The abstracts are published in English for the workshops that were in English and in Italian for the workshops that were in Italian.

Opening session - 01-05-2015 - Afternoon

  • Biography

    Roberto Ruffino è Segretario Generale della Fondazione Intercultura. 

    Torinese, classe 1940, laureato in filosofia, Ruffino è uno dei maggiori esperti europei nel settore della comunicazione interculturale e dell’educazione internazionale. Il 21 Aprile 2008 ha ricevuto la Laurea Honoris Causa in Scienze dell'Educazione dall'Università di Padova, per gli oltre 40 anni di attività dedicati alla formazione interculturale. 

    Ruffino è considerato a livello internazionale tra i fondatori del filone culturale e scientifico dello scambio giovanile come occasione di formazione interculturale e di educazione alla mondialità. Collabora con diverse organizzazioni internazionali tra cui l'EFIL (la Federazione Europea per l'Apprendimento Interculturale) di cui è presidente onorario,  la SIETAR (Society for Intercultural Education, Training and Research), e il Consiglio d'Europa. 

    All'Unione Europea ha presieduto la commissione di lavoro che nel 1976-78 portò alla creazione degli "scambi di giovani lavoratori" ed ha fatto parte del Comitato Scientifico del primo progetto pilota di scambi interculturali europei per studenti liceali (2007/2008) “Mobilità studentesca Individuale – Comenius”.


Keynote speaker - 02-05-2015 - Morning

  • Biography

    Born in Rome on 29 July 1958 and married to Paola Carcaterra, he lived in Brussels until the age of 15, completing elementary and lower secondary education in Uccle, and followed the scientific stream in his upper secondary studies.

    Received a degree in Letters from Rome’s La Sapienza University with a thesis on economic history in 1984.

    He joined the Community of Sant'Egidio in 1975 and became involved in its activities to bring education to under-privileged children in the outskirts of Rome.

    In the mid-1980s he worked in support of inter-faith dialogue, particularly with the Muslim world, and has participated in the organisation of annual international Prayer for Peace meetings since the first one was held in Assisi in 1986.

    He has been involved in developing the Community of Sant’Egidio in Africa since 1989. 

    In charge of the Community’s international relations and peace mediation activities since the early 1990s, he was appointed Head of International Relations in 1998 and has been involved in various mediation processes: Algeria (1994-95), Kosovo (1998-99), DRC and Burundi (2000), Ivory Coast (2002-2011), Liberia (2004-05), Togo (2003), Darfur (since 2004), North Uganda (2006-08), Guinea (2007-11), Niger (2011), Libya (2011), Syria (2012) and Casamance – Senegal (2012).

    Received the Fondation Chirac Award for Conflict Preventive in 2010.

    Was Advisor to the Minister for International Cooperation and Integration in 2012, and organised the International Cooperation Forum in Milan that led Italy to reinvest in the Sahel region and outline the institutional future of cooperation.

    Was appointed Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs on 3 May 2013 with the Letta government, holding the remit for the countries of Latin and Central America and Southern Africa of the SADC, and promotion of the Italian language and culture.


Session 1 - 02-05-2015 - Morning

  • Biography

    Dr. Pat Patfoort (born 1949) is a Belgian and Flemish anthropologist, lecturer, trainer, mediator and author. She created and developed the MmE model or Major-minor-Equivalency model to transform conflicts towards a nonviolent and constructive management of them, towards peace. She works with this model since about 40 years in education (with families or in schools), on the individual level with adults (in families, on the workplace, in prisons, etc.), on the level of society (between different kinds of groups in society) and on the inter-ethnical or international level. She is co-founder and president of ‘De Vuurbloem’ in Bruges, Belgium (Center for Nonviolent Conflict Management). She also is mother of two and grand-mother of three. Typical for her is that after all those years, she still is very enthusiastic about her method and its use, as well in her professional as in her private life.

    www.patpatfoort.be


    Abstract

    There are so many differences between people, differences in all kinds of characteristics and also in points of view. So often the fact we are different brings us to judgment, discrimination, conflict and violence. This is because we don’t know how to deal with differences, we didn’t learn to do this in a constructive way.

    In this workshop a model is presented that enables us to deal with differences so that they don’t generate suffering, violence and war, but on the contrary are a source of joy, well-being and happiness. And we see how this model has been used in concrete cases, on the individual, societal and inter-ethnical level.

  • Biography

    Jonan Fernandez Erdozia nació el 21 de marzo de 1962 en Tolosa, Gipuzkoa. Desde enero de 2013, es Secretario General para la Paz y la Convivencia del Gobierno Vasco. Anteriormente, fue fundador y coordinador de Elkarri (1992-2006), un movimiento social que trabajó por el diálogo y la no violencia en Euskadi; después fue director de Baketik (2006-2012), un centro de estudios y proyectos sobre ética y paz. Es autor de Ser humano en los conflictos (Alianza, 2006), Vivir y convivir. Cuatro aprendizajes básicos (Alianza, 2008), Educar en ser persona (Ed. Baketik, 2010), y Ni tanto ni tan poco (Ed. Erein, 2013).


    Abstract

    La relazione che presenterò e il workshop che dirigerò nell'ambito delle giornate "Imparare a vivere insieme: umanesimo, riconciliazione ed educazione per le società plurali” saranno imperniati su una domanda riguardo alla quale mi piacerebbe interagire con i partecipanti. La domanda è la seguente: qual è la base minima che, come solide fondamenta, può consentirci di condividere processi di riconciliazione e di educazione alla convivenza nelle società plurali? Insomma, la domanda è: qual è la base minima che ci può unire? Nella mia relazione proporrò un'ipotesi di risposta a questa domanda. Prenderò spunto dal Piano di Pace e Convivenza promosso dal Governo Basco da quando tre anni fa l'organizzazione ETA ha posto fine a una strategia di violenza che si è protratta per cinquant'anni. Cercherò di formulare una pedagogia della convivenza basata sulla dignità umana, quale riferimento centrale per uno sguardo critico nei confronti dell'orrore del passato e per uno sguardo pieno di speranza per la costruzione del futuro.

  • Biography

    For more than 25 years, Professor Hillel Levine has been devoted to undergraduate, graduate, professional, and adult non-professional education at Harvard, Yale, and now as Professor of Sociology and Religion at Boston University. He has held visiting professorships in Japan, China, Poland, the Soviet Union, Brazil, and Israel, and enjoys the friendship of several generations of accomplished former students. Professor Levine has written five books and many articles on ethnic violence, normative conflict and how they may be resolved. His research provided the basis for an Oscar winning documentary and two of his books are being made into documentaries and a feature-length dramatization. He is a popular lecturer, guest columnist in newspapers, and makes frequent radio and television appearances. He is also the President of the International Institute for Mediation and Historical Conciliation, an NGO organized to prevent and resolve violent conflicts that are made more all the more volatile by disputed histories and memories of past injuries.


  • Biography

    He has a PhD and a Post-Doctoral Degree in History.

    He teaches International Relations and Conflict Resolution at the IES University in Rome and a Master in Conflict Resolution at the Pontifical University Seraficum in Rome.

    At present he is the Assistant to the President of the Community of Sant’Egidio. He has been Director for Special Operation since 1998 and in this capacity he participated to most of the peace negotiations that the Community of Sant’Egidio has performed since the end of the ‘80s.


    Abstract

    Siamo in un tempo in cui il conflitto, anche e soprattutto quello armato e tornato prepotentemente alla ribalta. Anche se in termini assoluti i conflitti oggi sono diminuiti, vi sono ancora tante guerre in corso e dobbiamo registrare un incremento di una violenza diffusa che tutto pervade e che tocca anche le nostre società che abbiamo spesso considerato immuni. Quali le caratteristiche della violenza nel mondo globale? Da un lato - proprio per il carattere mediatico dell’epoca - c’è una tendenza alla spettacolarizzazione della violenza, come avviene con il terrorismo. La religione però nel tempo globale é quasi l’unico sistema di motivazioni ideali-ideologiche con una portata transnazionale. C’è una responsabilità del mondo delle religioni di confrontarsi con la situazione attuale. Quali sono gli strumenti che si possono usare per aiutare la pace? Qual è la forza delle religioni e come esprime appieno il potenziale di pace che credo esista nel profondo delle religioni?

  • Biography

    Clive van den berg lives and works in Johannesburg where he operates as artist, designer, curator, writer and teacher. Recent projects include the design and curation of exhibitions for the Nelson Mandela Foundation, ( A Prisoner in the Garden, and Izipho, Madiba’s Gifts). In 2001 he completed an extensive artworks programme for the Northern Cape Legislature. In 2003-4 he was the designer for Section 4 and the Women’s Jail, transformations of colonial and apartheid prisons at Constitutional Hill. Since then he has designed many of the museums that seek to give space and voice to a democratic South Africa, including the Workers Museum in Johannesburg, Chancellor House (Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo’s former legal office), Freedom Park and many others.

    He has exhibited in all major South African museums and in many international venues, including the Museum for African Art, New York, Video Brasil in Sao Paulo, Kulturhuset in Stockholm, Sweden and Haus der Kulturen der Welt GmbH, Berlin, Germany.


    Abstract

    Clive van den Berg has been involved as designer and curator in many projects initiated in the years post 1994. Included are a jail for women, a workers museum, the law office of Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo, an exhibition that explores civil unions and another that documents the ‘missing’ of apartheid.

    He will use these projects to illustrate the role that museum and exhibitions can play in the reconstruction of civil society in South Africa.

  • Biography

    I am married to David and we have four grown up children and two beautiful granddaughters.

    My working life has been in the education sector; firstly as a teacher and for the past 16 years as a trainer and practitioner in transformational mediation practices.

    My conflict transformation work has been informed by my personal Quaker and Mennonite connections as well as having studied under John Paul Lederach and read the works of many artists in the area of peacemaking especially those of Folger & Bush.

    Presently I am working alongside/accompanying a single identity community group in Lurgan, a small town in Northern Ireland, which has suffered as a consequence of our violent past. This work involves Community Development work which feeds into authentic peace-making practice.

    My passion lies in the training and practice of conflict transformation methodologies along with the experiential learning that comes from this.


    Abstract

    In my workshop I will hope to explore with participants different tools/ways of engagement with marginalised groups in a post violent /post agreement context. The workshop will be interactive, participatory and experiential.

  • Biography

    Evi Unterthiner è Attrice teatrale, formata alla scuola internazionale di teatro di Jaques Lecoq, Parigi. Promotrice dal 2001 di progetti di teatro educazione in Provincia di Bolzano, di progetti di teatro nelle comunità, su tematiche di interesse sociale, sul territorio nazionale, progetti di teatro scuola multi-linguistici, dal 2011 collabora con la Fondazione Alexander Langer Stiftung a Srebrenica.

    Andrea Rizza Goldstein è coordinatore, per la Fondazione Alexander Langer Stiftung, del progetto Adopt Srebrenica - un progetto di dialogo e convivenza - con protagonisti ragazzi bosgnacchi e serbi della città teatro del primo genocidio in Europa dopo la Seconda guerra mondiale. L'idea di Adopt Srebrenica nasce nel 2005 in occasione del conferimento del Premio Internazionale Alexander Langer a Irfanka Pašagić, psichiatra, originaria di Srebrenica, per il suo impegno nell'assistenza alle donne vittime di violenze durante il conflitto, con l'intenzione di verificare concretamente quanto scritto da Langer nel suo “Tentativo di decalogo per la convivenza inter-etnica” a proposito dei gruppi misti. 


    Abstract

    Work-shop esperienziale in forma di “lezione aperta” con un gruppo di partecipanti diretti alle attività pre-espressive - con metodologia derivata dalle tecniche teatrali - e un gruppo di osservatori (max 15 partecipanti diretti; max 15 osservatori attivi). Il gruppo di partecipanti diretti costituirà il “gruppo target” a cui sono rivolte le attività proposte e che parteciperà fisicamente alle attività. Il gruppo di osservatori attivi costituirà un circolo di monitoraggio e di rielaborazione degli input proposti durante il work-shop, avendo l'opportunità anche di interagire con i feed-back e le rielaborazioni dei partecipanti diretti. Il work-shop è l'estratto di una serie di attività di moltiplicazione del potenziale locale per la pace, che in questi anni di lavoro a Srebrenica sono state sperimentate con risultati interessanti. L'utilizzo delle tecniche teatrali per veicolare contenuti specifici - e come strumento nella gestione creativa dei conflitti - per piccoli gruppi di lavoro, ha dato risultati positivi, sia durante progetti con studenti delle scuole superiori della Provincia di Bolzano, che durante questi anni di lavoro a Srebrenica. Focus: identità/Identität e Fremdkörper (dal “Südtirol ABC” di A. Langer); il “traditore” langeriano (dall'VIII punto del “Tentativo di decalogo per la convivenza inter-etnica” di A. Langer)

  • Biography

    Gianni Rufini è il Direttore Generale di Amnesty International Italia. E’ Subject Matter Expert per la NATO e dal 1996 è Senior Associate della Post-war Reconstruction and Development Unit dell'Università di York. Dal 1985 ha lavorato come esperto di diritti umani e aiuto umanitario in Africa, Medio Oriente, Asia, Balcani e America Latina. E’ coordinatore di ricerche presso il CeSPI e coordinatore di corsi presso l’ISPI. Insegna per le università La Sapienza di Roma, Bocconi di Milano, York (UK),Scuola Superiore S. Anna di Pisa, Bethlehem (OTP), il NATO Defense College. Dal 2005, è formatore per la Protezione Civile Europea. E’ stato direttore del coordinamento europeo delle ONG umanitarie VOICE, a Bruxelles, dal 1997 al 2001. Ha lavorato per numerose ONG italiane e straniere, per diverse agenzie delle Nazioni Unite ed altre organizzazioni internazionali ed è autore di varie pubblicazioni.


    Abstract

    La “zona grigia” è quel periodo di transizione tra un conflitto armato interno (guerra civile) e una pace stabile, che si protrae per un lungo periodo di tempo, e in cui tutti i processi politici, sociali ed economici restano reversibili sotto gli effetti delle dinamiche del conflitto. Quali sono i meccanismi che determinano il successo, il fallimento o la stagnazione di questa transizione? Che ruolo giocano la Comunità internazionale e le organizzazioni umanitarie? Attraverso un esame delle esperienze degli ultimi vent’anni e delle attuali policies internazionali, cerchiamo di capire quali siano i fondamenti di un processo di costruzione della pace e come si possa avviare questo processo nel corso di un intervento umanitario.

Session 2 - 02-05-2015 - Afternoon

  • Biography

    Luisa Chiodi - direttrice scientifica  PhD in Scienze politiche e sociali presso l'Istituto Universitario Europeo di Fiesole (FI), laurea in Scienze politiche presso l'Università degli Studi di Milano, dirige Osservatorio dal 2006. Dal 2003 al 2008 è stata docente a contratto di Storia e istituzioni dell'Europa orientale presso la Facoltà di Scienze politiche dell'Università di Bologna e ha insegnato in numerosi corsi universitari in Italia e all'estero. Ha curato vari volumi, coordinato progetti di ricerca e si interessa di società civile e dinamiche sociali transnazionali nel post-comunismo.


    Abstract

    Da 15 anni OBC lavora per contribuire a una maggiore comprensione delle dinamiche socio-politico e culturali di paesi membri e candidati all'integrazione europea del Sud Est Europa e dell'Europa post­sovietica interessata dalla politica di vicinato di Bruxelles. 25 anni dopo la fine della Guerra Fredda e 15 anni dopo la fine delle guerre di dissoluzione jugoslava, nonostante interdipendenza politica, economica, energetica, migratoria, ambientale, l'Europa è ancora profondamente divisa. OBC è impegnata quindi a ricucire la frattura tra Est e Ovest che ancora segna l'identità europea stimolando il dibattito sulle politiche europee ed rafforzando le relazioni territoriali in Europa attraverso una strategia di lavoro multisettoriale, cross­mediale, multilingue e transnazionale di informazione, analisi e sensibilizzazione.

    Il workshop discute criticamente dei risultati del lavoro di OBC ed in particolare presenta luci ed ombre dell'impegno a stimolare la costruzione della sfera pubblica europea dal basso attraverso il world wide web. Si esaminano: la dinamica dei dibattiti online e le animate discussioni sui social network sull'Europa e l'integrazione europea; l'eco del lavoro di monitoraggio sui paesi interessati e la partecipazione dei migranti nella discussione sui paesi di provenienza; la cooperazione tra territori e la costruzione di reti della società civile e dei media in Europa; la diffusione di strumenti didattici multimediali e la domanda di formazione sull'Europa ed i suoi conflitti; e alcune delle esperienze di attraversamento tra confini nazionali, professionali, disciplinari e intellettuali.

  • Biography

    Paolo Bergamaschi lavora come consigliere presso la commissione Esteri del Parlamento europeo. Veterinario di professione, collabora con riviste, siti web e quotidiani con reportage e analisi di avvenimenti internazionali. È musicista e cantautore con quattro cd all’attivo e collaborazioni con programmi sulla musica dei Paesi che visita e in particolare con Demo, su Radio Rai 1, dove cura una finestra di world music dal titolo Musica dall’altro mondo e con Caterpillar, su Radio Rai 2, dove commenta questioni europee di attualita'. Ha pubblicato Area di Crisi-Guerre e Pace ai Confini d’Europa (La Meridiana, 2007), Passaporto di servizio (Infinito edizioni, 2010) e L'Europa oltre il muro (Infinito edizioni, 2013)


    Abstract

    Il processo di integrazione europea si basa sui principi di inclusione e di condivisione. Contrariamente agli altri attori principali sulla scena mondiale l'azione dell'Unione Europea è caratterizzata dall'assenza di hard power. La politica di allargamento dell'Unione Europea, in questo senso, può essere considerata l’azione più efficace di risoluzione e prevenzione dei conflitti che sia stata messa in atto nel nostro continente. L'Unione Europea è riuscita a guidare con successo la transizione degli ex paesi membri del Patto di Varsavia verso la democrazia e l'economia di mercato. Ora la sfida è quella di proiettare pace, prosperità e stabilità ai paesi vicini. Gli strumenti esistenti di soft power sono sufficienti per vincere questa sfida? Può l’Unione Europea sopravvivere senza hard power? Come può l'Unione Europea migliorare l'efficacia delle sue politiche e diventare un vero e proprio attore di pace sulla scena mondiale?

  • Biography

    He is President of InterSos, a humanitarian organization for emergencies, which he founded in 1992 and of which he was general secretary until 2010. He was previously director ISCOS, Trade Union Institute for cooperation with developing countries, founded in 1983 by CISL (Italian trade union), and director of Cesil, Centre for international Solidarity of Workers, founded in 1979 with the communities of immigrant workers in Milan. The inclusion in the trade union, where he was called to follow the issues of immigration and international cooperation, occurred after a four-year experience of volunteering with the Jesuits in Chad and the subsequent experience working in a chemical factory in the second half of the 70s.


    Abstract

    A fianco degli interventi urgenti di assistenza ai profughi, bonifica dei terreni minati e ricostruzione di abitazioni ed infrastrutture sociali realizzati durante e dopo il conflitto, in particolare tra il 1999 e il 2002, INTERSOS ha inserito nel proprio programma in Kosovo un ampio intervento sul patrimonio culturale che è durato per dieci anni, fino al 2011. L’obiettivo era chiaro: far sì che quelli che sono stati simboli di divisione durante il conflitto, da distruggere per scaricarvi ostilità e odio, divenissero occasione di confronto costruttivo, d’interesse reciproco, di dialogo e pacificazione tra le diverse comunità. È sembrata la via migliore anche per garantire la tutela di tale patrimonio. I progetti si sono integrati in un unico programma che è stato concepito in modo bilanciato tra le comunità kosovare albanese e serba, ma includente anche i gruppi rom, egizi, ashkali, bosniaci, prevedendo attività di restauro e conservazione e occasioni di incontro culturale, di formazione, di dialogo e di integrazione.

  • Biography

    Giovanni Scotto (1966) è Professore Associato al Dipartimento di Scienze Politiche e Sociali, Università di Firenze, dove insegna Tecniche della Mediazione e della Democrazia partecipativa e International Conflict Transformation. È presidente del Corso di Laurea triennale “Sviluppo economico, cooperazione internazionale socio-sanitaria, gestione dei conflitti”. Ha una lunga esperienza professionale come formatore alla trasformazione nonviolenta dei conflitti e mediatore. Ha insegnato in diverse Università italiane (Pisa, Bologna, Trento, Roma 3) e straniere (University of Bradford, Syracuse Univesity, Marist College).

    Principali pubblicazioni: “Mediare conflitti: uno sguardo trasformativo”, in Conte G. / Lucarelli, P. (ed.), Mediazione e progresso. Persona, società, professione, impresa. Torino: UTET 2012; Peace Training. Preparing Adults for Peacework and Nonviolent Intervention in Conflicts, Cluj-Napoca (Romania) 2007 (con Robert Rivers, eds. ); Friedensbildung in Mostar. Die Rolle der internationalen NRO [Peacebuilding a Mostar. Il ruolo delle ONG internazionali], Münster 2004; Conflitti e mediazione, Milano 2003, (con Emanuele Arielli); La guerra del Kosovo, Roma: Editori Riuniti 1999 ((con Emanuele Arielli).


    Abstract

    Il lavoro partirà dalla riscoperta delle nostre capacità quotidiane di affrontare e ben gestire le difficoltà e i conflitti che viviamo ogni giorno, e giungerà ad illustrare il lavoro di mediazione e trasformazione dei conflitti degli operatori di pace professionisti di oggi, in particolare presentando il lavoro di organizzazioni come Nonviolent Peaceforce e Peace Brigades International.

  • Biography

    Corinna Noack-Aetopulos, Director of Programmes at the Center for Democracy and Reconciliation in Southeast Europe, studied European Business Administration in Berlin and Cambridge. Before joining the Civil Society Sector and focusing on projects that foster democracy and reconciliation, she was part of strategic planning teams in the German retail industry, working on increasing companies’ competitiveness and on change management.


    Abstract

    The workshop will invite discussion on two central questions: Should teachers play a more decisive role in preparing the young generation for managing the complexity of perspectives in a globalised world? What would be important learning objectives in the social, emotional and cognitive domain that will help students to reconcile conflicting interests and expectations in real-life settings? During the workshop, two case studies of the CDRSEE’s work on education in the Western Balkans will be presented: The “Joint History Project” is based on the belief that history lessons should offer opportunities for constructively exchanging different views and for building understanding amongst nations and ethnic groups. “Teaching for Learning” promotes ways to re-work didactics in all subjects towards empowering students for managing information overload and for developing the courage needed for free, independent thinking.

  • Biography

    Markus Ingenlath is the Secretary General of the FRANCO-GERMAN YOUTH OFFICE (FGYO- OFAJ) since 2012. He has been the Vice-division manager of "Political programs and analyses" and the Head of Coordination Office for the Christian Democratic Party and has worked for the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Moscow and the BMW Company in Munich. He has a Diploma in “International Relations” at the Diplomatic Academy in Vienna, a Doctor’s degree in modern and contemporary history, Ancient history and communication studies at the Ludwig-Maximilans-University in Munich, a PhD at the German Historical Institute in Paris. He has published: "Mental Armament. Tendencies of militarisation in France and Germany", Frankfurt (Campus), 1998 and "Religious communities in Russia" (in cooperation with Konstantin Kostjuk), publishes in Russia under Putin: Ways without democracy or the Russian way towards democracy?, Oberhausen (Athena), 2005, p. 225-233


    Abstract

    The French-German Youth Office (FGYO): a bilateral institution, with the legal status of an international organization offering to young people the possibility of crossborder and intercultural dialogue to develop a common ability to perform together in Europe.

    How can other quarreling regions or multiethnic countries as well as the European Union benefit from this Franco-German experience?

    In 1963 Chancellor Konrad Adenauer and President Charles de Gaulle had the idea to reconcile their nations with the aid of their youth. The FGYO was founded and since then 8 million young people participated in 300.000 exchange programs. Numerous professionals have been trained to support the participants in their intercultural and personal experiences.

    The French-German reconciliation process not only lead to a deep cooperation between the French and German societies on many different levels, it was also an important element and often a motor of the European integration process.

    This workshop wants to give an overview of the necessary political and societal frame conditions and name the most important aspects for a successful reconciliation process. A discussion will be held on how Balkan states, northern African countries, or the European Union itself can profit from these experiences as source of inspiration and from the concrete instruments developed within this process.

    Aspects to discuss:

    • Foundation and evolution of the FGYO
    • Guidelines und principles of its work (interculturalism, awareness of differences and tolerance, education based on the understanding of differences, curiosity, strengthening of democracy, human rights and civil society, value of multilingualism, strengthening of the European idea)
    • Common and differing experiences
    • Frame conditions, basic conditions for exchange programs in the different regions (civil society, education, laws, financial/political/geopolitical interests, and government’s support).
    • Advantages for Europe
  • Biography

    Evi Guggenheim Shbeta is a Clinical Social Worker; Family, Group and Individual Psychotherapist, working as clinical director in Amcha, an institution which provides psychosocial support for Holocaust survivors and their offspring.  She also works in the Communication and Development office of Neve Shalom/Wahat al Salam.

    Born and raised in Switzerland to an observant Jewish family, she immigrated to Israel after high school. As her awareness grew of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, she became involved, from 1977, in the founding group of Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam: the region's only joint Jewish-Palestinian multi-faith intentional community.  From the late 1970s, she assisted in the development of the village's pioneering School for Peace. For many years, she coordinated the committee charged with accepting new families, and is today involved in public relations work for community. As a representative of the village she lived for three years with her husband and family in Switzerland.

    Evi is also the GNRC representative of Arigatou foundation in Israel.

    Together with Eyas Shbeta she has written a popular book, about her experience which was published in French as Le Mariage de la Paix and in German as Oase des Friedens: Wie eine Jüdin und ein Palästinenser in Israel ihre Liebe leben.

    Evi is married and mother to three children. 

    Eyas Shbeta, a Palestinian of Israeli citizenship, was born in 1956 in the village of Tira, Israel.  Educated in local schools, he studied for  his BA in philosophy and Hebrew language from Tel Aviv University.  From 1980 he became one of the founding members of Wahat al-Salam – Neve Shalom (WAS-NS), which is the country's only intentional Jewish – Arab community. 

    Over his years in WAS-NS he has fulfilled numerous roles in both municipal and educational functions.  He was an early staff-member and then director of the School for Peace.  He has served as the general secretary of the community and is currently (2014) the municipal general manager.  He has also done valuable public relations work for the community, representing the village abroad and frequently being interviewed for the news media.

    In his personal life, Eyas is married to Evi Guggenheim Shbeta and the couple has three daughters.  Outside of WAS-NS, Eyas has also filled instrumental roles in a number of other NGOs such as the Adam Institute for Democracy and Peace and the Partnership association. He has also continued his education with legal studies and vocational courses and worked as a high school teacher.

    Together with Evi Guggenheim Shbeta he has written a popular book, about her experience which was published in French as Le Mariage de la Paix and in German as Oase des Friedens: Wie eine Jüdin und ein Palästinenser in Israel ihre Liebe leben.


    Abstract

    For almost 70 years a bloody conflict with numerous wars is going on between the Jewish and Palestinian people in Israel/Palestine both claiming equal rights for the same land. In midst of this conflict a group of Palestinians and Jews with Israeli citizenship have initiated a conjoint village, a model of living together in peace and mutual respect, sharing the land, power, administration and education while each keeping his national, religious and cultural identity.

    The model has existed for almost 40 years overcoming conflicts and tensions in and outside the village.

    The members of the village believe in the educational way to achieve peace. Therefor five different peace educational institutions have been developed and function in Wahat al Salam/Neve Shalom: The School for Peace which has received many awards for having developed a unique model of peace building dialogue among groups in conflict, The educational system from nursery to the end of primary school which developed a unique way of bilingual and binational education for children coming from two national groups in conflict which has been imitated by other schools in the country, the pluralistic spiritual center making dialogue between different religions and the "Nadi" youth club for developing the next generation of peace builders. An international college for a Master's Program in Peace and conflict studies is being developed in these days.

    Eyas Shbeta and Evi Guggenheim Shbeta are active members in the life of the village since its early days.

    In the workshop they will share the challenges and successes of the village and its peace educational institutions. Through an exercise they will let you experience in an active way what it means to live with people who belong to a group your own people is in a national conflict with.

  • Biography

    Prof. (Emeritus) Salomon received his B.A. and M.A. from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel (1966), and his Ph.D. in educational psychology and communication from Stanford University (1968). Since then he has taught at various universities around the world. Salomon concentrated on the emplyment of computer technology in education and more recently on research on peace education. Prof. Salomon was the dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of Haifa, Israel, (1993-8) and a professor of educational psychology there. Salomon received a number of awards and honors from universities and organization in Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, the USA and the Israel National Award ("Israel Award") for life long achievements in educational research (2001); he was the editor of Educational Psychologist (1991-5), president of the Educational and Instructional Division of the International Association of Applied Psychology (1990-1994), and fellow of the APA (1983) and the AERA (1993).

    Salomon has written four books: (one of them announced as a "Citation Classic"); and edited three books . He has also published more than 120 empirical, theoretical, and methodological articles in a various international professional journals in the fields of technology, learning, cognition and learning; educational evaluation, and peace education. Salomon is currently retired but active in Jewish-Atab NGOs.


    Abstract

    One hopes that the effects of peace education (PE) are lasting positive changes of attitudes toward the adversary, willingness for contact with it, reduced prejudices, fewer negative stereotypes, reduced fears of it and legitimization of its collective narrative. Research so far shows that while effects can, under particular conditions, lead to the desired changes, these changes (a) do not withstand the adverse forces of the received collective narratives and the consensually held ethos of the conflict, and (b) do not show any social "ripple effect" as they are limited to those who participate in the PE programs. There are ways to overcome the poor durability of PE's effects and ways to help spread their effects. These will be discussed at the workshop.

Closing session - 03-05-2015 - Morning

  • Biography

    Former Ambassador to India, after being for five years (2003-2008) Ambassador to Iran. Until 2003, he was Head of Policy Planning at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and chaired  the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Development Assistance Committee network on conflict, peace, and development co-operation. As a career diplomat, he has served in a number of other posts (Chile, USSR, Spain, United States, as well as at Italy’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations at Geneva). He holds a degree in law from the University of Parma and an M.A. from the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University, which he attended as a Fulbright fellow. In 1987-88 he was a Fellow at the Center for International Affairs of Harvard University. From 2000 to 2003, he was a visiting professor of international relations in the Department of Political Science at LUISS University in Rome. He is the author of books and articles (on human rights, peacekeeping, conflict prevention, ethics and international relations) published in Italy, the U.S., France, Spain and India.