A REVIEW ON THE CONFLICT SITUATIONS IN KERALA AND THE ARISING NEED OF PEACE EDUCATION

Sarath Thomas , Dr CP Anto

Abstract: The conflict has become a common phenomenon in our day-to-day life, and peace education has become a significant concern for scholars and teachers worldwide in recent years. Peace education has now been incorporated into various educational institutions worldwide, either as stand-alone programs or as part of a variety of these courses. While peace programs and peace education are being introduced in schools and colleges all over the world, it appears that efforts to incorporate them into India's education program, particularly in Kerala, are still limited. Why is peace education more critical now than ever before in Kerala? Kerala is one of the Indian union's smallest states. It covers less than 1% of India's entire land area, with a total area of 38,863 square kilometers. Kerala has a unique development model called "Kerala Model development" since it has accomplished extraordinary social growth in health, education, and economic development. Kerala has performed exceptionally well across the board regarding human development indicators, including a shallow infant mortality rate, high male and female longevity, below-replacement fertility, near-universal literacy rates (94 percent for males and 88 percent for females), etc. These incredible achievements termed the "Kerala model of development" has been investigated by several researchers and policymakers alike. (Lieten, 2002; Kannan, 1998; Heller, 1995).  
Keywords: Peace education, conflict resolution, conflict transformation, violence, peace building