The project was implemented in collaboration with the following partners:

• Aegis Trust
• DOTSOFT S.A.
• Kigali Collaborative Research Centre (KCRC)
• King’s College London (KCL)
• Makerere University
• Leiden University
• Ushahidi

ISOOKO (which means “source” in Kinyarwanda) explores the potential of digital technologies to support peace education. The research focuses on how digital tools can support and complement peace education initiatives in Rwanda and Kenya.

In societies that have experienced civil conflict, there is an increased risk of recurrence if the underlying causes, such as social divisions, ideological conflicts, and feelings of hostility, are not addressed. Peace education contributes to the development of knowledge, skills, and attitudes that help prevent conflict, resolve disputes peacefully, and create conditions for social cohesion.

Digital technologies provide new opportunities for access to knowledge, active participation, and the creation of spaces for dialogue between communities. At the same time, they can support the development and application of skills related to peace education.

The project examines the use of digital technologies in two different contexts:

• In Rwanda, within the framework of reconciliation and reconstruction processes following the 1994 genocide.
• In Kenya, in relation to episodes of violence following electoral processes and the subsequent reconciliation efforts.

Within the project, digital technologies that support peace education activities are developed and tested in collaboration with the project partners. Through participatory design methods, the project seeks to understand how these technologies can be integrated into different social and cultural contexts.

The project is structured around three main pillars:

• ISOOKO as a Repository: Development of a repository for recording and analysing the use of existing digital technologies, with the aim of identifying findings and best practices for peace education.
• ISOOKO as a Platform: Development of a platform that supports peace education activities and testing of the platform in different scenarios in Rwanda and Kenya.
• ISOOKO as a Process: Focus on the methodology and process for developing and evaluating the digital tools used within the project.

ISOOKO was a collaboration between international partners and was implemented during the period 2018–2020.