Quest for a Space for Co-curriculum as an Alternative Peace-building Mechanism: Analysis of the Legal Frameworks of the Ethiopian Higher Education System

Abstract

There are several platforms to build peace within higher education institutions (HEIs). Out of these, co-curricular programs (CoCPs) received considerable attention for obtaining peace-promoting effects. However, it is rare to find literature that analyzes the legal frameworks (proclamations, legislations, and regulations) that enable CoCPs to play a significant role in peace-building. This is also true in the Ethiopian HEIs context. This article attempts to find out whether the legal arrangements leave space for CoCPs so that it could acknowledge their possible contributions to promote peace within the public of the HEIs. In so doing, the Education and Training Policy (ETP), the three higher education proclamations, the Ethiopian Education Development Roadmap, HEIs 10 Years Development Plan and five selected university senate legislations were examined. The qualitative content analysis revealed that the proclamations, the road map and senate legislations indeed leave some room for CoCPs to contribute to the efforts of building peace.  However, the significance of CoCPs is not explicitly stated in relation to peace. Hence, the contribution of CoCPs under the legal frameworks of Ethiopian Higher Education System (HES) as alternative peace-building mechanism is inferred.