Women's Learning for Community Peacebuilding

Authors

Robin Neustater, St. Francis Xavier UniversityFollow

Abstract

Around the world, every day, women work on building peace in their communities. Through various roles, paid and unpaid, women’s community care work is significant to the lives of individuals, families, communities, and the women themselves. Understandings of peace are varied, and often nuanced to the context and experience of who is defining peace. How women define peace will inform how they think about peacebuilding. Women engage in learning about peace and for their peacebuilding work, through nonformal and formal programs, and through experience and role models. Their learning to do peace is vital to getting things done. This article highlights key findings of an oral history study on women’s peace leadership learning which interviewed nine graduates of the Coady Institute based in Antigonish Canada. Their narratives highlight the importance of experiential, nonformal and formal learning, and having role models to support their ongoing learning to be peacemakers.

Author Bio(s)

Dr. Robin Neustaeter is an Assistant Professor of Adult Education at St. Francis Xavier University. Her teaching and scholarship examine adult learning theory and practice with particular attention to learning for social change, in particular women's peacebuilding.

Keywords

women, community peacebuilding, nonformal learning, experiential learning, storytelling

Recommended Citation

Neustater, Robin (2025) "Women's Learning for Community Peacebuilding," Peace and Conflict Studies: Vol. 32: No. 1, Article 4.
Available at: https://nsuworks.nova.edu/pcs/vol32/iss1/4

ORCID ID

0009-0007-3045-3851