COMMONWEALTH SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AND THEIR

CONTRIBUTION TO PEACE-BUILDINGLILIAN LEM ATANGA

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, THE UNIVERSITY OF BAMENDAFORMER COMMONWEALTH SCHOLAR,

LANCASTER UNIVERSITY, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN

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2PLAN

THE COMMONWEALTH PRINCIPLES COMMONWEALTH OF LEARNING COMMONWEALTH SCHOLARSHIPS

OPPORTUNITIES FOR CAMEROONIANS PEACEBUILDING LEARNING/EDUCATION AND PEACEBUILDING PERSONAL EXPERIENCES

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3THE COMMONWEALTH

52 independent sovereign states Created in 1949 (The London Declaration) It has as vision to create and sustain a Commonwealth that is

mutually respectful, resilient, peaceful and prosperous and that cherishes equality, diversity and shared values. - See more at: http://thecommonwealth.org/about-us#sthash.pES18Zwd.dpuf

Originally linked together in the British Empire, and now building on their common heritage in language, culture and  education

Values enshrined in a charter with principles http://thecommonwealth.org/our-charter#sthash.nUKicadW.dpuf

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4Principles of the Commonwealth · 1. Democracy · 2. Human rights · 3. 

International peace and security · 4. 

Tolerance, respect and understanding

· 5. Freedom of Expression · 6. Separation of Powers · 7. Rule of Law · 8. Good Governance · 9. Sustainable Development

· 10. Protecting the Environment · 11. 

Access to Health, Education, Food and Shelter

· 12. Gender Equality · 13. Imp

ortance of Young People in the Commonwealth

· 14. Recognition of the Needs of Small States

· 15. Recognition of the Needs of Vulnerable States

· 16. The Role of Civil Society- See more at: http://thecommonwealth.org/our-charter#sthash.nUKicadW.dpuf

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5COMMONWEALTH OF LEARNING(COL)

COL became operational in 1989 The Commonwealth of Learning (COL) is an

intergovernmental organisation created by Commonwealth Heads of Government to promote the development and sharing of open learning and distance education knowledge, resources and technologies

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6COL (Cont’d)

COL’s focus is in strengthening institutions in developing Commonwealth countries that are striving to provide affordable education to larger numbers of their citizens

(see Dschang Distance Education Centre. Prof Ajaga Nji is an Honorary Adviser)

 COL does not directly offer courses or programmmes of study

As such I would want to orientate my presentation to the opportunities offered by the Commonwealth Scholarships and their contributions to peacebuilding

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7COMMONWEALTH SCHOLARSHIP COMMISSION (CSKUK)

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8COMMONWEALTH SCHOLARSHIP COMMISSION (CSKUK)

CSC aims to contribute to the UK’s international development and wider overseas interests,

Supports excellence in UK higher education and

Sustains the principles of the Commonwealth. Candidates are selected on the basis of merit

and their potential to contribute to the development of their home countries

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9Who is Eligible? Commonwealth Scholarships are not only for

Anglophones Primary criterion is merit and void of

corruption Necessary pre-condition is for all

Cameroonians irrespective of linguistic background of education is to pass the test of English (IELTS)

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10What Opportunities are available to Cameroonians?

Commonwealth Scholarships for PhD or split-site PhD study at a UK university Commonwealth Scholarships for Master’s and PhD study at a UK university Commonwealth Split-site (PhD) Scholarships for PhD candidates to spend up to 12 months in

the UK as part of their doctoral studies Commonwealth Shared Scholarships for Master’s study, for students from developing countries

who would not otherwise be able to study in the UK, jointly supported by UK universities Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarships for Master’s study, for students from

developing countries to study UK degree courses while living in their home countries Commonwealth Academic Fellowships  for early career academics

from developing countries to conduct research and network Commonwealth Professional Fellowships for mid-career professionals from developing countries

to spend time at a UK organisation Commonwealth Medical Fellowships for mid-career medical staff from developing countries to

enhance their clinical skills

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HOW SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES CONTRIBUTE TO

PEACE-BUILDING?

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12What is Peace-Building? PEACE-BUILDING - coined by Johan Galtung in

1975 ‘Three Approaches to Peace: Peacekeeping,

peacemaking, and peacebuilding’. Peacebuilding is the process of creating self-

supporting structures that “remove causes of wars and offer alternatives to war in situations where wars might occur.” Galtung, Johan (1975)

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13Peace-Building

Peacebuilding involves addressing social and political sources of conflict as well as reconciliation.

Peacebuilding cannot ignore structural forms of injustice and violence.

Peacebuilding creates spaces where people interact in new ways, expanding experience and honing new means of communication.

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14Categorising Peace

Negative Peace The cessation and/or absence of violence

Positive peace The absence of structural violence. The presence of social justice. The conditions that eliminate the causes of violence.

Structural violence Indirect violence. “Violence that is built into structures and shows up as unequal power and consequently as unequal life chances” (Galtung 1990: 171). Structural violence accompanies and is an underlying cause of direct violence.

Root causes of conflict

Manifestations of structural and cultural violence, leading to direct violence.

Sustainable peace Peace and processes towards it that address the root causes of violent conflict.

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15EDUCATION AND PEACE-BUILDING

Here we nuanceEducationLearning Scholarship (Seen here as synonymous to

learning)

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16Education/Scholarship can

Provide learning spaces for education These learning spaces are school systems which

might reproduce or challenge social and gender inequalities that may be a catalyst for war (Davies 2004).

These spaces and content might fuel or mitigate conflict

Education as a weapon in cultural repression (refusal of usage of Kurdish language in turkey)

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17Education/Scholarship can

The denial of education as a weapon of war (closure of schools in Mozambique)

Manipulation of textbooks content to depict stereotypes

Reproduction of social inequalities (gender, ethnic, linguistics etc.) that may be a catalyst for war (Davies 2004).

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18Yet Education/Scholarship can

Address group inequalities, Encourage new forms of power relations Support transformation processes related to

security sector reform, political institutions, economic regeneration and social development.

Education can offer knowledge and skills that provide protection

It can help develop values and attitudes that prevent conflict and build peace.

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19Yet Education/Scholarship can

Provide Skills training and routes to problem solving other than violence

Protects children = Quality education provides physical, psychosocial and cognitive protection. (UN 2009, 1). schools are safe places

Education contribute to social transformation Through a well thought out educational policy

and curricula

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20Cont’d Education has the potential to build the capacities of

community members to promote equality and peace. https://www.unicef.org/education/bege_65480.html

Can promote cohesive societies and contribute to state-building.

Education needs to be delivered effectively and equitably to ensure that it is a driver of peace rather than war.

Can contribute to the generation and use of evidence and knowledge in policies and programming related to education, conflict and peacebuilding.

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21Scholarship opportunities – Learning Opportunities:

Personal Experiences A holistic approach to learning (not just subject content) Building a culture of equal opportunities (experienced

through selection) A culture of Tolerance, respect and understanding

(culture shock – tolerance culture) Imbibing of commonwealth values and principles (slide 3) A culture of development through giving back to one’s

country

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22Finally

Finally, generation and use of evidence, knowledge generation and skills training offers new forms of power and routes for conflict management and peacebuilding.

Commonwealth Scholarships offer learning spaces and learning opportunities for the development of these.