Mutual vulnerability : a key principle in a humanising pedagogy in post-conflict societies

Abstract

In this article we argue that education in post-conflict and traumatised societies should be partly underpinned by the principle of ‘mutual vulnerability’ as central to a humanising pedagogy. We explain the conceptual links between ‘reconciliation pedagogies’, ‘mutual vulnerability’ and ‘humanising pedagogies’ and associate them with the broader framework of critical pedagogy. In the process of applying the principle of ‘mutual vulnerability’, normative frames and human-default drives are unveiled and interrogated in an educational context of shared moderation, learning and critical self-reflection to create the space for renewed and meaningful teaching and learning. Based on this logic, we decode ‘mutual vulnerability’ as a humanising pedagogical principle that is central to educational efforts aimed at reconciliation. We finally demonstrate how ‘mutual vulnerability’ as a humanising pedagogical principle may steer educational practice in post-conflict societies