Fall 2009 Teacher’S Guide Educational Supplement to the Youth Magazine of Seeds of Peace
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THE OLIVE BRANCH Fall 2009 Teacher’s Guide Educational Supplement to the Youth Magazine of Seeds of Peace Tools for Educators From the editors Daniel Noah Moses & Inessa Shishmanyan elcome to the third issue of The Olive ulty members include the core faculty of the Palestinian Branch Teacher’s Guide. If you are Model Schools Initiative, along with special guests. For reading this, you probably value edu- example, Fatma Elshobokshy, the Delegation Leader cation. The editors and contributors to summer program coordinator, and Ajay Noronha, Indian this Guide do, too. We believe that by Delegation Leader (Session I, ’08), traveled to Ramallah Wworking together in communities and across lines of con- to do a film-making workshop for 25 Palestinian educa- flict, educators will make the difference. We believe that tors from across Jerusalem and the West Bank. education is essential if there is to be a better future. In this current issue, Fatma writes about the Camp ex- To work for a better future, education must encourage perience that motivated her to make her visit; Ajay writes respect for one another and for our diversity; it must about his visit with Israeli and Palestinian Delegation encourage communication skills, leadership skills, civic Leaders. engagement, cross-cultural understanding, and the Winter & Summer Camps for West Bank Children peaceful transformation of conflict. To put it another way, For a short essay about the first camp, held in Jericho we need to figure out better ways to live together on what in January 2008, see Karen AbuZant’s piece in the first often feels like a shrinking planet. issue of The Olive Branch Teacher’s Guide. This Guide is part of a range of projects started in Sep- tember 2007 with the support of USAID. These projects Cross-Border Educators’ Workshops build on the foundation of the Seeds of Peace Delegation These workshops are precious opportunities for Pales- Leaders summer program—the intense program for adult tinian and Israeli (and sometimes Jordanian) Seeds of educators from regions of conflict. Peace educators to meet, to share experience and knowl- Together these USAID programs strengthen and enlarge edge, to make friends, to be reenergized with hope. the circle of Seeds of Peace Educators, while also reach- Workshops have been held in Wadi Rum, Jordan, in ing out to youth and to the broader public. Tiberius, and outside of Jerusalem. The second issue of The Olive Branch Teacher’s Guide focuses on the work- USAID-Supported Educational Projects shop held in Tiberius in June 2009. for Palestinians & Israelis Seeds Café Teaching Tolerance in Palestinian Schools: Each month, Seeds of Peace organizes a forum in Jeru- A Model Schools Initiative salem to present and discuss cultural and political issues The idea behind this, and its Israeli counterpart, is to relevant to Palestinians, Israelis and the international nurture centers of Seeds of Peace activity—learning envi- public. These cafés are a rare opportunity to engage in ronments that encourage the values and skills embodied this kind of dialogue with such a range of people. by Seeds of Peace. On page 12, we feature an in-depth article about this The Olive Branch & Olive Branch Teacher’s Guide The final project funded by USAID: two types of educa- project by faculty members. On page 16, American tional material. The Olive Branch is a magazine produced faculty member Deb Bicknell interviews her Palestinian by “Seeds” (graduates of the Seeds of Peace Camp for colleagues, Oraib Waari and Jihad Sirhan. teenagers in the US). The Olive Branch Teachers Guides Teaching Tolerance in Israeli Schools: are … well, take a look. As always, we welcome your A Model Schools Initiative comments, suggestions, ideas, and connections. Look for an essay by Tali, an Israeli Model Schools par- ticipant, in the fourth issue of The Olive Branch Teacher’s For additional information about the Delegation Lead- Guide. ers Program and its various projects for Seeds of Peace Workshops on Peaceful Learning Environments Educators, including older issues of The Olive Branch With the support of USAID, Seeds of Peace has orga- and Teacher’s Guide, as well as wonderful short film nized six workshops a year across the West Bank; in about the Delegation Leaders summer program, visit our August 2009, we organized a workshop in Gaza. Fac- website at www.seedsofpeace.org. 2 The Olive Branch Teacher’s Guide Fall 2009 TOP Delegation Leaders at the Seeds of Peace Camp. BELOW A Model Schools Initiative classroom in Hebron. Fall 2009 Volume II, Issue II The Olive Branch Teacher’s Guide is a magazine written, edited and produced by members of the Seeds of Peace program. All opinions expressed on these pages are those of the individual writers and are not necessarily shared by Seeds of Peace, any government, The Olive Branch or its staff, or USAID. Teacher’s Guide Staff Managing Editor Daniel Noah Moses, Ph.D. Deputy Managing Editor Inessa Shishmanyan Editors/Consultants Walid Muhammad Abed Errahman Rachel Brophy Myra Small Ben Mueller Fatma Elshobokshy Contributors Bobbie Gottschalk Sarah Norton Steven Brion-Meisels Sonia Linda Brion-Meisels Pious Ali Sumaya & Faten Guy Mendilow Carol Daniel Kasbari Deb Bicknell Zoe Marinkovich Ajay Noronha Ismail Mukbil Margie Arsham Orly Kalinsky Elisabeth Mallin Amany & Daniel Danny Metzl The Olive Branch Teacher’s Guide is designed by Eric Kapenga and printed by V&V Communications. It is made possible by a grant from the US Agency for International Development and the American people. COVER PHOTOS (CLOCKWISE, TOP LEFT): BOBBIE GOTTSCHALK, AJAY NORONHA, RACHEL BROPHY, BOBBIE GOTTSCHALK. BACK COVER: AJAY NORONHA. ABOVE: BOBBIE GOTTSCHALK. LEFT: STEVEN BRION-MEISELS The Olive Branch Teacher’s Guide Fall 2009 3 Collective memory Camp & empathy at Camp By Fatma Elshobokshy Camp. I told myself: I am an Egyptian, an Arab and a Muslim, so I am aware of I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER THE Arab culture. Likewise I am aware of summer of 2008. It was intense, full Jewish culture because I received my BA of emotion, hesitation, and challenges. in Hebrew Literature. In addition, I have When I started at the Seeds of Peace lived in the US for the last four years, so I International Camp, I thought that being am able to interact with Jews and Israelis. there wouldn’t affect me. I had just received my Masters in Inter- But it did, because I am drawn to, and cultural Relations, so I’ve had experience intrigued by, collective memory. with cross-cultural understanding. “I think we need to do some affirma- The mission of Seeds of Peace matches My motivation to work with Seeds of tions,” I said, in true camp counselor my passion for promoting coexistence Peace was simply to use my background fashion. My sister and I were returning among Arabs and Israelis. Through Seeds to help both sides get the best experience from a weekend in Tahoe. It had been of Peace, people from conflict regions out of Camp. I was also curious to watch a year since my father had died and we work together to explore their common how the three weeks at Camp might decided to spend some time together to humanity and to further cross-cultural simulate coexistence—something that honor and to reflect. understanding. took me years to reach. And we did. It left us, though, with Therefore, when I accepted the posi- In short, I thought that while I would incredible anxiety. tion of Program Coordinator for the participate in the process, I would not The car ride down the mountain was Delegation Leader program, I thought it discover anything new that would change full of nervous energy and stress, driven by internal pressures to accomplish, to would be a “piece of cake.” I thought that my views. achieve. Living up to a father’s expecta- the Camp mission did not apply to me Over the summer, I not only interacted tions when those expectations are frozen because my life experiences had allowed with Israelis and Palestinians, but also in time, no longer able to adjust with me to live this mission before arriving at listened to their everyday dialogue, which the changes that dictate life, is ... well ... difficult. “OK, what are you most proud of?” she asked me. “My work at Seeds of Peace,” I said Seeds of Peace facilitation: without hesitation. “Me too,” she responded. A perspective for educators I am a better person for my experi- ‘ences at Seeds of Peace. I am a better listener, a better friend, a better leader, By Danny Metzl a better citizen of this planet. And I realize (again) that this is all my father FAciLITATioN IS THE SKILL of AidiNG, ever really asked of me: “Be a good rendering, bringing from latent to fore- person, Zoe. And lead others to be bet- front. Facilitation is usually much more ter people.” than mere dialogue. Dialogue, which is Seeds of Peace is the best way I know how to do this. so often lacking between conflicting so- — Zoe (Counselor) cieties and its peoples, is viewed as the primary goal to be reached, and, in most groups, it is viewed as a basis from which further growth can be achieved. Most of the group work done by Seeds of Peace facilitators is of the encounter group type: Participants encounter their own and others’ ideas, emotions, and be- haviors, as well as the concepts and reali- ties of conflict, peace, cultures, identities, alternative to violent conflict and an roles, etc. of the conflicting societies. equally firm belief that peace cannot be This type of facilitation is a specific ap- reached by psychological change alone. plication of psychology.