Peace Education Action First Children's Embassy Megjashi

Peace Education Action First Children's Embassy Megjashi
EACE EDUCATION
The First Children's Embassy in the world – Megjashi in April 2011 started to implement activities for Peace Education, together with its partner organization KURVE Wustrow from Germany, with which it has a longstanding cooperation. The project aims at indicating the need for incorporating peace education in the teaching curricula, through promoting Peace and Non-violence as fundamental values ??in the educational system. In a series of 5 trainings for nonviolent conflict transformation and peace education, during a period of one and a half year, 12 professors (4 per school) and 6 youth peace educators will be engaged in the project. The trainees, after the first training in August/September 2011, had the task to start organizing the work of the youth clubs in their schools; while creating contents with which the youth will be sensitized through being active in the field of peace building.

This is a pilot project that should ensure the participation of professors and students in the creation of future curricula in the field of peace education. Therefore, one of the tasks of the project is to empower the participants to have an active stance in their environment, without violence; to make them aware about the many types of injustice, discrimination and violence; while transferring them the skills and knowledge that are important for active peace building, civic organization and nonviolent action.

In the second half of 2011 in the program for peace education the following significant activities were conducted:

Јuly 2011. Strategic planning. From 11-14th, 2011, within the framework of the Peace Education Program, workshops on Strategic Planning were organized. The workshops were attended by 12 representatives of the administrative and executive structures of Megjashi and 3 volunteers. In the process, priorities and objectives were redefined, programs and activities were defined, guidelines and strategies for the next 3 years were prepared, and a plan for the next 3 years was devised.
August/September 2011. Preparation and implementation of the First Training for Peace Education. The first training in the framework of the Peace Education Program was held from31.08.2011 to 04.09.2011 in "House of Art" in Kicevo. The participants in the training were 12 teachers from the high schools "Nikola Karev", "Zdravko Cvetkovski" and "Dr. Pance Karagjozov"; and 6 young peace educators 18-25 years old. During the training the following topics were processed: violence and nonviolence, understanding conflict, communication, teamwork, schools and peace education, work plans of the youth clubs ... As to the methodology of work, the interactive and the participatory method were used; by working in small groups, individual work, role playing, planned discussions, input from the trainers on given topics, etc.. The trainers were: Ana Bitoljanu from Miramida Center Grozhnjan Croatia, and Blerim Jashari from Tetovo.

Some statements from the participants of the training:

"The time we live in is very stressful and often I have the feeling that everyone cares only for him/herself and there is no interpersonal cooperation, understanding and respect. People are ready for conflict. I learned here that there are people who do seek and want change."

"I would have discussed more the problems in school such as: (alcohol, family problems, problems in the classroom-friendship, culture of behavior, ethical issues)."

"Thank you for the wonderful experience, for the new knowledge gained and for the chance to try to change the environment and the future for the better."

"Everything was useful and applicable, perhaps mainly the activities that can be conducted with students, City Game, communication, every technique fits perfectly in the work with students, ex. conflict, marginal group."

"Based on my experience so far I would not change anything, perhaps I might add more schools, I don’t know, maybe it takes more funding for it, but it would be nice if there was a school in which only Albanians study, so that we can see what kind of problems do they face."