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: [email protected]

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.