The unbearable lightness of being implicated in conflict-affected societies: can teachers do anything about it?

Purpose: In this reflective essay, the authors explore how thinking with the notions of implication and complicity may encourage or hinder efforts to engage teachers in problematizing victim-perpetrator binaries in conflict-affected societies. Design/methodology/approach: This reflective essay draws on lessons learned from the authors’ long-time work with teachers in Cyprus and Israel. The authors suggest that the concept of implication provides a productive framework for thinking about teachers’ professional responsibilities in more complex and nuanced ways. Findings: The reflections of the two authors highlight the challenges and possibilities of overcoming essentialist categories of “victims” and “perpetrators” in conflict-affected societies. Originality/value: This essay shows the (im)possibilities of transforming the prevailing binaries in communities experiencing political conflict.