KAS/EU Project on Civic Education

Detailed information about the EU co-funded project "Utilizing Middle Eastern Civic Education as a Leverage for Peace" which is implemented by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung's Israel Office together with its partners in Israel, the Palestinian Autonomous Territories and Jordan can be found on the project's webpage. See below for a short abstract of the program's rationale.

EU-Partnership for Peace Program:
"Utilizing Middle Eastern Civic Education as a Leverage for Peace"

THE BACKGROUND
Civic education has always had an impact on the students' attitudes and behavior: The knowledge transfer of democratic values and the promotion of non-violent conflict resolution tools are leading to a higher political participation and more moderate positions among the participants of such programs. Therefore Civic Education is one of the main tools in conflict resolution in multi-ethnic and multicultural societies.

Following many years of peace-talks the Middle East is still struggling with considerable cultural and religious conflicts. In order to interrupt the spiral of violence it is imperative to promote better relations between Arab and Israeli societies. The most challenging part of this conflict transformation process is the establishment of a sustainable foundation for mutual trust. Therefore the impartment of democratic values through civic education will help to prepare the ground for an eventual re-launching of the peace process.

THE PARTNERS
The project will be implemented by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, who will act as coordinator, and three local partners from Israel, the Palestinian Autonomous Territories (representing Gaza Strip and West Bank) and Jordan, reflecting and addressing the complex situation in these countries and regions:

• Shaar Hanegev High School, Israel
  
• Palestinian House for Professional Solutions (HPS), Palestinian Autonomous Territories
  
• Amman Center for Peace and Development (ACPD), Jordan
  

OBJECTIVES
The overall objective to which the project shall contribute is to introduce civic education and to generate an understanding of the history of democracy in the Middle East among the local populations and to develop the ground for an approach towards peaceful relations between them.

The specific objective is to establish educational tools and mechanisms on peace education through 15 schools in Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Autonomous Territories and to build up a network and initiate a dialogue ensuring the sustainability of these tools and mechanisms.

BENEFICIARIES
Those living under conditions of ongoing conflict become used to particular ways of thinking, to attitudes and patterns of behavior deriving from a situation characterized by violence and distrust. The project intends to prepare the ground for social change, namely a change in awareness and thought patterns which will prompt change in the behavior of individuals; a structural change which will realize the vision of an egalitarian and just society which accepts the "other". The strategic approach is bottom-up and focuses on students' daily lives, their families, neighborhoods, and social environment. The program on civic education will be implemented by qualified and experienced teachers who will act as multipliers to support the young generation on its way to becoming "Active Citizens".

The main direct beneficiaries are trainers, school teachers and students who will be directly involved in the project action. Indirect beneficiaries - benefiting from the output of the project activities without actively taking part - are other schools and their teachers as well as parents who will be invited to take part in the school discussions.

ACTIVITIES AND INTENDED RESULTS
Together with its three partners from Israel, the Palestinian Autonomous Territories and Jordan the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung will train 88 teachers from 15 different schools in the three countries on a specified program on civic education and provide them with the tools to communicate through classroom programs their knowledge to their students. Furthermore the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung will organize and coordinate Get-Together and Action Plan Workshops with selected students from respective schools.
At the end of the two years the project intends to establish a comprehensive education program on peace and tolerance that should be implemented into the curricula of the selected schools in Israel, the Palestinian Autonomous Territories and Jordan and to widely spread the developed tools and mechanisms for peace education throughout the region. In addition an intercultural exchange on tolerance and peace between the students of the selected schools will be initiated and supported.