5th IOCES International Conference
at
Ali Mazrui Center for Higher Education, University of Johannesburg, South Africa
21-22 June, 2018
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Rethinking Epistemologies and Innovating Pedagogies to Foster Global Peace

The Indian Ocean region is blessed with diversity of cultures, languages, dressing, food, religions, and a rich tradition of epistemologies, and pedagogies. This diversity, however, is sometimes disregarded by a few individuals or groups for ulterior motives and is turned into “differences” between people. Most gullible people give into the rhetoric of bringing more homogeneity in the way human life should be led and the rules and regulations which govern them. Naturally, it results in conflicts of various sorts, often leading to violence. Violence is not restricted to wars and battles fought between countries, it has taken new forms in our own homes – domestic violence, honor killings, female infanticide, to name a few. Terrorism in the name of religion, freedom struggle, oppression, and frustration is resulting in innocent lives being lost without any justification whatsoever. Unfortunately, this trend of increasing violence is unabated and ironically, in many incidents of violence, the perpetrators are educated persons from seemingly good background. Education seems to have failed in its mission of fostering humanity and peace. Therefore, there is a clear need for rethinking epistemologies and innovating pedagogies to foster global peace. The Indian Ocean region has a rich legacy of producing religious figures epitomizing peace like Jesus Christ, Mohammed, Gautam Buddha, Mahavira, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad and torchbearers of nonviolence like Mahatma Gandhi, Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, and Nelson Mandela. It is time to inculcate the virtues of nonviolence in young minds, youth as well as seniors by revisiting the Muslim greeting of Salaam Alaikum (meaning peace be upon you), the Hindu scripture of Vasudheva Kutumbakam (meaning Earth is a big family), the Buddhist preaching of inculcating inner peace by removing defilements and enriching compassion, and the African philosophy of Ubuntu, which symbolizes humanness, empathy, sharing and caring among fellow human beings.

Questions for Consideration
A number of questions, including (but not limited to) the following are raised as the guiding thread for this conference:
1. Is it possible to achieve sustainable peace in the Indian Ocean region by rethinking epistemologies and innovating pedagogies?
2. Can the peace achieved in the Indian Ocean (through Point 1 above) be translated to rest of the world?
3. What is the linkage between the trio of peace, epistemologies and pedagogies?
4. How to create a blend of epistemologies (to frame the philosophical part) and pedagogies (to frame the action part) in order to shape a new school atmosphere, a new curriculum, and a new educational setup conducive to fostering peace?
5. Should we rethink already existing epistemologies, which in turn will give rise to new innovative pedagogies?

The agenda of this conference is to harness comparative education for more meaningful well-being and improved quality of life in the Indian Ocean region and beyond for a shared present and hopeful common future. However, we welcome papers in all the conventional streams of comparative and international education, which will be segmented in suitable sub-themes of the conference program.

Extended deadline for 300 words abstract submission in English (Microsoft Word) to secretaryioces@gmail.com: 8 Apr. 2018

Decision of acceptance by: 15 April 2018 (also the deadline to complete the mandatory RSVP form below)
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Selected full papers (6000 words) will be considered for publication in: Global Comparative Education: Journal of the WCCES (www.theworldcouncil.net). Selected short papers (3000 words) will be considered for publication in: World Voices Nexus: The WCCES Chronicle (www.worldcces.org). The remaining abstracts/ papers will be published online as a compilation of conference proceedings.

For more details, please visit the IOCES website: www.ioces.altervista.org

Thanks to our sponsors, there is no registration fee for IOCES members (Nonmembers can pay a nominal membership fee at the venue)!

5th IOCES International Conference is being organized in conjunction with 1st WCCES Symposium on the theme:
Comparative Education for Global Citizenship, Peace and Harmony through Ubuntu

Download the 5th IOCES International Conference 2018 Flyer

Participants are requested to arrange their own accommodation near University of Johannesburg, Kingsway Campus, Auckland Park, Johannesburg, South Africa. 

One of the options close to the venue is Pathways Guest House (please email Ms. Margaret at margaret@apexcom.co.za for securing your reservation):

http://apexcom.co.za/index.html

Another way to find an accommodation at reasonable fares is through AirBNB:

http://airbnb.com

The following option is also useful to find hotels at reasonable fares:

http://hotels.com

The conference organizers have no role and responsibility whatsoever in bookings made through the above mentioned options.

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