| Abstract
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This dissertation introduces the human security variable into the study of peace education NGOs working within intractable, asymmetric conflicts. Since the end of the Cold War, the nature of conflict, the concept of security, and the approaches to peace processes have changed. With these changes, civil society---particularly international and local non-governmental organizations (NGOs)---have become increasingly prominent actors in promoting peace and security in conflicts around the world. As their roles have evolved, so too has the academic and practitioner interest in analyzing and understanding the effect of these NGOs on peace processes. Though studies already exist on civil society's role in peacemaking, less analysis exists on how peace education NGOs in particular may enhance not only peace, but also security---especially human security---in conflict contexts. Because peace education NGOs have direct access to the next generation, the future, they play a vital role in preparing the grassroots-level towards peace. The purpose of this dissertation is to identify the most significant external (contextual) and internal (organizational) obstacles to these peace education NGOs working within intractable conflicts, along with the ways in which these obstacles can be overcome. This comparative case study research focuses on two peace education NGOs---Seeds of Peace and Israel-Palestine Center for Research and Information (IPCRI)---that worked in Israel-Palestine throughout the Al-Aqsa Intifada years of 2000 to 2004. The study contextualizes the analyses of these organizations against the backdrop of 98 open-ended, in-depth interviews with officials from across the sectors of government, military, NGOs, and academia, as well as 34 follow-up surveys with the Seeds of Peace and IPCRI practitioners specifically. Three primary lessons on the most significant obstacles to peace education NGOs are derived from these findings for organizations working in similar conflict contexts: (1) Focus at the uni-national level in the short-term, then progress to the bi-national level if/when possible; (2) Move away from the term "peace education" in the creative re-framing and marketing of these NGOs; (3) Understand that the "peace education---human security linkage" will take time and must be the composite result of efforts from multiple sectors rather than the exclusive result of a pioneering peace education sector.
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