Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education

Last updated
Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education
Founded1998 [1]
FounderYohanan Manor [2]
FocusAreas of conflict
Area served
School Textbook Analysis
MethodDeveloped by IMPACT-SE using international criteria for curriculum analysis
Key people
Helene Bornstein [2] Marcus Sheff [2] Arik Agassi [2]
Website www.impact-se.org

The Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-SE), formerly known as the Center for Monitoring the Impact of Peace (CMIP), is an Israeli non-profit organization that monitors the content of school textbooks, [3] specifically how they educate in relation to religion, societies, cultures, democratic values and the 'Other'. [4] It examines school curricula worldwide, to determine whether the material conforms to international standards as derived from UNESCO declarations and resolutions, advocating for change when necessary. The organization believes that education should be utilized to encourage tolerance, pluralism and democracy, and promote peaceful means of solving conflicts. [3]

Contents

Scope and impact

IMPACT report, 2000 ArabsandPalestiniansinIsraeliTextbooks.jpg
IMPACT report, 2000

The organization analyzes textbooks, teachers' guides and curricula from across the world. Examples include in-depth reports on Egypt, [5] Turkey, [6] North America, [7] Israel, [8] Palestinian Authority, [9] Syria [10] and Iran. [11] These reports have examined a range of issues including attitudes towards peace, tolerance, democracy and minorities.

The impact of these reports has included the European Parliament's decision to freeze [12] elements of Palestinian Authority funding until curricula are brought into line with international standards. The same report by the organization led to questions being raised publicly over similar funding from governments in Switzerland, [13] Germany [14] and UK. [15] In Israel, [16] the organization's reporting generated media analysis of failures in the publicly funded ultra-Orthodox Jewish educational system. The organization was also invited to help create a curriculum for Syrian children seeking refuge in Greece. [17]  

Methodology

The organization applies methodological standards to its reporting, which are based on UNESCO and UN declarations and resolutions. This is a condensed version of the standards for peace and tolerance in school education:

  1. RESPECT: The curriculum should promote tolerance, understanding and respect toward the "Other," his or her culture, achievements, values and way of life.
  2. INDIVIDUAL OTHER: The curriculum should foster personal attachment toward the Other as an individual, his or her desire to be familiar, loved and appreciated.
  3. NO HATE: The curriculum should be free of wording, imagery and ideologies likely to create prejudices, misconceptions, stereotypes, misunderstandings, mistrust, racial hatred, religious bigotry and national hatred, as well as any other form of hatred or contempt for other groups or peoples.
  4. PEACEMAKING: The curriculum should develop capabilities for non-violent conflict resolution and promote peace.
  5. UNBIASED INFORMATION: Educational materials (textbooks, workbooks, teachers’ guides, maps, illustrations, aids) should be up-to-date, accurate, complete, balanced and unprejudiced, and use equal standards to promote mutual knowledge and understanding between different peoples.
  6. GENDER:The curriculum should foster equality and mutual respect between women and men. It should refrain from stereotyped gender roles.
  7. SOUND PROSPERITY and COOPERATION: The curriculum should educate for sound and sustainable economic conduct and preservation of the environment for future generations. It should encourage regional and local cooperation to that effect

Publications

Publications by the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education include:

Media

Reports in the media which include the work of the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education include:

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UNRWA</span> United Nations agency supporting Palestinian refugees

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East is a UN agency that supports the relief and human development of Palestinian refugees. UNRWA's mandate encompasses Palestinians who fled or were expelled during the Nakba, the 1948 Palestine War, and subsequent conflicts, as well as their descendants, including legally adopted children. As of 2019, more than 5.6 million Palestinians are registered with UNRWA as refugees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Middle East and North Africa</span> Geographic region

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA), also referred to as West Asia and North Africa (WANA) or South West Asia and North Africa (SWANA), is a geographic region which comprises the Middle East and North Africa together. However, it is widely considered to be a more defined and apolitical alternative to the concept of the Greater Middle East, which comprises the bulk of the Muslim world. The region has no standardized definition and groupings may vary, but the term typically includes countries like Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, the UAE, and Yemen.

Bias in curricula refers to real or perceived bias in educational textbooks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ayoob Kara</span> Israeli politician

Ayoob Kara is an Israeli Druze politician. He has served as a member of the Knesset for Likud in four spells between 1999 and 2021, and as Minister of Communications.

The Saudi Arabian textbook controversy refers to criticism of the content of school textbooks in Saudi Arabia following the September 11 attacks.

Textbooks in Israel and the Palestinian territories have been an issue within the larger Israeli–Palestinian conflict.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jordan–Syria relations</span> Bilateral relations

Jordan–Syria relations are bilateral relations between the sovereign states of Jordan and Syria. Relations between neighbours have ancient roots as both countries are historically parts of the Levant or the region of Syria. The two states were created after the First World War from former Ottoman dominions by way of a secret bilateral agreement between Britain and France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arab–Israeli conflict</span> Geopolitical conflict in the Middle East and North Africa

The Arab–Israeli conflict is the phenomenon involving political tension, military conflicts, and other disputes between various Arab countries and Israel, which escalated during the 20th century. The roots of the Arab–Israeli conflict have been attributed to the support by Arab League member countries for the Palestinians, a fellow League member, in the ongoing Israeli–Palestinian conflict; this in turn has been attributed to the simultaneous rise of Zionism and Arab nationalism towards the end of the 19th century, though the two national movements had not clashed until the 1920s.

Textbooks in Israel are published in Israel by the Ministry of Education of Israel and other educational institutions.

The article describes the state of race relations and racism in the Middle East. Racism is widely condemned throughout the world, with 174 states parties to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination by April 8, 2011. In different countries, the forms that racism takes may be different for historic, cultural, religious, economic or demographic reasons.

<i>Palestinian Textbooks</i>

Palestinian Textbooks: From Arafat to Abbas and Hamas is a March 2008 publication by the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-SE) and the American Jewish Committee (AJC). The book summarizes former analyses by IMPACT-SE of Palestinian Authority textbooks, beginning in 1998, and outlines how Palestinian school textbooks have changed or not changed under the leadership of Yassir Arafat, Mahmoud Abbas, and Hamas regarding the portrayal of peace and the 'Other', namely Israel and Jews.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jews, Israel and Peace in Palestinian School Textbooks</span>

Jews, Israel and Peace in Palestinian School Textbooks is a November 2001 publication by the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-SE) -- then the Center for Monitoring the Impact of Peace (CMIP) -- on how Palestinian school textbooks portray peace and the 'Other', namely Jews and Israel. The publication is the first in a series of textbook analyses on Palestinian textbooks, with the most recent publication, Palestinian Textbooks: From Arafat to Abbas and Hamas, published in March 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saudi Arabia–Turkey relations</span> Bilateral relations

Saudi Arabia and Turkey relations have long fluctuated between cooperation and alliance to enmity and distrust. Since the 19th century, the two nations have always had a complicated relationship. While Turkey and Saudi Arabia are major economic partners, the two have a tense political relationship, deemed from the historic enmity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Israel–Jordan relations</span> Bilateral relations

Israel–Jordan relations are the diplomatic, economic and cultural relations between Israel and Jordan. The two countries share a land border, with three border crossings: Yitzhak Rabin/Wadi Araba Crossing, Jordan River Crossing and the Allenby/King Hussein Bridge Crossing, that connects the West Bank with Jordan. The relationship between the two countries is regulated by the Israel–Jordan peace treaty in 1994, which formally ended the state of war that had existed between the two countries since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, and also established diplomatic relations, besides other matters. Relations between the countries get strained from time to time, usually over tensions at the Al-Aqsa mosque. On 8 October 2020, Israel and Jordan reached an agreement to allow flights to cross over both countries’ airspace.

The Protocols of the Elders of Zion is a fabricated antisemitic text purporting to describe a Jewish plan to achieve global domination. The text was fabricated in the Russian Empire, and was first published in 1903. While there is continued popularity of The Protocols in nations from South America to Asia, since the defeat of Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and Imperial Japan in World War II, governments or political leaders in most parts of the world have generally avoided claims that The Protocols represent factual evidence of a real Jewish conspiracy. The exception to this is the Middle East, where a large number of Arab and Muslim regimes and leaders have endorsed them as authentic. Past endorsements of The Protocols from Presidents Gamal Abdel Nasser and Anwar Sadat of Egypt, Iraqi President Arif, King Faisal of Saudi Arabia, and Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi of Libya, among other political and intellectual leaders of the Arab world, are echoed by 21st century endorsements from the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Sheikh Ekrima Sa'id Sabri, and Hamas, to the education ministry of Saudi Arabia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women in Palestine</span>

The lives of Palestinian women have transformed throughout many historical changes including Ottoman control, the British Mandate, and Israeli control. The founding of the Palestine Liberation Organization in 1964 and the later establishment of the Palestinian Authority in 1994 also played a role in redefining the roles of women in Palestine and across the Palestinian diaspora. Arab women have been involved in resistance movements in Palestine, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon throughout the 20th century and into the 21st century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Israel–Saudi Arabia relations</span> Bilateral relations

The State of Israel and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have never had formal diplomatic relations. In 1947, Saudi Arabia voted against the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine, and currently does not recognize Israeli sovereignty. However, as of 2023, bilateral negotiations towards Israeli–Saudi normalization are ongoing, with the United States serving as the two sides' mediator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Israel/Palestine Center for Research and Information</span>

The Israel/Palestine Center for Research and Information is a joint Israeli/Palestinian NGO and public policy think tank based in Jerusalem working towards building partnerships in Israel/Palestine. Under shared Israeli-Palestinian leadership, IPCRI carries out research and projects in various fields from economic development to environmental sustainability. IPCRI also facilitates public outreach and track two negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians.

Academic freedom in the Middle East is a contested and debated issue, which has caught regional and international attention. In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, in general, the authoritarian regimes have all showed a certain degree of opposition to every sort of freedom, academic one not excluded, regardless of the type of regime basis they had. Freedom for academicians to inquiry, research, teach and communicate ideas or report facts without being threatened or persecuted or with the possibility of losing their position, being censored or repressed is threatened. What contributes to academic freedom violations is also that they are essential elements for the regimes to maintain their power and in addition to this issue, interstate and civil wars as well as internal disorders and external intervention can damage educational structures and institutions. Additionally, as far as the regime is concerned, a security or national threat can be a pretest for suffocate or suspend academic research and debate. Restrictions on academic freedom also regards the topics of research, which are under significant constraints, although these might be highly interesting and worth researching.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marcus Sheff</span>

Marcus Sheff is an Israeli-British non-profit chief executive officer (CEO), former media executive and journalist.

References

  1. IMPACT-se. "History". IMPACT-se. Archived from the original on 5 December 2008. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 4 IMPACT-se. "Staff". IMPACT-se. Archived from the original on 21 November 2008. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  3. 1 2 "IMPACT-se – Institute for monitoring peace and cultural tolerance in school education". IMPACT-se. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  4. IMPACT-se. "About". impact-se.org. Archived from the original on 21 November 2008. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  5. IMPACT-se. "Egypt". IMPACT-se. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  6. 1 2 IMPACT-se. "Turkey". IMPACT-se. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  7. IMPACT-se. "North America". IMPACT-se. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  8. IMPACT-se. "Israel". IMPACT-se. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  9. 1 2 Pardo, Eldad J. (September 2018). "The New Palestinian Curriculum 2018–19 Update—Grades 1–12" (PDF). IMPACT-se.
  10. 1 2 IMPACT-se (July 2018). "Syria". IMPACT-se. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  11. "Iran". IMPACT-se. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  12. 1 2 "European Parliament committee votes to freeze €15M to PA over inciting textbooks". 27 September 2018.
  13. 1 2 "UNO-Schulbücher verherrlichen Terroristen" [UN schoolbooks are glorifying terrorists]. Der Bund (in German). 5 January 2019. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
  14. "Outrage over taxpayer money funding Palestinian school book praising Munich Olympic terrorists". Jerusalem Post .[ dead link ]
  15. Harpin, Lee (December 18, 2019). "LFI blasts review into textbooks". The Jewish Chronicle .
  16. "החילונים "ריקניים", הרפורמים "רשעים": מה לומדים הילדים החרדים". Ynet. 28 June 2017.
  17. "Jerusalem-Based Watchdog, Israeli School Partner to Develop 'Peace' Curriculum for Refugee Kids in Greece". Algemeiner. 27 August 2018.
  18. Pardo, Eldad J., ed. (2016). "Iranian Education: The Continuous Revolution" (PDF). IMPACT-se.
  19. Pardo, Eldad J., ed. (15 March 2016). "Between Sharia and Democracy: Islamic Education in North America" (PDF). IMPACT-se.
  20. Manor, Yohanan (2015). "Inculcating Islamist Ideals in Egypt" (PDF). IMPACT-se.
  21. "Israel".
  22. "Reports on Egyptian Textbooks". impact-se.org. Archived from the original on 13 April 2009. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  23. "Reports on Iranian Textbooks". impact-se.org. Archived from the original on 21 November 2008. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  24. "Reports on Israeli Textbooks". impact-se.org. Archived from the original on 13 August 2009. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  25. Reports on Palestinian Authority Textbooks Archived 2023-11-09 at the Wayback Machine
  26. "Reports on Saudi Arabian Textbooks". impact-se.org. Archived from the original on 21 November 2008. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  27. "Britain gives £20m for schools glorifying martyrs and jihad". The Times .
  28. Libre.be, La. "Quand des manuels scolaires palestiniens promeuvent le martyre: la Belgique impliquée". www.lalibre.be. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  29. "Elliott Abrams: Why are Palestinian children being taught to hate?". Newsweek. 3 May 2017. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  30. "Another dangerous ideological touch to education". Hürriyet Daily News. 25 January 2017. Retrieved 21 January 2019.