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Home Hussein Issa Arrest of Ibrahim Issa- NYT Home of Peace Education in the Middle East This is our goal at Al Amal, to infuse our children with the importance, beauty and necessity of peace. Hussein Ibrahim Issa |
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Home Hussein Issa Arrest of Ibrahim Issa- NYT Home of Peace Education in the Middle East This is our goal at Al Amal, to infuse our children with the importance, beauty and necessity of peace. Hussein Ibrahim Issa |
Education for Peace and Democracy
Unique among West Bank elementary schools, this is Al Amal's declared educational philosophy. It is expressed throughout most of the school's activities (see below), but explicitly integrated into the class curriculum of all grade levels, currently 1 through 6. Each week every classroom has the equivalent of one lesson on the topic, appropriate to their level of understanding, from practicing kindness to animals, to basic ideas about the negatives of stereotyping. Center for Peace & Democracy Activities Both leading and responding to the emerging concerns of the Palestinian people, Al Amal initiates and hosts programs for the adult community of the alKhader and south Bethlehem area. These include regularly scheduled parents' meetings to hear community concerns, re: children's education and more broadly; meetings for all interested adults on the topic of democratic elections, with a professional facilitator; meetings about other common concerns, like health practices, in order to empower local people with information to take action on their own behalf. Community Outreach The most long-standing expression of Al Amal's educational philosophy, building bridges for peace and justice with Jewish people in Israel, has been integral to the school's approach since its beginning 11 years ago. Field trips for children and their mothers take them into safe, open contact situations at places in Israel that support such attempts to increase knowledge and reduce fear between the peoples - places like the School for Peace at Neve Shalom/Wahat asSalaam and the Open House in Ramle. In 1995 a sister school relationship was formed with a school in Israel, the Democratic School of Hadera, on the basis of mutual visits by the staff in the spring. Ongoing contacts will bring sharing of the cultures, attitudes on democracy, and practices in democratic education (like student election to membership on operating committees, now in both schools). Hope Flowers / Al-Amal has cultivated a warm relationship with the Adam School in Jerusalem and has organized numerous meetings with Israeli schools with the gracious support of the Peres Peace Center and other groups.Larger Community
Al Amal has attracted the attention and spiritual and material support of friends from Israel and very far abroad, people who believe in the school's relational approach to peace and justice. Rabbis and other Jewish educators from Jerusalem visit the school for talks about Judaism. Peace activists and educators from Holland, the UK, Sweden, Germany, the US - Christians, Jews, Muslims - visit and encourage and stimulate development of this educational way.
From The Jerusalem Post
May 3, 1996
IN JERUSALEM
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Against All Odds |
A school where Israeli and Palestinian children can come together in the name of peace, is quietly being established in Bethlehem.
Judi Golubtchik reports.
"Israeli and Palestinian destinies are inevitably tied. Because they are living in the same land, they have no choice but to work together to try and forge a peaceful coexistence," says Hussein Ibrahim Issa, the founder and director of the Al Amal ("The Hope") Child Care Center in Bethlehem.
Issa founded Al Amal on this principle, intending to build conditions for peace with the Israeli people, while concentrating on meeting the basic needs of the Palestinian children. The school, located in the village of al-Khader in west Bethlehem, began 11 years ago with one kindergarten class, and has since expanded up to sixth grade with over 220 students.
Since Al Amal receives no public finding from either the Palestinian Authority or the Israeli government, it has had to rely on private donations from around the world. Benefactors include Jews, Christians and Moslems, with the majority of the center's funding coming from donors in Holland and the US. Parents of the students are also asked to pay the equivalent of NIS 43 per month to cover costs such as books and school supplies.
Gene Sandretto, who volunteers at Al Amal, donates his time to fund raising for the school, seeking out potential donors who are interested in promoting the cause of peace education.
"Al Amal is exactly the kind of friend Israel needs, because of its unique approach to making peace," explains Sandretto.
However, despite these ideals, the students at Al Amal have little contact with Israelis. There are no Jewish children at the school -- only Moslem and Christina, and no full time Jewish teachers. There are two Jewish women from Jerusalem who volunteer to teach three classes a week in Hebrew language. Occasionally, a rabbi visits the school to speak to the students about Judaism.
Nancy Margalit, one of the volunteers, also teaches Hebrew to parents at Al Amal. "There is a whole group of Palestinians who are trustworthy and want to get to know Israelis and establish a peaceful coexistence," she says. " The only way this can happen is through endeavors like Al Amal. One on one, it is clear that they are just like us. We all need to break down the stereotypes and get over the fear and mistrust."
Al Amal has expanded its approach and methods to include adults as well as children. During the campaign for the Palestinian elections, the school sponsored discussion groups about how democracy and elections work, and created opportunities for Palestinian National Council candidates from Bethlehem to speak to parents.
Issa claims the most difficult part of peace education for the children at Al Amal is the reconciliation between what the students learn at school and what they experience in their daily lives. He sees the periodic closure of the territories as "collective punishment," saying the children have stored up aggression and frustration.
"For this reason," says Issa, "Al Amal often takes the children on field trips to nature preserves in the Dead Sea and around Jericho area as a psychological treatment to help get out some of the aggression.
"Peace and democracy education should be given to infants with their mother's milk. This is our goal at Al Amal, to infuse our children with the importance, beauty and necessity of peace."
Helping Hope Flowers
Hope Flowers is saddled with tremendous debts. and cannot continue its work without your support. In the U.S., you can make a tax- exempt donation to: Orange County Middle East Peace Fund, P. O. Box 5891, Orange, CA 92863-5891. Mark your donation "For Hope Flowers School." You can also give money directly to the school:
Chase Manhattan Bank-New York
A/C Arab Jordan Investment Bank
Amman – Jordan Chips ID 136008
SWIFT AJIBJOAX
A/C Palestine Investment Bank
For Further Credit of "the Hope Flowers School"
A/C NO. 73535
Bethlehem Branch 76-411
Palestine
You can also help Hope Flowers by volunteering. The school welcomes the help of volunteers from all over the world - a rewarding experience you will not forget.
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