DEAD SEA (JORDAN) | Sixty Seeds of Peace Educators met at the Dead Sea in Jordan for Making History, a four-day cross border capacity building workshop supported by USAID and dedicated to engaging with the past in ways that integrate the arts and active learning, critical thinking, and cross-cultural understanding to affect a more just, peaceful future.
The group included Israeli and Palestinian history, civics, drama, music, and dance teachers as well as curriculum designers and leaders of initiatives that focus on engagement with multiple narratives through the arts. Participants also included the founders of Project Tiyul-Rihla, an organization that focuses on historical tours for Israelis and Palestinians that provide the opportunity to learn first-hand about the narratives of “the other.”
They were joined by a faculty member from our partner organization, Facing History and Ourselves, which provides ideas, methods, and tools that support the practical needs of educators who share the goal of creating a better, more informed, and more thoughtful society.
The workshop’s focus on the arts and how to learn and teach about the past built on the themes of the last two years, providing the opportunity for a cohort of veteran participants to share their wisdom, to reflect on their experiences, and to move forward with new projects.
At the same time, the July 23-26 workshop was a precious opportunity to broaden the circle of Seed of Peace Educators and to make new connections. The result was a rich conversation during the week’s formal programming.
In cooperation with Facing History and Ourselves, Seeds of Peace offered a set of workshops, Creating Social Change and Teaching Values; Making Meaningful Choices, in Jerusalem, Beit Umar, and Tulkarem. The educators also conducted a series of follow-up meetings, evaluations, and action planning sessions.
MAKING HISTORY WORKSHOP