A Peace Education Model for Aligning the Aim of Indigenous People for Self-Determination with the Socio-Political Aims of Government: Bangladesh Context

Abstract

This article addresses the challenge indigenous cultures in South Asia face in their struggle for self-determination and to have their distinctive identity officially recognized. In such struggles, the focus is often on the extent to which the government is either supportive of the rights of indigenous cultural groups or guilty of violating their rights. In this respect, human rights are seen as a manifestation of good governance, and human rights violations are an indication of bad governance, consequently a source of social conflict. This is especially important when engaging in peacebuilding in contexts where social groups feel that their struggle to realize their rights results in a conflictual relationship with the government. This article explains a peace education model for achieving the aim of greater self-determination by transforming what was regarded as opposition to government into common goals based on shared values and the agreement to cooperate to achieve the shared aim of human, social, and sustainable development.

“I am committed to ensuring human development for everyone in Bangladesh.

I strongly believe that human development for every Bangladeshi is not merely a dream, but a reality” (Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, 2021).

written by Doctor Leon Miller

Introduction

This article addresses the struggles of indigenous cultures in South Asia in their efforts for greater self-determination and autonomy. The complications and conflicts connected with their struggle are increasingly gaining attention for several reasons: for example, the problems are related to the failure of the prior development paradigm to be effective in human and social development, to be inclusive of cultural values, and the tribal villagers’ concerns for their environment. There are also issues related to cross-border social movements and conflicts involving migrants (i.e., which includes cross-border migrations). Human rights, in this case, involve those of the indigenous tribal groups as well as those of the migrants. In addition, the issues involve stakeholders at multiple levels (e.g., the indigenous people, the public, governments, and international NGOs). This article proposes a solution based on a peace education model for transforming what is regarded as opposing interests into common goals based on shared values and a willingness to relate on the basis of agreed-upon principles (Miller, 2019, p. 30). In this respect, the peace education approach satisfies the aim of indigenous cultures for greater self-determination. However, in addition, the approach reduces conflict by implementing a strategy for aligning their interests with those of local, regional, and national authorities.

This article argues that the conflict between the right of indigenous populations to self-determination and the government is not merely a matter of whether or not to promote the human rights of segments of a country’s population. Like most countries that gained independence after World War II, the path chosen in South Asia for development was shaped by the modernization development theory, heavily influenced by the notion that the subsistence socio-economic practices of the indigenous people needed modernizing, and the direction of development was shaped by the powerful impact of a top–down leadership style, which was heavily influenced by experts from the developed West. Such problems not only occur in parts of South Asia but are multi-level problems that exist at the level of tribal villagers, municipalities, and at the regional and national levels in countries in many parts of the world.

The prior approach to improving economic conditions failed to be inclusive of the cultural values, interests, and identity of indigenous populations. “The failure to include the relationship between the local people’s cultural heritage, their identity, and their relationship with their environment resulted in developmental strategies that promised independence, prosperity, and human rights, often causing conflict” (Miller, 2019, p. 28).

A major reason for the problem is that the public authorities who had come to power had no confidence in the masses and were cut off from them. This was not the type of mindset needed for building a self-reliant people for an independent country and to earn the confidence of the masses (Rahman, 2012, pp. 95 & 96).

The failure to include a participatory approach to governance and a strategy for human and social development was tantamount to a failure to implement a means for “Making justice and peace possible” (Shiva, 2014, p. 13). In addition, the failure resulted in social, economic, environmental, and climate crises that prompted an increase in migrations, interethnic clashes, and increased conflict over the right of indigenous populations to live in accordance with their cultural values, traditions, and heritage.

Because the right to land and its use is also related to the issues of the right to and use of resources, sustainability, environmentalism, and climate change, these concerns demand a concerted response, which is achieved by creating an alignment of the interests of stakeholders at the multiple levels of social interaction. This article introduces a peace education model that is effective in addressing and resolving conflicts because it works to integrate the right of individuals and social groups to live in accordance with what they value most with the aims of government to realize the goal that human social action aims to achieve. The peace education model is based on the principles of the classical socio-political and Capability Theories that propose an integrative approach to realizing the human rights of individuals and socio-cultural groups, the development of their capabilities (i.e., human development), and improving their quality of life (i.e., social development) (see Miller, 2022, pp. 1–6 & 10–14). This peace education model is especially effective when working in contexts where individuals and social groups feel that their struggle to exercise their right to self-determination involves a conflictual relationship with their governments (e.g., tribal groups who struggle to realize rights prescribed in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples). Therefore, in addition to addressing the significance of the legal aspects of human rights, an important feature of this approach is its effectiveness in empowering tribal groups to live in accordance with what they value doing and/or being.

The solution involves empowering individuals and social groups “To lead the kind of life they have reason to value” as well as living in accordance with what they believe will enhance their well-being and flourishing (Sen, 1999, p. 87). This model also stresses that it is possible to increase positive social outcomes by employing fundamental principles of political philosophy (e.g., the principle “concordia,” which is a fundamental socio-political concept used to establish stable relations between citizens, social order, solidarity, harmony, goodwill, and sustainable peace, plus, in particular, an approach to governance that reconciles the difference in interests and values between the various social groups of a nation) (Cornwell, 2017, pp. 15–20). Concordia is defined as concord, the agreement between people or groups, accord, to be harmonious with or consistent with, creating a balance between two or more inequalities, and governance that creates harmony (Cicero, 1999, p. 57). In other words, fundamental to political thinking, practice, and philosophy is the idea that a basic function of governance is to establish the common good, which makes peace-building a fundamental aspect of political activity. Peaceful coexistence in fragile contexts occurs when there are common goals, shared values, and agreement to cooperate to implement the factors that result in good governance creating human, social, and sustainable development (International Labor Organization, 2021, p. 9).

According to a World Bank report, peace education is one of the most promising means of social “Reform and transformation because the post-conflict reconstruction environment offers significant opportunities for policy reform and system change, communities and the public at large have high expectations for change and renewal in education” and the established bureaucracies are open to ways of integrating human and social development with strategies for more efficient and effective governance (World Bank, 2005, p. 25). In addition, because the stakeholders include social agents at multiple levels, new and more flexible possibilities for obtaining the resources needed to achieve the goal become available. The peace education approach provides the training needed for social stakeholders to understand how to enact governance processes and activities that operationalize the plans that governments have established for improving the quality of life for all their citizens. However, the training also indicates how the indigenous community’s aim to live in accordance with its cultural heritage, values, and identity and to realize greater self-determination can contribute to the aims of the overall society.

This article focuses on the problems of the indigenous population in the southeast region of Bangladesh. The article argues that the problems can be solved in a way that integrates the micro-level endeavor for greater self-determination with the government’s aim to ensure human development for everyone in Bangladesh. The article uses an exploratory study of relevant literature as a method of analyzing the dynamics of southeast Bangladesh and explains how the classical socio-political approach to human, social, sustainable development, and governance contributes to conflict reduction and peacebuilding. The literature upon which the exploratory study is based serves to document three claims: (1) the prior approach to economic development failed in being effective in satisfying basic human needs and inclusive of a culture’s higher-order values; (2) the peace education approach provides a means of rectifying the problems of the prior development paradigm; (3) the fundamental principles of political philosophy and governance explain the role of peace education in establishing social order, harmony, and sustainable peace. The conceptual data from the exploratory study is then triangulated (in the conclusion) as the basis of developing a conceptual framework for integrating the fundamental principles of peace education, socio-political philosophy, and governance, which results in establishing a complementary connection between the aims of micro-level indigenous social groups and their public authorities. Although the focus is on the southeast of Bangladesh, the article contributes to the literature on conflict resolution and peacebuilding, good governance (i.e., the role of governance in promoting the UN’s agenda for human and social development), interethnic relations, and the right of indigenous cultures to self-determination.

The article proceeds as follows. The second section explains the challenges of the indigenous population in southeast Bangladesh—where there have been persistent and unsolved conflicts over their endeavor to live in accordance with their indigenous cultural identity and heritage while at the same time identifying themselves as Bangladesh nationals who contribute to the human, social, and sustainable development of the nation. The third section explains the peace education model for integrating the endeavors of the micro-level indigenous population with the endeavor of the local and national authorities to comply with the UN’s agendas. In other words, how the pursuit of the indigenous population for self-determination can be reconciled with the interests of the multi-level stakeholders by integrating strategies for good governance with those for a sustainable approach to growth. The fourth section summarizes the article by explaining the connection between political philosophy and the peace education approach; its applicability to the literature on good governance, a peace education approach to co-creating an increase in public value and social capital, and how to integrate the interests of various multi-level stakeholders.

An Overview of the Challenge in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh

“The Chittagong Hill Tracts have rich natural and environmental resources with hills, forests, rivers, and lakes, a diverse flora and fauna, and areas of outstanding scenic beauty” (Rasul, 2016, p. viii). The Chittagong Hill Tracts have a total land area of 13,184 square kilometers (5,089 square miles), which is approximately one-tenth of the total area of Bangladesh. The indigenous tribal cultures of Bangladesh make up about 54% of the current population of the region. The indigenous people of Bangladesh are referred to as ethnic minorities primarily because of the endeavor to maintain their distinctive tribal identity. The region is the home of several indigenous groups who are also collectively known as the “Jummas,” the “Adivasi,” or the “Pahari.” During the earliest stages of the post-war breakaway from India, the indigenous people comprised 97.5% of the total population living in the region. Although there are differences in terms of language, ethnic identity, religious practices, and social organization, what is common is that for the indigenous population as a whole, their relationship with the environment is the source of their identity, socio-cultural practices, religious practices and traditions, and a mythical space that provides a sense of the connection between themselves and the forces shaping the nature of existence. In addition, they all share a common material culture based on a traditional form of subsistence food production called Jum.

There are historical, economic, and political factors that play a role in shaping the relationship between the indigenous peoples, the dominant Bengalis population, and the nation-state. On the one hand, the central issue could be summarized as

Their search for identity; their desire to be recognized as responsible agents whose acts, hopes, and opinions matter; and the demand that their identity be publicly acknowledged. This tension takes a peculiarly severe form [in Southeast Bangladesh] because their distinct sense of self does not seem to fit into the state’s effort to establish a positive instrument for the realization of collective aims (Geertz, 1973, p. 258).

For example, the indigenous cultures of the region feel a lack of respect for their unique identities when they are referred to in terms that imply “the people holding back modernization and development.” One of the common terms used to describe the people of the region is Adivasi. Although this does designate them as having a distinct identity, it is a term widely used in India and Bangladesh to lump all the groups into one category—tribal. Thus, “In Bangladesh the majoritarian framework of nation-building and state formation based on Bengali nationalism has created serious identity issues for the Indigenous Peoples, whose activists and organizations are still struggling for legal recognition” (Uddin, 2019, p. 69).

However, on the other hand, the issue is an example of the problem occurring when newly independent states initiated national plans for transforming traditional practices into more modern, market-oriented approaches to development, which had a detrimental impact on indigenous life, culture, and environments. The problem was heightened because of their endeavor to continue practicing traditional communal approaches to social and economic existence. The problem stems from a perspective on governance, politics, power, and authority that was prevalent with the rise of the modernization economic development theory and more recently with the Neoliberal development theory (Miller, 2019, p. 29). The problem with the prior paradigm can be described as confusing means and ends. In the prior paradigm, the domination of nature and the application of industry and technology toward generating wealth were regarded as the end within itself not as a strategy for improving the well-being of the local people. For the indigenous people of southeast Bangladesh,

Economic prosperity is no more than one of the means to enriching their lives. It is a foundational confusion to give it the status of an end. Secondly, even as a means, merely enhancing average economic opulence can be quite inefficient in the pursuit of the really valuable ends (Sen, 1989, p. 42).

Since commercial and chemical-intensive farming, mono-cropping, and industry were considered the basis of modernization, Jum was regarded as inefficient, hence not fitting into the approach to economic development that was prescribed by international experts. Thus, there were sociocultural disruptions resulting from attempts to replace the traditional subsistence approach to land-use and community-environment relationships with a more commercially profitable and productive approach to land and resource use. In addition, large tracks of land that were previously available to the indigenous peoples to sustain their subsistence lifestyle were subsequently designated as protected state forests, which meant that indigenous practices became illegal. The problems were heightened due to an increase in migrants attempting to enjoy the benefits of the new economic growth schemes, which ended up intensifying conflicts over the rights to, use of, and fair distribution of resources and over fair power distribution (Costanza et al., 2007, p. 268; Redclift, 1993, p. 3; Mirovitskaya & Ascher 2014, p. 1; Wallerstein, 2007, pp. 434–435).

The conflict between what was at that time the established approach to economic development, conflicts resulting from socio-cultural disruptions, and the disruptions felt because of the migrations resulted in the area coming under the control of the national military. However, rather than resolving the problems, the militarized approach to conflict management sparked violence (e.g., with the government forces being accused of rape, torture, and political incarceration—often in collusion with the migrants who were inducted into the Chittagong Hill Tracts by a government-sponsored migration program). A peace accord between the government of Bangladesh and the indigenous people of the Chittagong Hill Tracks was signed in December 1997, but the major provision of recognizing the indigenous status of the people has not been implemented, which results in the relationship between the indigenous people and Bengalis remaining hostile. The question is then how the identity concerns of the indigenous people can be resolved in a way that is compatible with the state’s vision of achieving its collective aim.

The unresolved issues result in the Chittagong Hill Tracts being one of the most prominent conflict-ridden regions in South Asia. The challenges imposed by such conflicts are complex.

The complexity is due to the fact that they persist, they are protracted and intractable, because the nature of such conflicts involves the structural inadequacies of political systems, because they include power confrontations, clashes of interests, and can be rooted in a clash of identity, values, and ethnicity (Miller, 2017, p. 167).

An effective resolution requires the application of a fuller range of strategies for generating settlement, which includes meta-theoretical, integrative, and interdisciplinary approaches (Lederach, 1999, pp. 19–21). A solution to the problems requires recognizing that they are not exclusively created by the indigenous people. There are external factors that are shaping the crisis. If the problem involves external imposition on indigenous populations, it is necessary to address the external factors in order to remove the constraints on them living in accordance with what they aspire most to do and/or be (Yunus, 2005, pp. 1–2).

A Peace Education Approach to Achieving Self-Determination by Integrating Human, Social, and Sustainable Development with Good Governance

There are three reasons why peace education is effective for addressing and resolving problems in the southeast of Bangladesh. First, peace education is effective for achieving the aims of the founding father of Bangladesh, those of the current leadership, and the commitment to ensure the rights of individuals and social groups as promised by the constitution of Bangladesh. In this respect, it must be kept in mind that the principles underlying the political thought of Bangladesh align with those of peace education. Second, peace education is rooted in the fundamental principles of political philosophy and good governance. And third, peace education is an effective strategy for realizing the intention of Bangladesh to achieve the UN aims of human development, improving the quality of life, and sustainability. Thus, peace education offers a new dimension to Bangladesh’s endeavors to establish itself as a republic that ensures human rights, develops its human resources, ensures environmental security, and promotes peacebuilding.

Peace Education Approach to Achieving the Political Aims of Bangladesh

Bangladesh is founded on the conviction that the country’s practice of governance and its social activities will reflect a

Complete allegiance to peace. This allegiance emanates from the realization that only in a peaceful environment will we be able to enjoy the fruits of the hard-earned national independence. So, we welcome all efforts which are aimed at reducing tensions and strengthening peaceful coexistence policies (Rahman, 1974, p. 160).

The current leadership of Bangladesh shares the vision of the founding father. Thus, the current leadership endeavors to establish governance processes that promote human rights, social justice, emancipation, and sustainable peace. The current leadership also shares the commitment to using peace education as a tool for elevating the lives of the people and creating social cohesion. The issue is how to implement an approach to development that fulfills that vision in a way complementary to the interest of the indigenous population.

The leadership of Bangladesh is committed to ensuring the “Protection and development of the unique local culture and tradition of the tribes, minor races, ethnic sects, and communities”—as stated in the constitution of Bangladesh (Article 23A of the Bangladesh constitution). The promotion of this right is in line with protecting freedom of conscience, which is tantamount to free will or the right to act in ways that individuals believe are in their best interest (Article 39 of the Bangladesh constitution). Thus, the challenge is to operationalize the vision of the founding father of Bangladesh by enacting a common aim that is shared by the indigenous people of the region, the majority population of Bangladesh, and the government. One such solution is a method that indicates that the aspirations of the indigenous people are no longer regarded as holding the country back from progress. In other words, peace education is a means of training individuals and social groups in how progressive social and economic development can manifest in the form of social entrepreneurial activities that establish a complimentary connection between the aim of indigenous cultures to develop innovative ways of expressing their sustainability practices and the aim of the public authorities for sustainable social economic growth.

This approach is in line with the vision and aim of Bangladesh’s leadership to reconcile the interests of the micro, regional, and national stakeholders. That is to say, the processes and activities operationalized by the peace education approach (i.e., improving the relationship between the indigenous population and public authorities at every level) result in reversing the notion that the indigenous population is involved in an oppositional relationship with the government. Peace education achieves this by indicating that they both are mutually engaged in a common struggle to resist oppression, domination, gender discrimination, injustice, and a denial of human rights. This means that in this context peace education emphasizes that conflict resolution occurs when the emphasis is shifted away from conflicting interests toward mutually agreed upon sustainability goals. Peace education in the Chittagong Hill Tract is a process of engaging “Conflicting parties in a collaborative process that establishes an agreement to work on achieving goals that contribute to a more effective form of Bangladesh political communication” (Miller et al., 2020, p. 12). Peace education presents a common denominator upon which a consensus may be built regarding how to realize the values envisioned in establishing Bangladesh as a republic—given the nature of the diversity in society.

Peace Education and the Principles of Political Philosophy and Governance

The fundamental principles of political philosophy explain how governance activities and processes promote equal respect, social justice, and lasting peace. The principles state that a failure to establish peace by means of “concordia” results in discord, social fragmentation, and strife. “Thus, the main question for political philosophers is how faction and discord can be avoided and peace secured. Or, in other words, how is a unity between the good of society and the good of its individual citizens, in practice, to be established” (Skinner, 1978, pp. 58 & 59). The answer is that the common good and the rule of peace are based on republican self-government. In a republic, political authority can only be derived from the people. This means that the practices and activities of the elected representatives of the people are only legitimate when based on governance processes that aim to enact the will of the people. A peaceful, stable, and harmonious political association are possible when justice is ensured, and the members of society commit to relating on the basis of the principles upon which the republic was formed. When individuals and social groups are denied the right to pursue what they believe is in their best interest it is tantamount to a violation of the principles of the republic and a violation of human rights. At the very least, in a republic, to maintain peace, decisions about what is best for individuals must be grounded upon public participation and deliberation.

Therefore, a republic is indicative of the types of civic virtue that preserve freedom and liberty, promote human and social development, and reflect the highest values in political life (Skinner, 1978, pp. 54–56). A commitment to such values and principles prompted Bangladesh to decide to establish itself as a republic—to ensure self-rule, the elimination of domination, and to safeguard the right of individual liberty (which means freedom from being under the control of another). Thus, the leaders of Bangladesh were keenly aware that protecting the liberty they prize requires a deep respect for peace and equal rights. Equally important to the struggles of the indigenous people is the fact that Bangladesh’s conception of the republic is based on the ideal of a single-status community. The equal respect envisioned is that of a purely equal status—a citizen of Bangladesh. This idea was popular during the period of the last century when Bangladesh achieved independence. A term used to describe this very popular idea of assimilation was “the melting pot theory” (i.e., to become a part of or like the dominant social group). But subsequently, most social theorists are convinced that it fails to uphold pluralism and, as well, does not demonstrate a willingness to embrace diversity.

Because human beings are political by nature the primary purpose of the state (i.e., of establishing a republic) is to safeguard the human rights (or natural rights) of the members of society by establishing a space in which they exercise their right to live in accordance with their ultimate values and convictions. Governance practices that promote human rights (or natural rights) are, in a way, a natural form of political practice. Therefore, good governance involves activities and processes that enhance the way we live together, practices that safeguard our liberty and peace, and brings out the best in individuals in order to establish the best type of society. In addition, governance reduces conflict and promotes peace-building by means of reconciling what is in the best interest of the individual with what is best for the overall society.

Classical socio-political philosophy in the major centers of civilization is based on an understanding of how the fundamental principles of governance apply to human and social development. In the Far East, this is evident in the influence that the ancient Chinese commitment to self-cultivation and harmony had on Confucius’ idea that there is a connection between the cultivation of the individual, social harmony, and good governance. In South Asia, this is evident in the belief that there is a connection between harmony with the forces shaping the natural order, self-actualization, and social development (this idea is connected with the concept of Dharma, which also has influenced Southeast Asia). In the West, this played a role in the transition from natural philosophy (or what is referred to as Frist Principles—a study of the laws of nature, the forces shaping the natural order, or the forces shaping the nature of existence) to a study of how the First Principles apply to human activity, social action, ethics, and political philosophy (Plato, 2005, pp. 331–347). In fact, classical socio-political philosophy proposes that governance involves developing the capabilities of individuals so that they give their best to contribute to developing the best society possible. Ultimately, it evolved into the idea that in a republic governance organizes the type of social activities and relations that lend to achieving the ideals upon which political philosophy is based—for example, social cohesion and stability, prosperity, perpetual peace, and achieving the highest good humanly possible by organized social action.

In this respect, an important aspect of endeavors to promote peace education, as an approach to reducing conflict and promoting peacebuilding, is an exploration of the relationship between classical socio-political philosophy, prescriptions for peace, and those of good governance. Thus, the primary task of those who are committed to republicanism and good governance is to understand the principles upon which peace education is based (Galtung 1981, p. 183). Peace education can be seen as a tool for creating an ideal social and political order, which harmonizes the ideals of tradition with those of the aim to promote human development and improve the quality of life. In fact, underlying the leadership of Bangladesh’s pursuit of peace has always been an understanding of the connection between peace education and good governance. Bangladesh’s principles of governance are aimed at regulating the organization of society and the relationship between the public and the government.

Thus, a peace education approach to addressing and resolving the problems in the southeast of Bangladesh promotes the shared value of equal respect for all others and establishing order and harmony, healing, and reconciliation by adhering to the principles upon which the republic was founded. Peace education achieves this by promoting “Activities aimed at sensitizing society to inequities; fostering an understanding of and building skills of advocacy, conflict resolution, pluralism, and inclusiveness; and promoting healing and reconciliation” (Abu-Nimer & Kadayifci-Orellana, 2008, p. 559). The peace education approach establishes a means of fulfilling the aims of the indigenous people but in a way that makes Bangladesh a model of fulfilling the UN’s Human Development Agenda, the UN’s aims for improving quality of life, and for realizing the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Consequently, the development, social justice, and peace the people of Bangladesh hope for

Are intrinsically linked to education. Peace is not just the absence of hostility. It demands living in harmony with others in the community and society and a tolerance of diversity. Peace education is vitally important in this respect because it teaches the art, skill, and method of a peaceful resolution of conflicts (Harun-or-Rashid, 2019).

Therefore, nothing is more vital to the type of growth that Bangladeshis are hoping for all its people than peace education.

Peace Education and the Intention of Bangladesh to Achieve the Aims of the UN

As was specified in the Earth Charter (2000), realizing the sustainability goals of respect for nature, universal human rights, and economic justice requires integrating the principles and values of two approaches to social transformation and economic growth: education for sustainable peace and education for sustainable development. Both peace and sustainability education emphasizes teaching the connection between human development, social development, governance, and what is involved in living in harmony with the forces shaping the natural order (i.e., living in accordance with the laws of nature, natural law, and with the forces shaping the nature of existence) thus teaching the connection between citizenship education and the good life. Peace education not only applies to what students learn in the classroom that trains them to achieve what they aspire to and to make a beneficial contribution to their community and society. Peace education, particularly in the context of Bangladesh and the Chittagong Hill Tracts, is a greater process that extends far beyond formal education. Peace education is a means whereby individuals gain knowledge of how their relationship with the members of their community and society, with the environment, and with their public authorities operationalizes a time-tested approach to sustainable social and economic development.

To achieve the type of transformative change that is in line with both the UN’s goals and those of Bangladesh, careful consideration must be given to understanding the constraints and opportunities imposed by the ethnic and cultural distinctiveness of southeastern Bangladesh and of the hill and mountain context of the southeast region. This is to say, “The successful implementation of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals will require special focus, and context specific approaches” (Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, 2016, p. v). Despite the challenges, the Bangladesh leadership is committed to ensuring timely achievement while promoting social harmony and sustainable peace. The leadership of Bangladesh is in full support of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal number 16, “Promoting peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, providing access to justice for all, and building effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels.” In this respect, peace education also involves a process of determining how to establish a complementary link between the cultural identity, heritage, traditions, and values of the tribal group of the southeast region and the aims of the overall society for a better quality of life and increased prosperity. Peace education contributes to both a positive peace and a sustainable peace in that it trains social stakeholders in how to implement state-of-the-art factors for increasing public value, improving the effectiveness and efficiency of public administration, and instituting governance practices that balance human, social, and sustainable development. In addition, integrating the national strategies with those of the local people establishes a Constructivist-type means of remedying problems caused by the prior approach to development. A Constructivist approach to social formation is a process for engaging in collaborative processes for generating mutually beneficial and satisfactory solutions to common problems.

The traditional ecological knowledge of the tribal cultures of the Chittagong Hill Tracts—that has proven for centuries to be successful as a model of sustainability—could be a viable basis for establishing an effective approach to social and economic growth in the region as well as greater cooperation with national and international agendas.

Such knowledge is often intimately tied to local social organization, economic goals, religious beliefs, aesthetics, ritual observances, and material culture. In addition, to resource appropriation and management, environmental impacts, variety and distribution of natural species, the structure and functioning of biotic communities and long-term landscape modifications (UNESCO, 2009, p. 40).

In fact, indigenous cultures are structured to maximize the benefits and enjoyment individual members of the social group experience in their relationships with each other and with the environment. It is in this respect that sustainability is an aspect of their culture and economic practices that models a preferable way to shape the future. The problem is that in a nation-state the practices should also contribute to the wider value chain, which could be regional, national, and international. However, keep in mind that the operative word here is “value.” The concept of value chain supersedes the former term “supply chain,” which was more prevalent during the prior economic development paradigm. Value is intentionally used to denote what enriches and elevates the human experience, what contributes to holistic well-being, and what increases social flourishing—which includes wealth generation. Thus, establishing a progressive model of sustainability in the Bangladesh context is a matter of collaborating to determine how its inherent sustainability knowledge (i.e., its inherent indigenous knowledge) can contribute value to local, regional, national, and possibly international stakeholders.

By embracing its indigenous knowledge Bangladesh has the potential to become a model of a futuristic approach to improving its social and economic conditions. In other words, Bangladesh has the potential of establishing a unique futuristic model of growth that balances material prosperity with harmonious and beneficial nature-human interactions, and a model of a harmonious blend of human artifacts and nature. This approach to integrating human and social development with good governance and sustainability is a model of growth that connects indigenous peoples with their cultural values, identity, and heritage and establishes Bangladesh as the model of eco-leadership. It is in this respect that peace education demonstrates a model for not only improving the quality of life in material terms but as well in terms of sustainable value that enriches the human experience.

In this way, Bangladesh authorities and economists partner with indigenous peoples to co-create constructively disruptive sustainability-type innovations that provide social economic benefit by converting imperfections in performance and practice into wealth-generating opportunities. The social entrepreneurial and sustainability-type innovations will have positive social, economic, and environmental benefits, will increase partnership between the authorities and the indigenous population, and improve the image of the indigenous community in the eyes of the overall population. Such an approach represents a progressive step forward for the overall social economic system. Bangladesh would then be implementing a peace education strategy for integrating the interests of the stakeholders at various levels in order to co-create the sustainability features of the same ecosystem that their social economic flourishing is dependent on. Consequently, the stakeholders will be planning the type of value transformation that will sustain the well-being and prosperity of their overall social economic system (The World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987, p. 51).

Specialists in peace education point out, as was stressed by Adam Smith himself, that An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations reveals that there is a causal relationship between wealth generation, peace, and creating the type of value that reflects harmony with the natural order (Smith, 1976, pp. 181 & 456; also see Smith, 1984, pp. 36 & 166; Risse, 2002, p. 338; Miller, 2015, p. 14). In other words, peace education provides a new basis for considering the potential value that can be generated from the Chittagong Hill Tracts and its importance as a contribution to multi-level value chains and the knowledge needed for shaping a sustainable global future. The fundamental principles of economics concur with the peace education claim that values (e.g., in terms of the values reflected in indigenous knowledge, culture, and respect for social economic activity in accordance with the forces shaping the natural order) can become a tremendous source of innovation and social entrepreneurship in the sustainability era (Schumpeter, 1997, pp. 422 & 812). Peace education, in this respect, fosters establishing a better connection between the various segments of the Bangladesh community and between Bangladeshi people and the natural world. Peace education proposes that indigenous knowledge has the potential to shape the future of the region into a harmonious blend of nature, people, and sustainability innovations. Thus, peace education provides knowledge of how to transform unsustainable social and economic conditions into practices that upgrade both the eco-aesthetic features and social-economic conditions of the society.

Conclusion: A Framework for Improving Human and Social Conditions

“Concordia receives the cords of harmony from the scales of Justice and hands them to the citizen-representatives, who in turn deliver them to the people, a process which forms the embodiment of the idea of good government” (Jansen, 2018, p. 204).

This article emphasizes the political philosophical claim that the principles of governance are the basis of establishing a society where individuals enjoy the good life. The fundamental conceptualizations of political philosophy assert that this involves structuring/ordering a social system in such a way that there is improvement in the quality of life. In this respect political philosophy is concerned with the norms or principles that establish and justify societies, determine the rights and responsibilities of society, and how to apply the principles in ways that ensure social justice, human rights, and liberty. “All political action has then in itself a directedness towards knowledge of the good: of the good life, or the good society. For the good society is the complete political good” (Strauss 1957, p. 343). Thus, the standard for political action is goodness, justice, well-being, and peace. This good is an ethical good, which implies that this moral or ethical good should motivate our actions, interactions, our relationship with others, and the social goal we aim to achieve. It is by applying this standard to social action that we achieve the highest good possible by social action and the happiness of the individual members of society (Aristotle, 1998, pp. 192–193; Cicero, 2004, pp. 38–43 & 83–86; Confucius, 2005, p. l2).

In addition, the article describes governance as processes and activities for enacting the public will and establishing a well-ordered, peaceful, and flourishing society. Adherence to the fundamental principles is the basis of achieving the ideals prescribed in the principles of socio-political philosophy. This makes the responsibility of social authorities the promotion of well-being, freedom, and achieving humanity’s highest good (Ibn Ashur, 2006, pp. 92–98). When this knowledge of the good is put into practice in the form of governance processes it produces an increase in public value and social capital. Thus, this article emphasizes a type of knowledge that is associated with exercising a certain type of power. Such knowledge involves the power to effectively manage the diversity of motivations, interests, narratives, and values at play within society. Such knowledge is essential when society is confronted with the challenge of formulating a collective response to such challenges as environmental crises, climate change, resource depletion, and cross-border social activity and movements—which cannot be managed effectively by individual actions, and, in fact, individual self-interest is often the root of the problem that results in collective harm.

One of the main points of the article is that fundamental to the principles of political philosophy is an explanation of how to establish both peace and peaceful coexistence. Peace is emphasized as the basic principle that shapes interactions, the way we communicate with the members of society, and a basic principle of pedagogy. Peace education is important because it provides a state-of-the-art account of how to co-create the elevation of the individual and society. Peace education explains a way in which governance activities and processes align the interests of micro-level stakeholders with those of the greater public and with public authorities. By making the aim of peace and peaceful coexistence an important aspect of pedagogy and the basis of strategies for both human and social development, we can thwart socially destructive conditions that could otherwise beset society. Peace is a constitutive ethic which means by basing social interactions and communications on the basis of such principles, the positive benefits we hope for are realized. Thus, it is from the fundamental principles of political philosophy that we get the concepts of “public peace,” “perpetual peace,” and “supreme concord.” That is to say that the constitutive impact of the peace ethic ensures the human right of individuals and social groups to realize the things they aspire to and to develop their full potential.

However, the main point of the article is to explain the significance of peace education as a means of integrating the fundamental principles of human, social, and sustainable development with those of governance. In fact, this conviction shapes the UN’s vision of achieving its Sustainable Development Goals and Improving the Quality of Life. “While a long tradition of philosophical thought addressed the issue of what gives life its quality, recent research suggests that improved quality of life occurs from governance activities and processes that create human and social development” (Stiglitz et al., 2009, p. 41). The article explains that governance activities aimed at elevating individual and social experience contribute to achieving the highest good humanly possible (i.e., the good life, perpetual peace, and living in harmony with the laws of nature—the basis of sustainability, natural law, and living in accordance with the forces shaping the natural order). In this respect, peace education becomes a means of establishing positive peace. Positive peace involves co-creating the social and economic conditions necessary for the individuals and social groups of society to live in accordance with what they value most.