From Tragedy to Reconciliation: Advocacy, Legal Strategies, and the Role of History Teachers in Integrating Peace Education in Post-Conflict Areas
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15294/ijals.v7i2.30584Keywords:
Peace Education, Reconciliation, Advocacy, Legal Strategies, History TeachersAbstract
Indonesia’s post-conflict regions, such as Aceh, Poso, and Papua, continue to confront the legacies of violence, trauma, and contested historical narratives. In these areas, history education holds significant potential for promoting reconciliation and preventing the recurrence of conflict. This study examines the role of history teachers in integrating peace education within the broader frameworks of legal strategies and advocacy in Indonesian post-conflict settings. Drawing on qualitative research, including in-depth interviews with educators, civil society actors, and local government representatives, the paper explores how history teachers navigate sensitive political and historical issues in classrooms marked by ethnic, religious, and ideological divisions. The study highlights how legal frameworks such as human rights education, truth-seeking efforts, and transitional justice initiatives—though limited in formal policy—are informally adopted by educators through civil society-led training and community advocacy. Findings suggest that when adequately supported, history teachers in Indonesia can act as frontline peacebuilders, helping students develop critical thinking, historical empathy, and a commitment to nonviolence. Moreover, advocacy networks play a crucial role in enabling educators to address topics such as mass violence, displacement, and state-perpetrated injustice in ways that foster healing rather than deepen polarization. By contextualizing peace education within Indonesia’s unique socio-political landscape, this paper contributes to the global discourse on post-conflict education and provides practical pathways for integrating historical accountability into curriculum and teacher training programs.
References
Affolter, Friedrich W., and Anna Azaryeva Valente. "Learning for peace: Lessons learned from UNICEF’s peacebuilding, education, and advocacy in conflict-affected context programme." Children and peace: From research to action. (Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2019), pp. 219-239.
Ahmad, Tsabit Azinar, Agus Mulyana, Wawan Darmawan, and Erlina Wiyanarti. “Unraveling the Threads of Difficult History in the Classroom: A Systematic Literature Review.” Paramita: Historical Studies Journal 34, no. 1 (2024): 161–73. https://doi.org/10.15294/paramita.v34i1.47346.
Ahonen, Sirkka. "History education in post-conflict societies." Historical Encounters 1, no. 1 (2014): 75-87.
Andrzejewski, Julie. "Education for peace and nonviolence." Social justice, peace, and environmental education. Routledge, 2009. 111-132.
Ardiansyah, Indra, et al. "Taking Restitution Seriously? Victim-Oriented Gaps in the Criminal Justice System." Indonesian Journal of Criminal Law Studies 10, no. 1 (2025): 1-44.
Arifin, Ridwan, et al. "Striking a balance: navigating peace, justice, and restorative justice in Indonesian prosecutorial process." The Prosecutor Law Review 1, no. 3 (2023): 73-96.
Arifin, Ridwan, Per Nilsson, Teresa Ruiz, and Souad Ezzerouali. “Decolonizing International Human Rights Law: Rethinking Universality from the Global South”. Journal of Transformative Legal and Social Studies 1, no. 1 (2025).
Aryanda, Avila Deva, Ali Masyhar, and Cahya Wulandari. "Restorative Justice Approach in Handling Sexual Violence Criminal Cases." International Journal of Education and Literature 4, no. 1 (2025): 305-311.
Aziz, Firman, et al. "The future of human rights in the digital age: indonesian perspectives and challenges." Journal of Digital Law and Policy 2, no. 1 (2022): 29-40.
Barakat, Sultan, et al. "The role of basic education in post-conflict recovery." Comparative Education 49, no. 2 (2013): 124-142.
Betts, Wendy S., and Gregory Gisvold. "Conflict Mapping: Innovation in International Responses in Post-Conflict Societies." Human Rights Brief 10, no. 3 (2003): 6.
Boughton, B., C. Brock, and L. Pe Symaco. "Timor-Leste: Building a post-conflict education system." Education in South-East Asia (2011): 177-196.
Butcher, Jude, et al. Timor-Leste: Transforming education through partnership in a small post-conflict state. Springer, 2015.
Canter, Martin John. Perceptions of education change in post-conflict environments and fragile states: The case of Timor-Leste. University of Pennsylvania, 2015.
Citrawan, Harison, and Ganesh Cintika Putri. "Law, Memory, and Silence: The Case of Anti-Communism Laws in Indonesia." The Age of Human Rights Journal 22 (2024): e8021-e8021.
Cole, Elizabeth A. Unite or divide?: The challenges of teaching history in societies emerging from violent conflict. Vol. 163. United States Institute of Peace, 2006.
Fountain, Susan. Peace education in UNICEF. UNICEF, Programme Division, 1999.
Grenfell, Damian. "Reconciliation: Violence and nation formation in Timor-Leste." Rethinking Insecurity, War and Violence. (London: Routledge, 2008), pp. 193-205.
Habibah, Siti Maizul, et al. Hukum Internasional: Pilar Keadilan dan HAM Universal. CV. Ruang Tentor, 2025.
Haider, Huma. "Social repair in divided societies: Integrating a coexistence lens into transitional justice." Conflict, Security & Development 11, no. 2 (2011): 175-203.
Harber, Clive. Schooling for peaceful development in post-conflict societies. Springer International Publishing, 2019.
Harris, Ian M. "Peace education theory." Journal of Peace Education 1, no. 1 (2004): 5-20.
Hasudungan, Anju Nofarof, and Lianda Dewi Sartika. "Model Pendidikan Perdamaian Berbasis Kearifan Lokal Pela Gandong Pada Pembelajaran IPS Pasca Rekonsiliasi Konflik Ambon." Indonesian Journal of Social Science Education (IJSSE) 2, no. 1 (2020): 20-32.
Ismail, Dian Ekawaty, et al. "The Comparative Study: Protecting Children’s Rights Through Law Reform of Restorative Justice in Juvenile Cases." Journal of Law and Legal Reform 6, no. 2 (2025): 411-452.
Istianah, Anif, Bunyamin Maftuh, and Elly Malihah. "Konsep sekolah damai: Harmonisasi profil pelajar Pancasila dalam implementasi kurikulum merdeka belajar." Jurnal Education and Development 11, no. 3 (2023): 333-342.
Iswahyudi, Eko. "Human Rights and Legal Reforms in Indonesia: Challenges and Progress." The Journal of Academic Science 2, no. 2 (2025): 734-743.
Johnstone, Gerry, and Daniel Van Ness, eds. Handbook of restorative justice. (London: Routledge, 2013).
Joseph, Sarah, and Melissa Castan. The international covenant on civil and political rights: cases, materials, and commentary. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013).
Joseph, Sarah. "Civil and political rights." International Human Rights Law. (London: Routledge, 2016), pp. 105-122.
Kamil, Fikri, Suchada Jirakorn, and Nashitah Idris. 2025. “Religious Nationalism and Secularism in Indonesia: A Complex Relationship”. Studies in Indonesian Contemporary Religiosity and Modern World 1, no. 1 (2025).
Kristimanta, Putri Ariza. "Grass-roots post-conflict peacebuilding: A case study of Mosintuwu women’s school in Poso District, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia." Decolonising conflicts, security, peace, gender, environment and development in the anthropocene. (Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2021), pp. 569-590.
Latief, Ammar Aziz Abdul, Rizal Mohamad Saleh, and Zidan Abrar. "Child Protection Systems in Indonesia and Malaysia: Between Theories and Practices." Journal of Creativity Student 7, no. 1 (2022): 87-112.
Leach, Michael. Nation-building and national identity in Timor-Leste. (London: Routledge, 2016).
Leandro, Francisco José BS, Enrique Martínez-Galán, and Paulo Gonçalves. "The Portuguese-Speaking Small Island Developing States: The Journey of Their Foreign Policies and International Relations." Portuguese-speaking Small Island Developing States: The Development Journeys of Cabo Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Timor-Leste. (Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore, 2023), pp. 353-475.
Leyh, Brianne McGonigle. "Reparations for victims." Research Handbook on Post-Conflict State Building. (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2020), pp. 228-240.
Liana, Nora, et al. "Position of Resolving Human Rights Violations through The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Mechanism in Indonesia." International Journal of Law, Social Science, and Humanities 2, no. 2 (2025): 222-231.
Mahayanti, Ni Wayan Surya, et al. "The trends of peace education research in Indonesia: A bibliometric analysis aligned with quality of education." Journal of Lifestyle and SDGs Review 5, no. 2 (2025): e02571-e02571.
Martitah, Martitah, et al. "Pseudo-Kebijakan Otonomi Desa: Analisis Kritis Berdasarkan Praktek di Lapangan." Jurnal Pengabdian Hukum Indonesia 4, no. 1 (2021): 1-17.
McDonald, Jared. "Inclusive histories for inclusive futures: interactions and entanglements then and now." Yesterday and Today 15 (2016): 66-83.
McWilliam, Andrew, and Michael Leach, eds. Routledge Handbook of Contemporary Timor-Leste. (London: Routledge, 2019).
Moffett, Luke. "Transitional justice and reparations: Remedying the past?." Research handbook on transitional justice. (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2017), pp. 377-400.
Nuzzaci, Antonella, Fabio Orecchio, and Rosa Romano. "The role of critical and civic thinking in citizenship education." INTED2024 Proceedings. IATED, 2024.
Peter, Olowonihi A., and Christopher M. Osazuwa. "A Conceptual Framework to Analyse Consequences of Post-Conflict Reconstruction Interventions." The American Journal of Political Science Law and Criminology 6, no. 9 (2024): 105-136.
Pratama, Alvaro, Fahmi Hidayat, and Faizal Junaid. “The Evolution of Indonesian Democracy: Challenges and Prospects in the Post-Reformasi Era”. Indonesian Political Transformation 1, no. 1 (2025).
Rahman, Aulia, et al. "National Integration Education Practices in Post-Conflict Regions." SEUNEUBOK LADA: Jurnal ilmu-ilmu Sejarah, Sosial, Budaya dan Pendidikan 12, no. 1 (2025): 28-43.
Rajasingham-Senanayake, Darini. "Transnational peace building and conflict: Lessons from Aceh, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka." Sojourn: Journal of Social Issues in Southeast Asia 24, no. 2 (2009): 211-235.
Reardon, Betty A. Peace education: A review and projection. (London: Routledge, 2004).
Riyani, Mufti, Nugroho Trisnu Brata, and Fitri Amalia Shintasiwi. "Making Peace with the Past: Peace Education in Post-Conflict Aceh Societies through the Application of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy." Journal of Social Studies Education Research 12, no. 2 (2021): 330-376.
Saefudin, Arif, et al. "Discourse Analysis of Conflict and Resolution in History Textbooks: Representations of the Referendum in Indonesia." Forum for Linguistic Studies, 6, no. 5, (2024): 433–446.
Said, Muhtar, Ridwan Arifin, and Zaka Firma Aditya. “Faith, Fear, and the Constitution: Religious Freedom and Identity Politics in Indonesia’s Constitutional Jurisprudence”. Indonesian Constitutional Studies 1, no. 1 (2025): 53-76.
Sakhiyya, Zulfa, and Teguh Wijaya Mulya. Education in Indonesia: critical perspectives on equity and social justice. Springer, 2023.
Salle, Salle, and Wafia Silvi Dhesinta Rini. “Development of Artificial Intelligence Regulations and Implications for Intellectual Property Rights Protection”. Contemporary Issues on Indonesian Social Justice and Legal Reform 1, no. 1 (2025).
Scambary, James. Conflict, identity, and state formation in East Timor 2000-2017. Vol. 311. Brill, 2019.
Schiller, Rachel. "Reconciliation in Aceh: Addressing the social effects of prolonged armed conflict." Asian Journal of Social Science 39, no. 4 (2011): 489-507.
Seixas, Peter. "Historical consciousness." Narration, Iidentity, and Historical Consciousness 3 (2005): 141.
Sekibo, George Thompson, and Samuel Iroye. "Exploring Peace Education in a Post-Conflict Society: Challenges and Opportunities." NIU Journal of Social Sciences 10, no. 3 (2024): 295-308.
Shah, Ritesh, and Mieke Lopes Cardozo. "Education and social change in post-conflict and post-disaster Aceh, Indonesia." International Journal of Educational Development 38, no. 1 (2014): 2-12.
Shah, Ritesh. "Goodbye conflict, hello development? Curriculum reform in Timor-Leste." International Journal of Educational Development 32, no. 1 (2012): 31-38.
Skaar, Elin. "Reconciliation in a transitional justice perspective." Transitional Justice Review 1, no. 1 (2012): 54-103.
Skårås, Merethe. "Teaching and learning the most recent history in divided societies emerging from conflict: A review of the literature through the lens of social justice." Journal of Peace Education 18, no. 3 (2021): 282-308.
Smith, Catherine. Resilience and the localisation of trauma in Aceh, Indonesia. NUS Press, 2018.
Smith, Claire Q. "Liberal and illiberal peace-building in East Timor and Papua: establishing order in a democratising state." Conflict, Security & Development 20, no. 1 (2020): 39-70.
Solehuddin, Muhammad, and Vina Adriany. "Kindergarten teachers’ understanding on social justice: Stories from Indonesia." SAGE Open 7, no. 4 (2017): 2158244017739340.
Stange, Gunnar, and Roman Patock. "From rebels to rulers and legislators: The political transformation of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in Indonesia." Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs 29, no. 1 (2010): 95-120.
Stempel, Jeffrey W. "Legal Ethics and Law Reform Advocacy." St. Mary's Journal on Legal Malpractice & Ethics 10, no. 2 (2020): 244-289.
Sukardi, Sukardi, and Hadi Rahmat Purnama. "Restorative Justice Principles in Law Enforcement and Democracy in Indonesia." Journal of Indonesian Legal Studies 7, no. 1 (2022): 155-190.
Sulistiyanto, Priyambudi, and Sentot Setyasiswanto. "Still Seeking Truth and Reconciliation for the 1965 Victims: Is it possible?." Asia-Pacific between conflict and reconciliation (2016): 69-86.
Susanti, Martien Herna, Suhartono Suhartono, and Siti Winarsih. "Sosialisasi Advokasi Hukum bagi Masyarakat Desa Sambiyan." Jurnal Bina Desa 5, no. 1 (2023): 77-83.
Tappe Ortiz, Juliana. Peace spoilers and peace supporters: how individual characteristics influence the outcome and duration of civil conflicts. Diss. Staats-und Universitätsbibliothek Hamburg Carl von Ossietzky, 2023.
Taum, Yoseph Yapi, et al. Meraih Cahaya: Memori Kolektif Timor-Leste Pascakonflik. 9Yogyakarta: Sanata Dharma University Press, 2025).
Ten Dam, Geert, and Monique Volman. "Critical thinking as a citizenship competence: teaching strategies." Learning and Instruction 14, no. 4 (2004): 359-379.
Theissen, Gunnar. "Supporting justice, co-existence and reconciliation after armed conflict: strategies for dealing with the past." Transforming Ethnopolitical Conflict: The Berghof Handbook. (Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, 2004), pp. 421-440.
Tuhuteru, Laros. Pendidikan Karakter Untuk Menjawab Resolusi Konflik. CV. Azka Pustaka, 2022.
Wahyudin, Dinn. "Peace education curriculum in the context of Education Sustainable Development (ESD)." Journal of Sustainable Development Education and Research 2, no. 1 (2018): 21-32.
Wahyuningroem, Sri Lestari, and Dyah Ayu Kartika. "Learning Injustice: Historical Memory of the Indonesian 1965 Genocide and Education to Young People." Indonesia 116, no. 1 (2023): 103-116.
Wahyuningroem, Sri Lestari. "Towards Post-Transitional Justice: The Failures of Transitional Justice and the Roles of Civil Society in Indonesia." Journal of Southeast Asian Human Rights 3, no. 1 (2019): 124-154.
Walters, Denine. Post-Conflict Peacebuilding: Comparative Case Studies. University of Johannesburg (South Africa), 2011.
Watson, Conrad William. Of self and injustice: Autobiography and repression in modern Indonesia. (Singapore: NUS Press, 2006).
Wibowo, Dody. "The role of school culture in teacher professional development for peace education: the case of Sukma Bangsa School Pidie in post-conflict Aceh, Indonesia." Journal of Peace Education 19, no. 2 (2022): 182-204.
Yemenici, Alev. "Peace education: Training for an evolved consciousness of non-violence." All Azimuth: A Journal of Foreign Policy and Peace 5, no. 1 (2016): 5-25.
Yuliana, Novi. “Human Rights and Climate Change: The 2011 National Human Rights Action Plan (RANHAM) and Its Role in Promoting Climate Justice”. Indonesian Climate Justice Review 2, no. 2 (2025).
Zurbuchen, Mary S. "History, memory, and the" 1965 incident" in Indonesia." Asian Survey 42, no. 4 (2002): 564-581.
Downloads
Published
Article ID
30584Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Tsabit Azinar Ahmad, Nurasiah Nurasiah, Syaiful Amin, Ahmad Sohabudin, Ridwan Arifin (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyrights of the published materials under an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) license. All writings published in this journal are the personal views of the authors and do not represent the views of this journal and the author's affiliated institutions.
