Supported by Global Secretariat of GPPAC (Global Partnership for Prevention of Armed Conflicts) from Hague, www.gppac.net

Implementation period: July – December 2017

OBJECTIVES:

Objective 1. To continue a process of joint development and implementation of an educational subject in the schools of the Republic of Moldova and its breakaway region of Transnistria, a process that already allows more than 1500 children from the two sides to acquire new social skills in the field of intercultural communication and cooperation.

Objective 2. To develop, test and introduce innovative teaching methods with diverse content and cultural heritage, and thus increase the understanding of the cultural diversity.

Objective 3. To increase mutual understanding, culture of peace and solidarity between separated areas through meetings and collaborations among organizations and educational institutions of different countries and regions.

Objective 4. To provide the Moldovan (including Transnistria) educational system with knowledge, skills and instruments (schoolbooks, manuals, guides) for professional educational activities aimed to teach intercultural tolerance and culture of peace at elementary school level.

ACTIVITIES:

1. Development of teaching material by working groups;
2. Teacher trainings, Chisinau and Tiraspol (4th grade);
3. Piloting the schoolbooks in 30 schools (4th grade);
4. Printing educational materials for children in the 4^th grade of pilot schools in Moldova / Transnistria;
5. Monitoring and evaluation of pilot schools (4th grade);
6. Teacher evaluation conference, project follow-up;
7. Dissemination of the pilot results and revising of pilot teaching materials.

OUTPUTS:

• School materials for 4^th graders, informing about different traditions and cultures. At least four different cultural groups/traditions/languages appear in each schoolbook. Children are engaged to participate in the various cultural expressions.
• Printed schoolbooks and curriculum for 850 children and 30 teachers.
• Trainings in the school course and its interactive methods performed. Total of 30 teachers during 2 days receive training.
• School course presented and its approbation has successfully started, involving approximately 1500 children in 4th grade of schooling. Approbation of one year in 30 primary schools covering a range of regions. Potentially measurable: positive indication of school children’s behavior/attitudes.
• Systematic meetings between creative groups, involved NGOs, teachers and government representatives.
• Future steps toward integrating a peace educational course in the school system of Moldova are developed. Target: Agreements reached regarding continuation of efforts; NGOs, educators and government representatives are supportive.

OUTCOMES:

• Increased knowledge and positive notions about surrounding cultural groups, arts, languages and traditions among approx. 1500 children in different parts of Moldova, including Transnistria and the Gagauz autonomy.
• School teachers are introduced to and trained to use interactive teaching methods in civic and multicultural education.
• NGOs on both sides of the Dniester participated in creating the school curricula and cooperated with educational ministries and institutions.
• Information and experiences shared between teachers and educational specialists from different regions and countries.
• Educational representatives and project participants found common interests and agreed upon deepened cooperation.
• Good/advanced practices disseminated at local and national levels.
• Final versions of piloted teaching materials revised and disseminated in whole country.

BENEFICIARIES:

Direct beneficiaries are all teachers  and pupils at the pilot schools, who will be affected by the course and its teachings. Indirect beneficiaries are parents of the pilot school children, as well their broader communities.

IMPACT

To strength the relations between the regions and the intercultural schooling in Moldova, including Transnistria, through the development and implementation of a peaceful neighborhood course in cooperation across borders and between government agencies and civil society organizations. The project will be based on and will enhance the impact of previous efforts in developing an intercultural training course for schools in Moldova and the Transnistrian region. For the first time since the violent conflict of 1992 educators from the two sides are working in cooperation on developing a course for their school systems and children from both sides of the divide are being taught important social skills of intercultural communication based on similar educational courses.

Coordinator: Viorica GORAŞ-POSTICĂ