Timespan: 01/02/2005 – 29/02/2008
Donor: Permanent Representation of Luxembourg at the Council of Europe
Applicant: Local Democracy Agency Mostar
Partner: Nansen dijalog centar Mostar
Description:
This project is addressing young people who attend secondary school and aims to make aware teachers of secondary school to the importance to teach values such as democracy, interethnic dialogue, rights of minorities. It is seems to be important to work in Mostar with secondary school because after the war most of high school in town are, non officially, but effectively organised in ethnic basis. To foster the working together in the secondary education and the discussion about a possible unification of curricula is an important challenge to face.
Specific objectives:
- to foster interethnic and inter-religious dialogue between students and teachers from each different ethnic and religious group
- exchange of best practices on education issues between teachers and experts from Mostar and the region of Mostar and teachers and experts from the cities and regions partners of the future LDA
- to promote the values of respect or human rights, democracy and respect of minority groups between students and teachers
- to contribute to the process of school reunification
Activities:
- Organisation of 4 workshops to discuss on interethnic dialogue, respect of human rights, respect of minority rights and democracy in secondary school with the participation of high school teachers from each ethnic and religious group, representatives of administration and representative of local and foreign NGOs involved on education in Mostar and its region
- Organisation of 1 workshops with the participation of the same people involved on the 4 workshops and the participation of high school teachers, public administrator and experts on education from the cities and the region partners of the future LDA
- Realisation of 4 seminars on these topics to be held with the participation of students of each ethnic group
- Formulation and realisation of web site by students from each ethnic group
- Realisation of an final round table with the participation of local and foreign people involved on the previous workshops in order to define the conclusion of the workshops held and for identifying a future shared action planning
Results:
Four workshops (both for teachers and for students) were held within the project and each workshop had a different theme, i.e. democracy and democratic principles in education, respect for human rights in high schools, dialogue and introduction to conflict analysis, how teachers can foster confidence building among different ethnic groups. The project was finalised by a conference on which recommendations of the workshops were discussed. Each workshop hosted around 20 participants, i.e. students,
teachers, international guests and politicians.
The recommendations of the workshops are:
- To introduce adjustments of teaching plans and programmes (higher level of involvement of teachers in creation of it);
- Similar project for parents from Parent Councils (and include professors and students in this project);
- Educational system should encourage recognising and development of talented students;
- To Introduce and encourage civil service and activism;
- Higher level of inclusiveness of professors and schools in the process of planning of different projects that aims to educate professors for the improvement of educational system;
- To improve the cooperation of NGOs, Institute for Education and Ministry of Education;
- NGOs should help in financing some projects developed by schools or Ministry of Education;
2007
Project was prolonged in 2007
CBM II – Confidence Building Measures, to foster interethnic dialogue in the secondary schools of Mostar and its region
Objectives:
- to get overview of level and quality of teaching about values such as democracy, human rights, dialogue, respect of human rights in high schools of Mostar
- to inform all high schools and relevant institutions in Mostar about CBM project
- to engage schools and relevant institutions in process of planning of CBM project (part 2)
- to conduct research about teaching about values such as democracy, human rights, dialogue, respect of human rights in high schools of Mostar and to publish it in the form of report
Activities implemented in 2007:
- general preparations, data gathering, and preparations for first series of meeting with principles, giving first information to psychologists
- meetings with principles: informing them about CBM project and its conclusions, informing them about follow up project – research and getting first information (based on inputs from psychologists) and impressions about current situation in the school (this will help us in getting better overview of situation and help us in preparing the questionnaire), giving information to psychologists (they are starting with preparing the draft of questionnaire)
- finalisation of questionnaire, second round of meetings with principles, giving information to psychologists
Activities planned for the implementation in 2008:
- work on report, printing publication
- preparing and conducting round table
Activities implemented in 2008:
Preparation of a final handbook with research findings on learning values such as democracy, human rights, dialogue and respect for human rights in Mostar high schools.
