EDUCATING FOR A CIVIL SOCIETY AFTER COLLECTIVE VIOLENCE

This online forum invites reflection about education following
collective violence. We will learn from the experiences in the following
four case studies and discuss how the issues raised connect to our own
lives and communities as we seek to strengthen civil societies.

How do educators confront the past and promote reconciliation in
an effort to prevent future conflict? What are the opportunities and
challenges facing educators in the aftermath of collective violence? What
roles do schools, curricula and pedagogy play in the creation of civil
societies?

Please join us for a facilitated, online conversation that will
examine these questions through the exploration of four case studies from
Germany, Rwanda, South Africa and Northern Ireland.

When? April 5-15, 2004
Where? www.facinghistory.org/aprilforum
Who? Facing History staff, hundreds of educators, students and
scholars
Why? Education is often an afterthought of transitional
processes, yet it is crucial to the development and maintenance of civil society.

CASE STUDIES:

Germany: Confronting Silence and Reckoning with a Difficult Past
In the 1960s, young people throughout Germany began asking
questions about the roles their parents, teachers and leaders played in the 1930s and 1940s. Many sought to break the silence and directly confront the
past. In this case study, we will explore how, decades later, Germany
continues to reckon with the legacies of the Holocaust and how this history
will be taught to the next generation.

Rwanda: Creating a New Historical Narrative
In 1994, one million Tutsi and moderate Hutu were murdered in
Rwanda in the short period of 100 days. After the genocide, the government
decided that history could not be taught in Rwanda until the events of
the past were carefully reconsidered and consensus could be reached. As
a result, there has been a moratorium on the teaching of history for 10
years. In June 2004, the Ministry of Education will convene a meeting of
curriculum specialists, historians, parents, students, teachers and other
stake holders to begin to address the history curriculum. In this case
study, we will continue to discuss the complicated questions related to how
and when a historical narrative can be created in the aftermath of mass
violence.

Northern Ireland: Integrating Schools and the Challenge of
Building Civil Society
Since 1969, Northern Ireland has suffered through periods of
extreme violence between the Protestant majority, who identify with Great
Britain, and the Catholic minority, who identify with the Republic of
Ireland. The conflict has inspired the development of separate school systems
and the teaching of different histories to each group. This case study
explores a critical issue: Is the integration of schools essential to
building a civic culture?

South Africa: Revising the Educational System
This spring, South Africa celebrates ten years of democracy. The
transformation from the apartheid state to a multiracial
democracy has inspired profound changes in the educational system. Teachers
are now required to teach about apartheid, human rights, the truth and
reconciliation commission, and citizenship in democracy. They are
also being retrained to teach more interactively and to embrace a
student-centered approach that models democratic processes. In
this case study, we will discuss how educational institutions, in the
aftermath of collective violence, are part of the transitional process.

Educating for a Civil Society After Collective Violence builds on
the work of previous Facing History conferences, which have examined the
challenges of healing after mass violence and genocide. This online forum
provides participants with the unique experience of engaging directly with
teachers, students and others throughout North America and around
the world. Mark your calendars now for this important opportunity.
For more information, contact Natasha Greenberg:
natasha_greenberg@facing.org

Special thanks to The Goldman Sachs Foundation, a global
philanthropic organization dedicated to promoting excellence and innovation in
education worldwide, for their support of this online forum through a
substantial grant to expand the global reach of Facing History and Ourselves.

Location: Online
Deadline: April 5-15, 2004 event
Website: www.facinghistory.org/aprilforum