Protecting Education from Attack: a State-Of-The-Art Review (Paris: UNESCO, 2010), 245-260
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Protecting Education from Attack A State-of-the-Art Review Protecting Education from Attack A State-of-the-Art Review Published by the United Nations Educational, Scientifi c and Cultural Organization 7, place de Fontenoy, 75352 Paris 07 SP, France © UNESCO 2010 All rights reserved ISBN 978-92-3-104152-5 The ideas and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and not necessarily those of UNESCO and do not commit the Organization. The designations employed and the presentation of material throughout this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNESCO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Cover photo: ‘Students’ free education centre’, established some 13 years ago to promote the education of poor children of the area. Now more than 300 students in two shifts study here. Non-stop fi ring in their neighbourhoods and gang wars in the area forced them to hold classes on the rooftop of a building. Karachi, Pakistan. © UNESCO/Akhtar Soomro/2009. Printed by UNESCO Printed in France Table of Contents Acknowledgements v Foreword to the series vii Foreword by the Offi ce of Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned ix Part I. Introduction and overview 1 Chapter 1. Introduction 3 Chapter 2. Key fi ndings and discussion points 7 Part II. Background papers 35 Chapter 3. Education under Attack 2010: A summary Brendan O’Malley 37 Chapter 4. Education and protection of children and youth affected by armed confl ict: An essential link Jessica Alexander, Neil Boothby and Mike Wessells 55 Chapter 5. Political violence against education sector aid workers in confl ict zones: A preliminary investigation into the possible link between attacks and the increased merging of security and development policy Mario Novelli 71 Chapter 6. Attacks on higher education communities: A holistic, human rights approach to protection Robert Quinn 99 Chapter 7. Attacks on education: Monitoring and reporting for prevention, early warning, rapid response and accountability Zama Coursen-Neff 111 Chapter 8. ‘Painful and inconvenient’: Accountability for attacks on education Bede Sheppard 125 Chapter 9. International law and the protection of education systems Planning and Programming Directorate, Offi ce of Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned 147 Chapter 10. The application of international humanitarian law to attacks on education in armed confl ict Peter Rowe 179 Chapter 11. Ambiguous protection of schools under the law of war: Time for parity with hospitals and religious buildings Gregory Raymond Bart 195 iii Chapter 12. Desk study on fi eld-based mechanisms for protecting education from targeted attack Christine Groneman 227 Chapter 13. Preventing violent attacks on education in Afghanistan: Considering the role of community-based schools Dana Burde 245 Chapter 14. Schools as Zones of Peace: Nepal case study in access to education during armed confl ict and civil unrest Melinda Smith 261 Chapter 15. Protecting through curriculum: A call for collaboration Margaret Sinclair 279 Appendix 1. Agenda and participating organizations UNESCO International Expert Seminar, ‘Protecting Education from Attack’ (28 September – 1 October 2009). 302 iv Acknowledgements This publication is one of the outcomes of a fruitful and close partnership between UNESCO and the Offi ce of Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned, of Qatar, UNESCO Special Envoy for Basic and Higher Education since 2003. UNESCO would like to express its deep appreciation to Her Highness Sheikha Mozah for her continuous support to education in confl ict situations and for moving forward this vital international agenda. UNESCO also expresses its gratitude for Her Highness’ fi nancial sponsorship of the international expert seminar, Protecting Education from Attack, held in Paris, 28 September – 1 October 2009, as well as its support for the preparation and publication of this state-of-the-art review. A great debt is owed to all the participants in the seminar who diligently contributed, through presentations and discussion, to the richness of the fi ndings outlined in this publication. The seminar’s work and process were excellently facilitated by Michael Gibbons. The authors of the background papers published here deserve special commendation for their hard work, under the pressure of tight deadlines, to document the experience of protecting education from attack through different disciplinary lenses. Those authors are: Jessica Alexander; Gregory Bart; Neil Boothby; Dana Burde; Zama Coursen-Neff; Christine Groneman; Mario Novelli; Brendan O’Malley; Planning and Programming Directorate, HHO; Rob Quinn; Peter Rowe; Bede Sheppard; Margaret Sinclair; Melinda Smith; and Mike Wessells. Managing this project between two partners on two continents has provided opportunities and challenges to which staff members of both institutions have responded with great commitment. From the Offi ce of Her Highness, Abdullatif Al-Shayef, John Gregg and Margaret Sinclair made major contributions to the substance and editing of this review. For UNESCO, the project was directed and guided by Mark Richmond and shaped by the efforts of a dedicated team of staff and consultants, including Christopher Talbot, Jane Kalista, Pam Vimonmas Vachatimanont, Samba Yaya Wane, Christine Groneman, Aurelia Mazoyer, Mary de Sousa and Saname Oftadeh. The shared vision and close collaboration between our teams have been a highlight of this process and a major source of the quality of the output, which will help to advance this vital global agenda. v Foreword to the series In situations of armed confl ict and insecurity, deliberate attacks on and threats against learners, academics, teachers and education facilities are both a barrier to the right to education and a serious protection issue. These violent incidents involve the use of force in ways that disrupt and deter educational provision, putting educators and learners at risk in environments that should be safe, secure and protective. The international community has made a commitment to achieving the Education for All (EFA) goals by 2015; wherever they occur, attacks on education threaten the realization of those goals. UNESCO, tasked with the global coordination of EFA, has a mandate to promote full and equal opportunities for education for all, and this includes those whose access to education is threatened or prevented by targeted violence. In order to protect and promote the right to education whenever learners, education personnel and educational facilities come under violent attack, greater knowledge and deeper understanding are required. Precise and detailed information about the extent of attacks, both current and over time, is needed but by itself is insuffi cient. More research must be conducted in order to generate better analysis and understanding of the causes, means and impacts of attacks on education. Moreover, there is a need for more investigation not only of possible mechanisms to undertake rigorous monitoring and reporting in this area but also of prevention and response strategies and their effectiveness. In view of the gaps in knowledge and information about attacks on education and about how education can be protected from attack, UNESCO has commissioned a series of publications to research and analyse these issues. Its aim is to enhance global understanding of the nature, scope, motives and impact of attacks on education and of the work that is being done by communities, organizations and governments to prevent and respond to such violence. When appropriate, the publications also provide recommendations for action by a variety of stakeholders at local, national and international levels. Part of a sustained global campaign to prevent and respond to attacks on education, this series is aimed at supporting and strengthening the work of practitioners, researchers, policy-makers and all those concerned with securing the full range of quality educational opportunities for all. Mark Richmond Director, Division for the Coordination of UN Priorities in Education Education Sector UNESCO vii Foreword by the Offi ce of Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned The Offi ce of Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser al-Missned would like to thank UNESCO and all its partners for bringing this state-of-the-art review to its successful conclusion. Her Highness has worked hard to raise awareness of the devastating impact of armed confl ict and insecurity on education in the modern world. She provided leadership in the renewal of higher education in Iraq, damaged by the confl ict of 2003. Since that time she has spoken repeatedly with world leaders, and within the UN system, to advocate for stronger protective measures for students in school and college, their staff and their institutions. In November 2008, the Offi ce of Her Highness partnered with UNESCO to convene a Conference on the Right to Education in Crisis-Affected Countries, while in March 2009 Her Highness addressed the General Assembly Thematic Debate on Education in Emergencies, highlighting that the right to education involves protection from violent attack. Her Highness was of the view that a vital fi rst step for the international community was to develop a greater understanding of the issues in this fi eld, which include interpretation and development of international law and child protection mechanisms as well as protection measures by