Peacemakers Study Mechanism of Educating on Diversity

Peacemakers Team, led by MASARAT Institution for Cultural and Media Development in partnership with Information Center for Research & Development, in context of “Mesopotamia Youth for Democratic Rule, Social Cohesion and Reconciliation”, started studying the experiment of Al-Farah School in the realm of educating on citizenship, diversity and accepting the other, the team spent a full day in direct contact with the students of the school, which is run by Roman Orthodox Church of Iraq, directed by Father Younan Alfred. The Team listened to an overview of the educational programs followed by the school in dealing with students of different religions, ethnicities and sects who gather in classrooms of the school. The overview is presented by Rev. Father Younan and Mrs. Samira, his administrative assistant. The team members were introduced to the curriculum adopted by the school to create activities that encourage large participation of students to engage them and making them close to each other so as to introduce them to the Other. Such programs are seldom applied in Iraqi schools, such as courses in the sports of karate, soccer, basketball, theater, performance, artistic works, music, ballet, swimming, handiworks, life and domestic skills. The team intends through this experience to get acquainted with the modern educational programs through which the school seeks to raise a generation that respects diversity and accepts the different Other and knows his positive aspects. These programs caused the school to get the first rank among the schools of Baghdad in its percentages of success in the last successive years in the public exams. This urged the Team to adopt the idea of launching an advocacy campaign to generalize these programs to the schools of Iraq. It is worth stating that Peacemakers Team was established within the context of the project of Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative (ICSSI) which aims at enabling the Youth in Iraqi civil society to set some strategies to reject violence and extremism, and to adopt peaceful coexistence in Iraq. This project funded by EU, aims to build coalitions among civil society groups to enhance the social, cultural and political change.  “Mesopotamia Youth for Democratic Rule, Social Cohesion and Reconciliation” is a cooperation project between the (ICSSI), Italian Bridge to…. Organization, Information Center for Research & Development, Iraqi Social Forum, MASARAT Institution for Cultural and Media Development, Peace and Liberty Organization, Water Protectors in Iraq, Al-Masalla Organization for Human Resources Development, Tammouz Organization for Social Development, Tigris Defenders’ Organization and Kurdistan Social Forum.