ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the context of peace-building and reconciliation after war, the importance of intercultural competence, and the role of universities in developing intercultural competencies as a way of building trust and promoting peace and reconciliation among divided communities. Higher education institutions need to be supported and enabled to 'promote the informed and peaceful confrontation of ideas, crucial to academic study and research, but also to deepening democratic governance and building peace'. The chapter also explores how higher education institutions can facilitate intercultural dialogue among diverse groups on campuses and in broader communities, in order to intentionally build intercultural competence among current and next generations. In addition to intercultural and conflict competencies, reconciliation competence often addressed through peace education becomes crucial to address. Reconciliation competence starts with forgiveness. Some intercultural competence tools can help educators work with students in post-conflict settings in processing divergent narratives and traumatic recent history.
