June 2004
Vol. X, No. 2

Workshop held for Middle East Children's Association

Jeff Helsing and Pamela Aall, both of the Institute's Education Program, delivered a workshop for the Middle East Children's Association, a network of teachers from Palestine and Israel, on the experiences of teachers in other zones of conflict in developing learning materials to promote peace and tolerance. The workshop was held in Cyprus in late November and drew more than thirty teachers from Israel and Palestine. "We wanted to get them to think beyond their own conflict," said Aall, "and to help spur new ideas by showing them what other teachers in similar situations have developed."

To achieve that, the workshop brought in educators from Northern Ireland, Macedonia, and Kenya to address a core set of questions:

• How did they and their colleagues develop learning materials appropriate for many subject areas that incorporated concepts of peace, tolerance, and human rights?
• In doing so, what has worked best?
• What do students find most relevant and interesting?
• What teaching methods have proven most successful?
• What role did educational authorities play, or what obstacles did they present?

In addition, the workshop sought to help participants develop their facilitation skills as team leaders dealing with difficult issues. How could they best work to achieve the goals of their binational group, given the context of conflict between the two communities?

"The participants were definitely more open to us because we were outsiders," said Aall. "Above all, the workshop provided people who are terribly frustrated with something to do and something to be hopeful about. It was beneficial to renew the momentum of the organization and renew the spirit of cooperation."

Ironically, for a meeting that was designed to try to transcend immediate political realities, it almost didn't happen at all. "The Palestinian coordinator was stopped at the Jordanian border," said Aall. "It took considerable diplomatic efforts on the part of the U.S. embassy and others to allow him to cross the border."

Other Institute Resources:

• Macedonia: Understanding History, Preventing Future Conflict (Related Special Report)