

accurately as far as possible. Integrating the

arguments of Dewey,1 Cartwright2 and

Deming,3 we can define P accurately in terms

of its causes:

If P (Problem) = P (Causes itemized as:

C1, C2, C3, Cn),

Since, P (Problem) = S (Solution),

Then, S (Solution) = S (C1, C2, C3, Cn)

Hence, in order to provide education in

Guyana for the prevention and resolution of

Education and Conflict Resolution for

Democratization, Economic Development and

Governance in Guyana

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conflict, we need to define conflict in terms of

its causes to identify possible solutions that

would counteract the causes.

The above equations allow us to identify

the sources of errors, if the problem was not

solved, as follows:

• The solution to the problem was applied

without first defining the problem

• The problem was inaccurately defined

because the wrong method was used

• The problem was defined in terms of its

causes, but the solution chosen bore little

relationship to the causes

• The conceptualization of planning as a

process did not include the definition of a

problem in terms of its causes, and the

generation of solution(s) to counteract the

causes.

Definition of Conflict

Conflict is a disagreement between two or

more parties in which one or all perceive(s) a

denial of a right, or resources, or the absence

of capacity to obtain justice which leads to

anger, hurt, hate and possibly verbal and

violent actions and reaction resulting in

damage to person(s), emotionally and

physically, and/or property. These relationships

are shown in Figure 1. The definition allows

us to provide a strategy for the resolution of

conflict as indicated below:

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1. Disagreement itself is not a sufficient

cause for conflict since differences in

views are a necessary part of change and

development in a dialectic process (Weis4)

and the right to dissent is the essence of

democracy (Mills5). Therefore,

differences of opinions should not lead to

anger, hate, violence, and destruction of

persons and property. To prevent a

disagreement from degenerating into

conflict, all social and political

organizations need to support this

perspective of the constitution, and

education at all levels must teach for

tolerance.

2. Denial of rights to access information

could be resolved by guaranteeing a free

press and the right of the public to access

government and business data.

3. The right to equal opportunity and equity

in the production and distribution of

resources (including education) could be

facilitated in practice (assuming it is

guaranteed in the constitution) by:

• organizing education for developing

an efficacious citizenry to change

corrupt and/or ineffective

governments,

• establishing a free market economy

and an equal opportunity and equity

commission

• attracting foreign investments, and

• decentralizing governance.

4. The lack of the capacity to resolve

differences could be solved by

establishing one or more non-

governmental Conflict Resolution Centers

for teaching knowledge, skills and

dispositions to resolve conflict, and

providing helping services such as

mediation teams.

The Problem of Allocating

Social Roles Equitably through

Education

A major problem for society is how to

allocate social roles in the production and

distribution of resources so that justice is seen

to be done. Plato suggests that if the human

soul could be categorized into three elements

— reason, courage, and appetite in that order

— then the state could be divided into three

social classes: ruling class (reason), defenders

(courage), and workers (appetite). The rulers

could organize the workers to produce and

distribute goods and the soldiers to defend the

state for the benefit of all just as the human

mind (reason) coordinates the other two

elements to achieve equilibrium for the benefit

of the whole body. The purpose of education

was to recruit and allocate people into the

various social classes, fairly, to prevent conflict.

Plato argues that reasoning, courage, and

appetite are unevenly distributed: some people

have more reasoning and less of the other

elements and vice versa. Therefore, if the

same standardized curriculum, teaching

method, testing and rules about behavior are

enforced, then the social selection role of

education would be accepted by all and the

resulting social placements would lead to

stability and social justice rather than conflict.

However, Plato recognized that the men of

reason by virtue of their power could subvert

the curriculum for their own benefit.

Therefore, he proposed that they should not

know or rear their own children but the

children of all groups in the society should be

reared communally. The English borrowed

Plato’s concept of education but not the

communalism, and utilized it for the purpose

of colonization. Feudalism was replaced by

an education system that legitimized the social

placements through selection on a single

cognitive axis called the eleven-plus

examination.