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Teachers Training

Meetings of groups in a multicultural society: the coexistence of Jews and Arabs in Israel

Introduction

For the last nine years A New Way has been running projects in the schools and in the communities with the aim of furthering understanding between Jewish and Arab pupils, teachers, and parents, in order to develop a dialogue on a basis of equality, and to open a 'window' to the culture of the 'other'. The project includes a series of meetings over a period of two or three years between groups of pupils (about 10 meetings per year), meetings between parents and pupils, and meetings between Arab and Jewish teachers who are Israeli citizens.

The program aims at instilling democratic values such as equality and acceptance of the 'other', and is directed at civic education which means an ongoing and extensive educational process teaching values and also covering education towards involvement in the community (see the report of the Research and Information Center of the Knesset -- 'Education for Democracy', October 2007).

The program aims at instilling the idea of coexistence between Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel in the school and in the community. The involvement of the teachers is essential for the success of the project. The courses for teachers will help the school itself to ensure continuity of the project in the manner most suited to it.

The course program

The organization offers a program which deals with the various aspects of the meeting between the different identities at the social and civic level, in the educational system, and at the personal and interpersonal level. The program, which covers 5 meetings totalling 14 hours, is recognized by the Kremnitzer Shenhar Fund, and will be led by facilitators of A New Way, both Arabs and Jews, who have specialized in leading multicultural groups.

The meetings will include: information and discussion, a workshop to clarify personal views, and a meeting between Arab and Jewish staff.

The aims of the course

To recognize the need to express the elements of identity of both Jews and Arabs in the educational system as the basis for an equal and fair dialogue.
The recognition of the importance of the meetings in order to reduce prejudice and to encourage tolerance, openness, respect, and mutual esteem between young Jews and Arabs.
To expose the teachers to different models of meetings between Arabs and Jews.
To encourage initiatives by the schools in organizing meetings between Arabs and Jews in the educational framework.
To create a suitable background for a meeting of the two staffrooms, Jewish and Arab, with the aim of getting to know each other and initiating educational or social cooperation.

The program

The subject of the meeting	The aim	The plan of the meeting
1. Identity and belonging	Awareness of the question of multiple identities at the personal and social-civil level	Groups in Israeli society and the ties between them. Discussion of the main topics such as separation versus integration, hierarchy versus symmetry Workshop: the elements of identity, cultural identity and belonging -- ethnic, religious, social, and civil.
2. Accessibility, the connection between cultural identity and accessibility	Recognition of the need to work towards multicultural policy and equality	Accessibility to resources and the lack of it in different groups and sections of Israeli society, relations between the majority and minority groups, the rights of minorities, the right to culture. Workshop: multicultural policy -- information and clarification of positions.
3. Educational policy in a multicultural society	Recognition of the need to give expression to the elements of the identity of both Jews and Arabs in the educational system, as a basis for an equal and fair dialogue.	Recognition of the educational system in the different sections. Discussion of the aims of the Ministry of Education in Jewish and in Arab education, the question of separation between the systems. Workshop: The limits of toleration of the staff in giving representation to the different sections in the educational system.
4. Meeting the 'other'	Recognition of the importance of the meetings to reduce prejudice and develop acceptance and mutual respect between young Jews and Arabs.	The model of the plan of meetings of A New Way -- the rational of the meeting, principles and methods (including conclusions from the evaluation studies of the projects). Workshop: I and the 'other' -- images and feelings, what are my feelings about the meetings, the position of the participants on the term multiculturalism, is there any room for change, and if so then what is the desired change?
5. A meeting of the staffrooms	The support of school initiatives for pedagogic or social cooperation and also for meetings of pupils, teachers, and parents in the framework of the educational system.	Discussions in small groups on possible cooperation between teachers in the field of learning or in the field of social education.

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