On March 5, 2019, CELL partnered with USAID's ECCN to organize the webcast, From Divisive Stereotypes to Inclusive Identities: The Role of Educational Materials in Crisis and Conflict-Affected Settings. This webcast, which built off of discussions from CELL's workshop on Violent Pasts in Brussels on January 15th, is now available online.
DESCRIPTION
Educational materials, such as textbooks, are fundamental sources from which children and youth develop perceptions of themselves and the societies to which they belong. When such key educational texts include divisive and discriminatory representations or omissions about the past and present, they can reinforce divisions between ‘us’ and ‘them’ and set the stage for conflict and violence. The role of textbooks in perpetuating or overcoming divisive stereotypes, whether in the domain of ethnicity, ‘race,’ gender, or another identity category, must not be underestimated. This webcast aims to examine different approaches to reducing divisive content and promoting inclusive identities within textbooks and other educational media, including reporting on and discussing key outcomes of a recent ECCN Partner Initiative on Violent Pasts, organized by the Conflict and Education Learning Laboratory (CELL). This Partner Initiative brought together experts from different regions of the world, to learn from their varied experiences in dealing with issues of divisive educational content and fostering inter-cultural competencies.
PRESENTER: Rebeca Martinez: Reading and Instructional Program Advisor, USAID Reading and Literacy Team
MODERATOR: Atif Rizvi: Founder and Executive Director, Conflict & Education Learning Lab (CELL)
PANELISTS
Margaret Sinclair: Advisor and Consultant, Conflict & Education Learning Lab (CELL) and USAID Education in Crisis and Conflict Network (ECCN)
Dr. James Williams: UNESCO Chair in International Education for Development and Professor of International Education & International Affairs at the George Washington University (GW)
Robert Hakiza: Co-Founder and Executive Director, Young African Refugees for Integral Development (YARID)
CELL YOUNG RESEARCHERS
Luka Fleuren: Bachelor of Liberal Arts Alumna with a focus on Humanities and Social Sciences, University College Maastricht
Arthur Bribosia: Bachelor of Liberal Arts Candidate with a focus on Social Sciences, University College Maastricht
Click here to watch the webcast video.
Click here to read a blog post about CELL's work on Violent Pasts.