Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education

Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education
Founded 1998 [1]
Founder Yohanan Manor [2]
Focus Areas of conflict
Area served
 School Textbook Analysis
Method Developed by IMPACT-SE using international criteria for curriculum analysis
Key people
 Yohanan Manor [2] Shelley Sandor Elkayam [2]
Slogan "Peace does not lie in covenants and charters alone. It lies in the hearts and minds of the people." -John F. Kennedy
Website http://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 a non-profit organization that monitors the content of school textbooks.[3] It examines school curricula worldwide, especially throughout the Middle East, to determine whether the material conforms to international standards and is teaching recognition and acceptance of the 'Other'.[4] The organization believes that education should be utilized to encourage tolerance, pluralism and democracy, and promote peaceful means of solving conflicts.[3]

In October 2011, IMPACT-SE opposed the recognition of Palestine at UNESCO, arguing that the Palestinian Authority does not meet the organization's recommendations for becoming a full member.[5]

Scope and impact

IMPACT report, 2000

The organization analyzes Israeli, Palestinian, Saudi Arabian, Syrian, Egyptian, Tunisian, and Iranian textbooks.[3] The organization has published reports relating to the understanding of terror,[6] the role of religion in schools,[7][8] as well as on the "indoctrination" of children in Iran.[9][10]

Methodology

The organization analyzes textbooks according to the following criteria:[11]

  1. "Is the data given accurate and complete?"
  2. "Are illustrations, maps, and graphs up-to-date and accurate?"
  3. "Are the achievements of others recognized?"
  4. "Are equal standards applied?"
  5. "Are political disputes presented objectively and honestly?"
  6. "Is wording likely to create prejudice, misapprehension, and conflict?"
  7. "Are the ideals of freedom, dignity, and fraternity being promoted?"
  8. "Are the following needs being emphasized: international cooperation, elaboration of common human ideals, advancement of the cause of peace, and enforcement of the law?"
  9. "How are other peoples, religions, and communities perceived? Are they recognized, accepted as equal, and respected? Or are they presented in a stereotyped and prejudiced way?"
  10. "Does education foster peace? Does it support a peace process? Is there room for improvement?"

According to the organization's website, criteria one through eight were recommended by UNESCO experts.[11]

Publications

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

Criticism

The reports of the Institute for Monitoring the Impact of Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education pertain to the Arab-Israeli conflict. The organization's website provides links to critiques of the organization as well as the organization's response.[3] One such criticism includes that of Prof. Nathan Brown, who—in his Democracy, History, and the Contest over the Palestinian Curriculum article—described CMIP's reports on Palestinian textbooks as "tendentious and misleading." CMIP argues that Brown has not illustrated or substantiated this claim.[18][19][20]

See also

References

  1. ↑ History
  2. 1 2 3 Staff
  3. 1 2 3 4 Homepage
  4. ↑ About
  5. ↑ "NGO: PA doesn’t meet UNESCO statehood guidelines". Jerusalem Post.
  6. ↑ Manuel Vider (2002). Understanding Terror #1. Trafford Publishing. ISBN 978-1-55369-590-5.
  7. ↑ Alan C. Monheit, Joel C. Cantor (2004). State health insurance market reform: toward inclusive and sustainable health insurance markets. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-70035-1.
  8. ↑ Robert Murray Thomas (2006). Religion in schools: controversies around the world. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-275-99061-9.
  9. ↑ Mark John, Iran schools feed pupils "war curriculum", Reuters, Jan 30, 2007 .
  10. ↑ Eli Lake, Study: Iran Indoctrinating Children in Islamic Supremacism, The New York Sun, March 19, 2008
  11. 1 2 Methodology
  12. ↑ Reports on Egyptian Textbooks
  13. ↑ Reports on Iranian Textbooks
  14. ↑ Reports on Israeli Textbooks
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Reports on Palestinian Authority Textbooks
  16. ↑ Reports on Saudi Arabian Textbooks
  17. ↑ Reports on Syrian Textbooks
  18. ↑ Democracy, History, and the Contest over the Palestinian Curriculum by Prof. Nathan Brown on FMEP
  19. ↑ Letter by CMIP to Prof. Nathan Brown in response to his paper on "Democracy, History and the Contest over the Palestinian Curriculum"
  20. ↑ Correspondence between CMIP and Prof. Nathan Brown in response to CMIP's correspondence with Peter Hansen of UNRWA

External links

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