Facilitated Myriam Darmoni Sharvit, Head of Civics, Civil Education, Joint Living and Social Education, and Mazen Faraj, facilitator.
This workshop provided a taste of how Jewish and Arab schools study together, using the narrative approach and drawing upon Gordon Allport‘s four conditions: equal status, institutional support, common goals, and ongoing close contact. This model was developed in Northern Ireland in an attempt to overcome the turbulent, violent history between the Catholic and Protestant communities. It has has been adapted locally, and continues to be adapted according to need. For example, in Jerusalem the training includes teachers from different sectors becoming closely acquainted (Arab, public religious, public, and ultra-Orthodox), which leads to a deeper understanding of identities, majority-minority relations, and inequality. The training provides teaches with practical, pedagogical tools for getting to know various groups in such a complex city, and coping with extreme and racist views, if/when raised by students. The training also introduces the teachers to the Irish model for joint studies, and helps them tailor the model to fit their school and partners’ needs.
