Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education

Infobox Non-profit
Non-profit_name = Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education
Non-profit_
Non-profit_type =
founded_date = 1998 [ [http://www.impact-se.org/about/history.html History] ]
founder = Yohanan Manor [http://www.impact-se.org/about/staff.html Staff] ]
origins =
key_people = Yohanan Manor
Arnon Groiss
area_served = School Textbook Analysis
focus = Arab-Israeli conflict
method =
revenue =
endowment =
num_volunteers =
num_employees =
num_members =
owner =
Non-profit_slogan = "Peace does not lie in covenants and charters alone. It lies in the hearts and minds of the people." -John F. Kennedy
homepage = http://www.impact-se.org/
dissolved =
footnotes =

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 which "examines the content of school textbooks used in the Middle East, to determine whether children are being taught to accept and recognize the right of the 'other' to exist" [http://www.impact-se.org/ Homepage] ] . It "examines school curricula worldwide, especially throughout the Middle East, to determine whether the material conforms to international standards, and to analyze what is being taught with regard to recognition and acceptance of the 'Other'" [http://www.impact-se.org/about/about.html About] ] . The organization believes "that education should be utilized to encourage an attitude of tolerance, pluralism, and democracy, and to promote peaceful means of solving conflicts" .

cope

The organization analyzes Israeli textbooks, Palestinian textbooks, Saudi Arabian textbooks, Syrian textbooks, Egyptian textbooks, and Iranian textbooks .

Methodology

The organization analyzes textbooks according to the following criteria [http://www.impact-se.org/research/methodology.html Methodology] ] :
#"Is the data given accurate and complete?"
#"Are illustrations, maps, and graphs up-to-date and accurate?"
#"Are the achievements of others recognized?"
#"Are equal standards applied?"
#"Are political disputes presented objectively and honestly?"
#"Is wording likely to create prejudice, misapprehension, and conflict?"
#"Are the ideals of freedom, dignity, and fraternity being promoted?"
#"Are the following needs being emphasized: international cooperation, elaboration of common human ideals, advancement of the cause of peace, and enforcement of the law?"
#"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?"
#"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 .

Publications

Publications by the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education include:
*Egyptian textbooks: "Jews, Christians, War and Peace in Egyptian School Textbooks" (published March 2004) [http://www.impact-se.org/research/egypt/index.html Reports on Egyptian Textbooks] ]
*Iranian textbooks: "The Attitude to the "Other" and to Peace in Iranian School Textbooks and Teachers' Guides" (published October 2006) [http://www.impact-se.org/research/iran/index.html Reports on Iranian Textbooks] ]
*Israeli textbooks: "Arabs, Palestinians, Islam and Peace in Israeli School Textbooks" (published 2000-2001, updated 2001-2002) [http://www.impact-se.org/research/israel/index.html Reports on Israeli Textbooks] ]
*Palestinian textbooks: "" (published March 2008) [http://www.impact-se.org/research/pa/index.html Reports on Palestinian Authority Textbooks] ]
*Palestinian textbooks: "" (published June 2005)
*Palestinian textbooks: "" (published August 2004)
*Palestinian textbooks: "" (published May 2003)
*Palestinian textbooks: "Jews, Israel and Peace in the Palestinian Authority Textbooks and High School Final Examinations" (published October 2002)
*Palestinian textbooks: "Jews, Israel and Peace in Palestinian School Textbooks" (published November 2001)
*Saudi Arabian textbooks: "The West, Christians and Jews in Saudi Arabian Schoolbooks" (published January 2003) [http://www.impact-se.org/research/sa/index.html Reports on Saudi Arabian Textbooks] ]
*Syrian textbooks: "Peace and the "Other" in Syrian School Textbooks" (published June 2001) [http://www.impact-se.org/research/syria/index.html Reports on Syrian Textbooks] ]

Controversies

The reports of the Institute for Monitoring the Impact of Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education pertain to the controversial topic of the Arab-Israeli conflict. The organization's website provides links to critiques of the organization as well as the organization's response to these critiques . 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", which CMIP argues Prof. Nathan Brown has "as yet not illustrated or substantiated" [ [http://www.fmep.org/analysis/articles/study_of_palestinian_textbooks.html Democracy, History, and the Contest over the Palestinian Curriculum] by Prof. Nathan Brown on FMEP] [ [http://www.impact-se.org/docs/reactions/individuals/NathanBrown.pdf Letter by CMIP to Prof. Nathan Brown in response to his paper on "Democracy, History and the Contest over the Palestinian Curriculum"] ] [ [http://www.impact-se.org/docs/reactions/individuals/CorrespondenceNathanBrown.pdf Correspondence between CMIP and Prof. Nathan Brown in response to CMIP's correspondence with Peter Hansen of UNRWA] ] .

ee also

* Palestinian Media Watch
* Palestinian textbooks
* Israeli textbooks
* Saudi textbooks

External links

* [http://www.impact-se.org/ Official Website]
* [http://www.teachkidspeace.org/ Teach Kids Peace]
* [http://www.pmw.org.il Palestinian Media Watch]

References