CDRSEE :: Center for Democracy and Reconciliation in Southeast Europe

News

1-3 July 2011 - Teacher Training Workshop in Subotica. The JHP keeps up its pace in Serbia, with its upcoming workshop in Subotica on 2-3 July! The workshop, funded under the IPA programme of the European Commission, will welcome 29 teachers and provide them with an opportunity to learn about the JHP methodologies and familiarise themselves with the workbooks. The participants will be assisted in creating their own model lessons based on the training, so as to consolidate their new skills for further use in class. As with all the JHP workshops, the training will aim at allowing history teachers to provide their pupils with participative, balanced and critical lessons, to foster tolerance and mutual understanding among the next generation of SEE citizens. The workshop, implemented in cooperation with the Croatian National Council in Subotica, will be guided by Goran Miloradovic, from the Association for Social History (Belgrade). Mr. Miloradovic, CDRSEE's long-standing partner and experienced trainer, will work jointly with Kresimir Erdelja, key member of the History Education Committee, and member of the CDRSEE's implementing partner (HUNP) in Zagreb.

June 2011 - JHP in Montenegro. Montenegro is one more country which will join the JHP and which will, in its own language, offer to its teachers and students a new manner of understanding history. Two prominent Montenegrin historians, Zvezdan Folic and Dragutin Papovic, are editors of the Montenegro language edition which will be printed by the end of the year. It is also our pleasure to collaborate with the Ministry of Education and the Institute for textbooks as a co publisher. Click here to read the whole article and see the video files.

30 May -1 June 2011: Set up meetings in Tirana, Albania. CDRSEE kick started the next phase of the Joint History Project (JHP) in Albania, with a series of meetings with partners and local authorities. More specifically, the CDRSEE met important actors in the education sector such as the Center for Democratic Education and the History Teaching Association in Albania, as well as the Educational Advisor of the Prime Minister and the Head of European Integration at the Ministry of Education. The aim of these meetings was to draw up an action plan that will ensure successful implementation of the JHP in an inclusive and cooperative manner. The JHP in Albania strongly benefits from the valuable contributions of its local representatives Mr. Helian Demiri, who is the Editor of the Albanian language version of the JHP Alternative Educational Materials and Dr. Valentina Duka from the Faculty of History and Philology at the University of Tirana.

The joint history project has been made possible through the kind financial assistance of the following:

Dr Peter Mahringer Fonds, The Royal Dutch Embassy in Athens, Two anonymous donors, Austrian Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, UK FCO, Swiss Development Agency,
Cyprus Federation of America, Winston Foundation for World Peace

News

Joint History Project Successes

The Greek Language Edition:

On November 8th 2006, the Greek Language Edition of the History Workbooks was presented at the Foreign Press Association in Athens, to a distinguished audience of academics, diplomats, politicians and the press.

Costa Carras (CDRSEE Board Member responsible for the JHP) and Christina Koulouri (Academic Supervisor and Editor) headed up a panel of exceptional diversity and intellect, all of whom spoke eloquently about the importance of the History Workbooks to Greece and the region.

The panel comprised Mr Nikos Georgiadis, MP (Nea Dimokratia), Dr Marilena Koppa, Assistant Professor, Panteion University of Athens and member of the National Council of Pasok, Professor Antonis Liakos, University of Athens and Professor Thanos Veremis, University of Athens.

From left – right: C. Koulouri, N. Georgiadis, P. Tsimas

The discussion that followed the speeches was moderated by Mr Pavlos Tsimas, Journalist.

The presentation was attended by 3 ambassadors and a large number of cultural attachés as well as teachers, journalists and Greek political and business figures. The response to the presentation was overwhelmingly positive, with an engaging discussion and many important points raised.

Serbian Language Edition:

The CDRSEE implemented its first ‘Training of Trainers’ Conference in Belgrade between 1-3 of September. 15 specially selected teachers attended and gained and developed new skills with which to train teachers in the use of the History Workbooks.

Participants at the Belgrade Training of Trainers conference

With 93% of participants showing a definite willing to use the material in their classes and 100% noting that the Workbooks had a lot of positive aspects, the workshops was heralded as a success.

Having completed their training, the trainers will now go on to train other teachers and Serbia will be the first country in which the project is fully handed over to the final beneficiaries – the teachers and students of Serbia.

Participants of the Local Teacher Training workshop with the President of Serbia Mr Boris Tadic

The first Local Teacher Training workshop took place in Niš, Serbia on October 21-22th with equally positive outcomes. Energetic discussions, sharing of ideas, development of skills and mutual support were the underlying themes. The highlight of the event was a visit by the President of Serbia, Mr Boris Tadic who expressed his interest and support.

The next Workshop will take place in Novi Pazar, 25-26 November.