Civic Education in Divided Societies
Workshop jointly organized by the Irmgard Coninx Foundation and the European Association for Education Law and Policy (ELA), in cooperation with the Humboldt University Berlin and the Social Science Research Center Berlin (WZB),
From 16-19 October 2008, 18 participants discussed different modes of civic education, including peace education and multicultural education, aimed at reducing violent conflicts and fostering understanding and respect among different ethnic and social groups in divided societies. The conflict scenarios dealt with in the workshop ranged from inner-urban tensions in connection with youth violence, socio-economic inequalities and differences, to wider political, ethnic and/or religious cleavages resulting from different collective memories or from past injustices.
Based on papers of approx. 5,000 words, the participants focussed on the theoretical foundations of civic education and analyzed formal approaches to civic education, such as history textbook revision following violent conflict, as well as non-formal educational approaches, such as dialogue projects or role plays.
Public lectures by Tom Koenigs (former Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for Afghanistan); Jan de Groof, Professor of Law, College of Europe; UNESCO Special Envoy for the Right to Education); and by Gavriel Salomon (Professor of Educational Psychology, University of Haifa, Israel) accompanied the workshop.