The hope industrial complex: resisting manufactured and false hope with critical hope in peace education, Thailand's refugee context

Abstract

Our Point of Departure (POD) argues that the type of hope fostered within the Karen refugee community in Thailand–manufactured, false, or critical–shapes the impact of peace-building and higher education efforts. Through a dialogue among a Karen scholar, his supervisor, and a migration researcher, we demonstrate that manufactured hope, often driven by external aid, sustains dependency and overlooks core conflicts. In contrast, false hope arises from the gap between student desires and institutional barriers, leading to unmet expectations. We aim to show that by applying critical hope, the pedagogical approach enables the Karen community to enhance its capacity, develop its own educational solutions, and engage as partners, ultimately positioning them to lead peace-building efforts grounded in their expertise and needs. Our POD thus highlights how centering affected communities in educational refugee policy and peace-building leads to more sustainable, community-driven outcomes. (Figure presented.) (Figure presented.) (Figure presented.).