Conflict Matters Conference

Conflict Matters is a biennial European conference exploring the role and the transformative potential of conflict, both for individuals and society. It reflects our conviction that a constructive attitude towards conflict is crucial to further a culture of peace in our increasingly diverse societies.

How can we learn to deal with conflict in a constructive way – in schools, in families, in society? We believe that with the right skills, conflict can be turned into an opportunity for transformative change, creativity and growth, from the personal all the way to the societal level.

Through the almost 10 years’ work in this field, we have observed how focusing on conflict in education facilitates work on a wide range of urgent issues, such as violence in schools, dropouts, prejudice and racism. It helps to develop essential skills and competences, including critical thinking, cooperation, dialogue, negotiation, emotional intelligence, self-control and empathy.

Every other year this interdisciplinary conference will bring together leading researchers, education specialists, teachers, practitioners and students from all over Europe to share best practices and reflect on concrete educational policies and quality standards that support the inclusion of conflict transformation in early childhood and school education, as well as in teacher training.