Abstract
In this workshop I will share with you my experiences with the teacher-training “Learning Peace in times of war”. As an introduction to the topic of the workshop I will talk about my own background and access through my Jewish roots as the origin of my peace work. I will then address how to deal with statements and news from the media that create polarities and fuel hatred, especially when they lead to seemingly irreconcilable enemy images among pupils/students. We will work on ways to mediate conflicts between pupils/students or between pupils/students and teachers that are fuelled by the Middle East conflict. To this goal, I will present de-escalating approaches and methods that can be helpful in such situations. I will share examples and encourage to represent your own point of view instead of adopting opinions from the media and the mainstream. You will learn about dealing with the ‘two sided’ history in the Middle East.

“Peace is more than the absence of war”: we will discuss the importance of an attitude towards peace and the search for possibilities that arise from this attitude for conflict resolution. I will present de-escalating approaches and methods concerning conflicts in the classroom. In addition, I will present experiences of non-violent initiatives by Israelis and Palestinians to promote understanding between the two peoples (Combatants for Peace, The Parent Circle). The actions of these people are often based on the attitudes and activities of persons like Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Johann Galtung and Walter Wink, which can be useful in this context for transferring them to our circumstances. I will show the different possibilities of Non Violent Resistance FOR human rights and fair coexistence and bring them into the context of democratic attitudes and participation, especially concerning the “shift to the right” both in the classroom and in our society. It is my wish to build with you a bridge to situations in everyday life and in the classroom.

In the workshop I will use a variety of presentation-methods:  powerpoint, film clips, music, creative theater and role play (Augusto Boal), street art (example: art on the wall in Israel/Palestine, Banksy). All in favor of the process in the workshop and according to the wishes and needs of the participants.