2017 conference discussions

Facilitated by Haneen Hussein and Guy Aloni, history teachers at the school. Two teachers, two narratives, one class. Participants experienced a sample history lesson, in which 9th grade students learn about the “other’s” historical narrative. The facilitators demonstrated how narrative thinking can be a tool for analyzing reality and addressing conflict, by learning about other viewpoints and coming to accept that reality is too complex for there to be an absolute truth. By breaking down the dichotomies of good vs. bad and us vs. them, participants learn to feel empathy and respect towards the “other.” All school activities are rooted in language equality – beyond facilitating communication, bilingualism allows individuals to express their own culture. The school places Hebrew and […]

Narratives in Teaching History

 in 2017 conference discussions / Dialogue Workshops in the Field of Education by
Facilitated by Sarah Kala-Meir, CEO, and Nadav Schwartz, Community and Educational Coordinator. For two decades, the Jerusalem Open House (JOH) has been serving the city’s LGBT community and its allies, offering services such as education, social and medical services, youth and teen groups, and various community events, including the Pride and Tolerance Parade. The JOH aspires to foster open and deep discourse and cooperative ventures with the city’s various sectors, cultures, and religions that share the vision of acceptance and peaceful coexistence. To this end, the JOH works with various other groups and governmental agencies. The workshop comprised tolerance training that the JOH conducts in schools and other educational institutions throughout the city. What conflicts emerge between the staff and […]

Teaching Tolerance

 in 2017 conference discussions / Dialogue Workshops in the Field of Education by
Associate Professor Maria Hadjipavlou Gender and Conflict: The Cypriot Experience (English) Associate Professor Maria Hadjipavlou teaches at the University of Cyprus, and is a world-renown expert in the fields of feminism and conflict resolution. For the last 25 years she has worked to promote peace between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, and trains facilitators in conflict resolution and gender awareness. Her lecture surveyed the ongoing conflict on the island, and she presented models for holding encounters between the two communities, including photographs from her work there. For a summary of the lecture, please click here.

Guest Lecture

 in 2017 conference discussions / Guest Lecture by
Processing the First Day’s Encounters Led by facilitators from the Adam Institute and Besod Siach The processing workshops had a two-fold focus: participants’ experiences during the first day, along with asking the question: what enables effective dialogue? Below are a number of responses that emerged during the discussions: Joint action is a platform for dialogue. It is crucial to conduct dialogue during times of conflict. We must first conduct dialogue with ourselves, before turning to others. It is important to understand dialogue participants, how they differ, and who/how it was determined that they are different. Joint living is a partial solution, leading us to recognize that group divisions are less important. Among Israeli society, the Arabs are demonized or treated […]

Debriefing and Processing Sessions

 in 2017 conference discussions / Debriefing and Processing Sessions by
Museum in a Suitcase: A one-man show by Alemu Eshetie. The performance highlighted the encounter between Ethiopian culture and Israeli culture, in honor of the Sigd holiday. Alemu Eshetie is a multi-talented, Ethiopian-born artist. His performance beautifully weaves together his and his family’s personal story with that of the Ethiopian community who immigrated to Israel. Employing humor, music, and dance, the performance is Alemu’s theatrical-educational way of presenting the Ethiopian culture to Israelis. He also presents a number of objects and articles of clothing, explaining their origin, use, and significance. The Sigd holiday, which is central to the Ethiopian Jewish community, was celebrated the following day, and Alemu explained its meaning and traditions. The holiday emphasizes the receiving of the […]

Performances and Cultural Events

 in 2017 conference discussions / Art- and Music-Based Dialogue Workshops by
Anat Tzur, Director of the Jerusalem Foundation Good afternoon. On Thursday, we will mark the international day of tolerance, which was established by the United Nations. This day emphasizes the importance of tolerance towards the a�?othera�? and those who are different from us, while highlighting the dangers of intolerance, discrimination, and inequality. As anyone who lives in Jerusalem knows, tolerance is the operative word in our mixed city. Thus, this week is a fitting time for such a conference. For the past 50 years, the Jerusalem Foundation, which initiated this conference, has been working enable the citya��s various groups and residents to live here together, fostering a sense that this city is their home a�� alongside the a�?other.a�? Dialogue and […]

Greetings and Opening Remarks

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