CDRSEE :: Center for Democracy and Reconciliation in Southeast Europe

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16-18 December, 2011 – History Education Meeting in Belgrade, Serbia. The Joint History Project's History Education Committee finalised its push to expand this highly successful history book series to cover more recent times. During a two-day meeting in Belgrade, the editors and contributors discussed the publication within a larger circle of participants and received input from a renowned international expert in the field of Southeast European History. The fruitful meeting was the last in a series of three meetings made possible by the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Institute for Sustainable Communities.

2 – 4 December, Dynamic Teaching Tools Concept Meeting in Thessaloniki – Some of the most accomplished educators and researchers from the region and from the United States gathered in Thessaloniki to create the framework for a new dynamic teaching methodology tool. This talented, multi-faceted group will ultimately publish a manual that will provide teachers with the latest research on teaching methods and ideas on how these methods can be used in their classrooms. While this project builds upon CDRSEE's highly successful Joint History Project, the information and ideas within will not be limited to history classes, but rather will be focused on the art of teaching in a rapidly changing society. The manual will be translated into six different languages. This was the first meeting, with the next scheduled for spring 2012 in Tirana. The project is funded by the European Union, under the IPA Programme.

1 December, 2011 – CDRSEE and the European Fund for the Balkans (EFB) will kick off a new project in December, organising a series of lively debates about controversial regional issues and broadcasting these debates via major local TV stations throughout the region. The idea of “Similarities Between Differences” is to foster an exchange of ideas and a real debate about the issues that are plaguing these countries, impeding EU accession and reconciliation. This is not your everyday talk show. This series will bring together untainted, well-respected and unbiased individuals from a wide field of social sciences, including anthropology, ethnology, cultural studies, applied ethics and many others. The topics will not be easy or comfortable, but the wider debates that spring from this series can lead to real solutions and a mutual understanding. More information on the EFB is available at www.balkanfund.org.

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JHP Athens Conference

International Conference on Condition and Prospects of History Teaching in Southeastern Europe

Athens, April 7 (BTA spec. correspondent Petko Azmanov) - It will take decades of strenuous effort to eliminate the damage done by presenting historical events through stereotypes, to establish the values of democracy and tolerance, and to achieve conciliation in an area dominated by hostility and lack of understanding.

This was the conclusion of the participants in a two-day international conference on the condition and prospects of history teaching in the Southeast European countries in the light of the process of conciliation and stabilization in the region. The conference, organized by the Centre for Democracy and Conciliation in Southeastern Europe and held in Athens, ended on Saturday.

The forum was attended by over 100 university and school teachers and scholars from 11 countries, Bulgaria included.

The nationalist approach to history predominates in almost all Balkan countries, the participants agreed, discussing the way of teaching controversial and sensitive historical events described in the history textbooks.

The participants discussed the results of the 14 seminars held on teaching controversial and sensitive themes at the educational establishments in the countries of Southeastern Europe. It was announced that a set of aids for history teachers was in preparation, translated in the languages of all countries in Southeastern Europe.

The participants in the forum, which took place within the framework of a joint project for the history of Southeastern Europe, called on the government of their countries and all nongovernmental organizations to continue their support and grant funds for the attainment of all ambitious goals of the project.