Counselors often engage in conflict mediation in professional practice. A model for understanding the complex and subtle nature of conflict resolution is presented. The ecosystemic complexity theory of conflict is offered to assist practitioners in navigating the fog of conflict. Theoretical assumptions are discussed with implications for clinical…

The definition of "English language classroom" is changing. When students have the opportunity to learn content and language at the same time, disciplinary boundaries overlap. Teachers are rethinking how they design courses, plan lessons, assess students, and collaborate with colleagues to support student learning and facilitate their…

This paper provides a synopsis of a research report done by the Youth Project of the Centre for Conflict Resolution (CCR), an autonomous institute with the University of Cape Town. In 1992 the Human Sciences Research Council initiated a cooperative research programme into South African youth and the problems and challenges they face. CCR was…

Memory politics are often regarded as the "soft" issues contested in the aftermath of political and social upheaval. Yet critical public debates on memory, justice, impunity and reconciliation in South Africa prompted by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) process suggest otherwise. I offer a partial review of some of the key…

Behavioural problems are commonly experienced in schools. This contributes to poor academic results and general disciplinary problems, among other things. It is argued that punitive disciplinary methods are aggravating unacceptable behaviours. This paper presents information about the use of punishment, how children react to these measures, and…

In 2014, through the University of the Free State's (UFS) Institute for Reconciliation and Social Justice (IRSJ), three South African universities partnered to collaborate on the pilot phase of a research project focused on understanding whether the Arts could enable social cohesion, as the 2012 National Development Plan (2030) had promoted. All…

Traditional interventions (small group, individual counseling, classroom guidance, parent conferences) were obviously having little or no effect to stop bullying among children. The bullies had stuck with their project relentlessly, using snide looks, vicious whispering and a systematic plan to totally isolate one child on the playground. These…

Perhaps more than ever before, educators need innovative and successful approaches to developing the defenses of peace in the minds of all humanity. They have witnessed the consequences of not attending to these needs in the many and varied international, interethnic, and intergroup conflicts around the globe. And while there are a variety of…

South Africa's political system has deprived blacks of voting rights and educational access. Recent educational reforms have been hampered by education's continued alignment with political ideologies. Since many are severely hurting from conflict in their communities and schools, mediation programs are sorely needed, along with leadership and…

This paper considers the educational work that narrative does. Against the context of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission that examined the crimes of apartheid, it discusses the narrative implications of South African poet Antjie Krog's multi-layered text of Truth Commission testimony, and autobiographical and philosophical…

Focuses on the changing role and status of English within new language-in-education policies in South Africa. The article presents a model providing a descriptive framework for analyzing and evaluating decisions made relating to language-in-education planning. The article concludes by identifying issues related to the process of…

Profiles the process of South Africa's transformation into a democracy. Outlines the many characteristics of the transition from white to majority rule, such as the attempt to achieve catharsis and bury the apartheid past through a process of amnesty and reconciliation. Describes the remaining obstacles to that transition. (MJP)