1. UNDERSTANDING THE ‘OTHER’ A PROGRAMME FOR 16-18-YEAR-OLDS TO TACKLE PREJUDICE, PREVENT EXTREMISM AND TEACH CONFLICT RESOLUTION SKILLS

2. THE MESSAGE This programme adapts the work of Parents Circle Families Forum – a charity that consists of Israelis & Palestinians bereaved by the conflict who work together for peace and reconciliation – for UK students. The 600 members of the forum use their loss & pain to appeal for an end to the cycle of violence in Israel/Palestine. If they, who have paid the highest price in the conflict, can sit with ‘the enemy’ and work together constructively then surely others can too. The focus is on making an emotional breakthrough. Often if someone makes this change it is long-lasting.

3. THE FORMAT The message of the forum will be used as a template to disseminate a wider conflict resolution message. Teachers will introduce the subject and get students to do some research on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict before the session/s take place Depending on the time available a shorter or longer documentary will be shown showcasing the work of the forum to stimulate discussion & debate and to give students a flavour of the personal human stories, the pain & the hope involved in this work. A Jew & a Muslim (Palestinian) will lead the sessions together.

4. THE FORMAT (CONT’D) Students will be given a series of exercises to complete. They will be asked to select one prejudice or dislike they have against an ‘other’ group, explain why they have this prejudice and ask how much they actually know about this ‘other’. Could they find out more? Do they have the whole picture? They will participate in role play where they have to act out the role of the ‘other’ that they are opposed to, trying to put themselves in the shoes of this ‘other’. How can feelings of fear, suspicion and hatred be addressed and changed? There will be opportunities for questions and discussion about the importance of empathy, trying not to take sides in order to resolve conflict and becoming more open to and tolerant of difference.

5. RELEVANCE TO NATIONAL CURRICULUM Teachers Standards published by the Department for Education in May 2012 refer to fundamental British values such as democracy, rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs. These values are also referred to in Prevent, the government’s new strategy to prevent extremism launched in 2011. The new OFSTED framework looks at how well schools promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. This programme can help to promote educational values of community cohesion and citizenship. This programme can support pastoral care work provided by schools by encouraging students to treat each other more respectfully and to better understand those they have defined as ‘other’.

6. WHICH SCHOOLS? This programme is suitable for both schools with a homogenous group of students and ones with students from a variety of different ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds. Faith schools may have a particular interest in this programme. Inter-school working will be promoted – for example bringing together students from Jewish & Muslim schools to participate in the programme together.