Indaba and Violence Prevention in Educational Institutions: Perspectives from South Africa

ViolenceViolence in educational environments is a widespread phenomenon which often results in injury, loss of life, and sustained negative impact on the mental, psychological and emotional health of survivors. While schoolsSchools, universities and colleges globally rely upon punitive justice and restorativeRestorative sanctions as a means of deterrence, little is known about locally-based approaches of conflict resolution and peacebuildingPeacebuilding to prevent violence in educational institutions. This article consists of a desktop study combined with evidence from an action-research study of violence preventionViolence prevention in a high school in a poverty-stricken area of South AfricaSouth Africa. It explores the potential of a compounded alternative dispute resolution to prevent violenceViolence in educational institutions while forging students’ accountability. That comprises restorative justiceRestorative justice approaches, peace educationPeace education and IndabaIndaba (‘dialogic structure to resolve disputes’), inasmuch as these methods are imbued with UbuntuUbuntu spirit (‘a quality that includes the essential human virtues; compassion and humanityHumanity’). The chapter sets out some key elements that should inform a modern student IndabaIndaba. It is argued that a synergic humanistic and communitarian relationship between Indaba, restorative justiceRestorative justice, peace educationPeace education and UbuntuUbuntu can leverage peaceful resolution of conflicts in educational institutions, promote reconciliation and prevent recurring violence.