From October 1 to 3, 2026, the Konjic Education Forum (KOF 2026) was held in Konjic, Bosnia and Herzegovina, organized by the Step by Step Center for Educational Initiatives. The Forum brought together more than 170 education professionals from Bosnia and Herzegovina and the wider region.
This year’s Forum focused on peace education and the role of schools in building a culture of peace. The programme centered on questions of how schools can become safe and inclusive spaces where dialogue, nonviolent communication, critical thinking, and mutual respect can flourish. The organizers envisioned the Forum as a kind of “third space” where teachers, education professionals, faculties, pedagogical institutes, and educational institutions can engage in dialogue as equal colleagues and jointly reflect on the future of education.
Among the participants and presenters was Helena de Karina, a collaborator at the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, who, together with Dr. Karin Doolan, led the workshop The Political Novel as a Tool for Critical Pedagogy? During the workshop, the results of the CAPONEU project, Mapping the Political Novel in Europe, were presented and connected with the educational practices of the workshop participants.
An important part of this year’s Forum was also the presentation of publications designed to provide direct support to teachers: the handbook The Joy of Discovery, based on action research in teaching, and Peace Education – A Compendium of Teaching Practices, which brings together concrete teaching examples aimed at fostering a culture of peace, dialogue, and cooperation in the classroom and the wider school community.
