Building a Culture of Peace Through Education

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Building a Culture of Peace Through Education
Dialogue

• Integrating
• Peace education
• Conflict resolution
• Interfaith dialogue
• into curricular complementary programs/projects
  in the ELCJHL Schools Educational Programs

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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan the
Holy Land (ELCJHL) Educational Ministry over 150
years of mission

• The Schools (Teaching /Learning English Begins in
  KG3)

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• The Programs
• The KG in Jerusalem (20 Boys Girls)
• The Martin Luther Community Development Center
  (MLCDC) in Jerusalem (serves 40-60 people daily)
• The Environmental Education Center (EEC) in
  Beit-Jala (serves 4000-5000 people annually)
• The Boarding Home (BH) for Boys in Beit-Jala
  (30-35 boys about 6 to 18 years of age)

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• Education in Palestine (not including Gaza Strip)
  
• 10 are Private Schools (predominantly Church
  owned and run)
• 12 United Nations Schools
• 78 Public Schools
• Most of these schools are not coeducational
• Total student Body is 654,217 (1,097,957 with
  Gaza)
• (Ministry of education)-http//www.moe.gov.ps

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ELCJHL Educational Ministry

• Assessment
• Strategic Plan
• Action Plan
• Started in early 2005
• All Stakeholders were Involved
• The process was as important as the outcome

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The Strategic Plans Long Term Goals

• G1. To develop wholesome, creative, and
  innovative students in an ever-changing world
• G2. To integrate peace values, reinforce
  democracy, and encourage respect for others
• G3. To promote communication and cooperation with
  the schools and local and international groups
• G4. To mold and reinforce Palestinian and
  Christian identity
• G5. To provide quality education through
  innovative methods
• G6. To create a healthy and stimulating
  school environment
• G7. To provide for students individual
  differences and special needs
• G8. To reinforce and support the role of women in
  Palestinian society
• G9. To practice financial responsibility
• This plan is our main TOOL/GUIDE for building a
  culture of peace in the ELCJHL Schools.
• This is reflected mostly in Goals 2, 3 4.

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Some Examples of related Goals Objectives
(sub-Goals)

• G2 To integrate peace values, reinforce
  democracy, and encourage respect for others
• G201 To reinforce the concept of students as
  persons
• worthy of respect and responsible for
  their individual
• actions.
• G202 To learn and practice group democratic
  processes.
• G203 To emphasize and encourage Lutheran
  Schools
• Core Values and openness to other cultures.
• G204 To help create a national vision that
  supports the
• principles of constructive dialogue.
• G205 To equip teachers and students with
• the necessary skills that will help them in
  
• conflict resolution.

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G3 To promote communication and cooperation with
the schools and local and international groups

• G301 To develop and strengthen the communication
  process inside each school/program
• G308 To seize and utilize all opportunities that
  allow students to demonstrate their skills,
  talents and abilities
• G309 To support and encourage communication and
  cultural/educational exchange through
  international school twinning programs

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G4 To mold and reinforce Palestinian and
Christian identity

• G401 To develop a curriculum framework that
  supports and strengthens Palestinian identity
• G403 To clarify and emphasize the role of
  Palestinian Christians in the development and
  advancement of Palestinian communities
• G404 To support and strengthen
  Islamic-Christian-Jewish relationships

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Examples of Some Relevant Activities/Projects
Related to Goals 2, 3 4

• G202A1 To provide instruction and supervised
  practice in democratic problem solving and
  discussion techniques in student council, parent
  council, and faculty meetings.
• G202A2 To emphasize human rights international
  documents, citizen responsibilities in a
  democracy, comparison of various democratic
  constitutions and institutions in the social
  studies and other curricula.
• G203A1 To implement joint Christian-Islamic
  Religion classes twice each month .

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• G203A2 Provide through social studies curriculum
  and available community resources supplementary
  study units and presentations that discuss and
  evaluate cultural differences that include the
  influences of religion, materialism, technology,
  and ethnic differences in Palestine and other
  countries.
• G203A3 Initiate and maintain international
  contacts for students through pen-pal programs,
  hosting visits, exchange visits, and class
  projects with overseas sponsors and contacts.
• G205A1 Hold annual workshops for training
  teachers students on principals and techniques
  of conflict resolution.
• G205A2 The social studies curriculum will
  include strategies on age appropriate techniques
  for teaching conflict resolution to grades 8-10.

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• G301A1 Utilize morning assembles to communicate
  and demonstrate core principles of constructive
  dialogue, peace culture, conflict
  resolution/management
• G308A1 Students will be offered instruction and
  supervised training to organize and lead Student
  Council meetings, public events, school tours,
  exhibitions, concerts, sports events/programs
  etc.
• G309A2 Administration and also Language Teachers
  will organize twinning, correspondence, and
  exchange programs with international schools.

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• G404A1 The religious education curriculum will
  provide bi-monthly joint religion classes for
  Christian and Muslim students in grades 1-12.
• G404A3 Organize summer camps, workshops,
  seminars, organized discussion sessions through
  AEI for upper grade students and teachers twice
  per semester with the theme Respecting
  Differences and Living in the Holy Land.

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Some Specific Examples Related to Peace
Education, Conflict Resolution, Interfaith
Dialogue

• The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Project
• Israeli, Jordanian Palestinian participation
  including Gaza Strip
• Overall objective is to generate an understanding
  of the history of democracy in the Middle East
  and to develop an approach for peaceful relations
  among the inhabitants.
• Specific objective is to establish educational
  tools and mechanisms on peace culture/education
• Some Bethlehem Lutheran School teachers are
  involved in this program which began two
• years ago.

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More on Specific Examples Related to Peace
Education, Conflict Resolution, Interfaith
Dialogue

• The NIR School Project sponsored by Perez Peace
  Center and MEDINOLA a Palestinian NGO.
• - Israeli, Jordanian Palestinian
  Participation.
• Overall objective is to bring Israeli, Jordanian
  and Palestinian Students together.
• The program involves helping the participants
  learn about the human heart.

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• The participants share lodging, meals , and
  participate together in various Social, Sports,
  Cultural and other activities and events.
• The Lutheran Schools have been participating in
  this project for at least 4 years.

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More on Specific Examples Related to Peace
Education, Conflict Resolution, Interfaith
Dialogue

• The Love Thy Neighbor Project sponsored by the
  American NGO Love Thy Neighbor
• School kids from the Lutheran School of Hope in
• Ramallah grades 4, 5 and 10 are involved.
• The project started in 2007
• and is ongoing through Summer Camps.
• Overall objective is to promote non-violence
• through conflict resolution, dialogue, team
  work,
• leadership skills training

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More on Specific Examples Related to Peace
Education, Conflict Resolution, Interfaith
Dialogue

• The Peace Through Sports Project sponsored by
  International Sports Leagues
• Overall objective is to bring unity to
  communities
• in conflict.
• The concept is to make change through sports with
• emphasis on respecting and accepting
  differences,
• justice equality, respecting rules,
  self control,
• communication skills, team spirit,
  integrity, democracy
• all important ingredients for dialogue and
  peace.
• This is an ongoing project.
• 7 countries are involved with Christian Muslim
• participants.

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The Challenges

• Israeli Military Incursions, Closures, and
  Threats of Violence.
• B. The Separation Wall Loss of Income.

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• C. Loss of Access to Cultural, Religious, and
  Educational Opportunities.
• D. Illegal Israeli Settlements, Loss of Land,
  and Loss of Water Resources.

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• E. Lack of Access to Palestinian Lands and to
  Israeli Settler Only Roads.
• F. Palestinian Home Demolitions.

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• G. Some Behavioral Disturbances Due to the
  Prevailing Situation
• Depression - Insomnia -Bedwetting
• Nightmares - Phobias - Separation
  Anxiety
• Inability to concentrate..

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Students Art Work Tells the Effects of Life on
Palestinian Children
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Meeting the challenges

• Closures, Blockades, Strikes, Separation Wall
• Communication channels between staff and
  students while at home (distance learning)
• Training staff to handle technical requirements
• Challenging Curfews

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Meeting the challenges (continued.)

• Financial Crisis
• Tighter School budgets applied.
• No replacements for retiring and/or resigning
  staff made.
• Salary raise freeze for 4 consecutive years (2004
  2007) applied.
• Seeking new partners/supporters.
• Strategic Planning and Restructuring carried out
  to help cope with crisis.
• Raise tuition fees and increase subsidies for
  poorer students to help raise local income
  generation.

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Meeting the challenges (continued.)

• Stress, Trauma Violence
• To help students cope with trauma stress
• Structured complementary programs in sports, art,
  music, and other areas are integrated into the
  schools programs.

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• Hiring Social workers to help deal with trauma.
• Improving teachers knowledge and skills through
  relevant in-service training.
• Applying Values education in daily morning
  assembles and in the classroom.

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• Implementing Christian-Muslim dialogue in the
  classroom and Christian-Muslim-Jewish dialogue
  through varied activities and projects outside
  the classroom
• Encouraging student confidence, creativity,
  talent and interests.
• Educating for environmental awareness.

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Classroom Based Intervention project (CBI)

• - A program where experts trained local staff to
  introduce therapeutic classroom and outdoors
  activities that deal with trauma
• - Program sponsored by Save the Children an
  international NGO
• - Program applied in 2005 and 2006

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Help the children of Palestine to build Windows
of Hope through Walls of Separation
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Palestine needs Peace not Walls

• So pray and work for the peace of Jerusalem and
  the Holy Land, and for the Freedom and Justice of
  all Gods people.

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• Learn more about the ELCJHL Educational Ministry
• website www.elcjhl.org
• Or email
• Dr. Charlie D. Haddad
• ELCJHL Director of Education
• email chaddad_at_elcjhl.org