Oleg Smirnov, Iryna Brunova-Kalisetska Ukraine Integration and Development Center for Information and Research

1. The Role of NGOs in Education Reform: Effective Conflict Prevention and Tolerance Building Oleg Smirnov, Iryna Brunova-Kalisetska Ukraine Integration and Development Center for Information and Research Second International Summit on Conflict Resolution Education (Cleveland, Ohio, USA)

2. Geographical Location

3. Autonomous Republic of Crimea: Context/Challenges • uneasy process of adaptation of mainly Russian-speaking population of Crimea to new Ukrainian reality • the return of a big amount of the former deportees (Crimean Tatars , Armenians, Bulgarians,Germans, Greeks) during a short period of time – about 300 thousand • the incapability of the state to meet the deportees’ economical, social and cultural needs to the full extend - a factor of tension in the region • the necessity for development of education, culture, civic activities of the deportees as elements of social equality and prevention of the feeling of being discriminated in the social-cultural area • raise of Muslim population during last 15 years up to 13 % - raise of islamophobia (society doesn’t have an experience of joint coexistence) • high level of migration and lack of experience of joint co-existence in poly-ethnic and poly-confessional environment • lack of joint vision and manipulation in ethnic area by political elites, struggle for resources

4. The Most Numerous Ethnic Groups in Crimea (according to the national census) Deported groups are marked with bold type

5. Crimean NGOs strategic approach (1997-2002) • Creating a climate of socially and culturally "equal opportunities“. • Taking into account state and regional factors. • Contributing to the maintenance of the peace, mutual understanding, and democratic principles of societal development in Ukraine. • Involving the general public in the development of the strategy and management of initiatives. • Stimulating by donor organizations numerous local initiatives, resolving common global problems by way of local transformation.

6. Education for repatriates (minorities) 1997-2002 Development and publication of textbooks and teaching manuals for secondary schools, Sunday schools and higher educational institutions (88 publications) Technical and informational supportof educational institutions (schools with the Crimean Tatar language of instruction, Sunday schools of other ethnic groups) Teacher training and retraining Promoting dissemination of the native language in every-day life (“Home Library” books, bilingual magazines, etc.) (25 publications) Development of non-traditional children’s educational-leisure centers and schools at home

7. Main areas of NGOs activities (1997-2002) rebirth of primary and secondary education for repatriates development of education on native languages popularization of ethnic cultures as a means to set up dialogue between them promotion of the multicultural education in Crimea

8. CR IN UKRAINE (1997-2005) Odessa mediation group – one of the leading organizations in Ukraine (jointly realizes projects with Tavrida Mediation group, Integration and Development Center, Search for Common Ground (Crimean office) and other) Activities: • Trainings for trainers in CR, PM and mediation • CR and PM as parts of the facultative course on Civic Education for higher grades of Ukrainian schools • 3 –hour course on CR and SM in oblast teacher training institutes for school psychologists and other • Experiment in Odessa and Nikolaev oblast schools on PM • Implementation of restorative justice and reconciliation programs • Courses on CR and PM in police schools

9. CHANGES IN ACTIVITIES OF NGOs (2003) Shift from education for ethnic minorities to multicultural initiatives Need for a systemic approach State involvement Joint activities of NGOs, teachers, scholars, public

10. Stimulation of the state policy transformation: ways of NGOs influence • Involvement of representatives of the local authorities (Ministry of Education) from the early stages of any initiative (contacts, letters, round tables, personal participation). • Activities should be based on the results of monitoring, research, analysis of a situation. • Coalition building (the more NGOs involved the more any initiative is trusted). • Raising broader public awareness. • Special training courses for representatives of authorities. • NGOs demonstrate readiness to be responsible. • NGOs demonstrate that they can attract additional money from different sources.

11. Integrated Course “Culture of Neighborhood” (35 hours per year in primary, secondary and high school (1-12)Main purpose: • Forming of socially competent, critically thinking and tolerant citizens of Crimea and Ukraine

12. State Support • Approval of the course’s program for schoolsin a complete set (27.12.2006, Board of Ministry of Educationand Science of AR Crimea) • Approval of the course’s program for the studentsof republic colleges and universities (25.04.2006, Board of MES of AR Crimea) • Approval of the course’s program of the subjectcommissions of Ministry of Educationand Science of Ukraine (course is recommended for the usage in the institutions of general education throughout the Ukraine (the Letter ofInstitute of Innovation Technologies and Content of Education MES of Ukraine 1.4/18-1306from 12.06.2007) • Insertion of the article #134 «Elaborate and prepare for publication textbooks on course «Culture of Neighborhood» (was not financed) into the Program of Economical and Social Development of AR Crimea 2007 (the Decree of the Parliament of AR Crimea#386-5/07 from 22 of March 2007)

13. Project 2007 – 2008 Systemic Approach Civic Education: • Trainings for Trainers for 64 teachers aimed at the training work with the representatives of local communities (parents, school staff etc.) • Certification on a Mediation and Facilitation for 25 students of Crimean colleges and universities (Student Center of Intercultural Education) for work in a student communities • Broadening ofthe activity directions of the Informational Methodological Center for Multicultural Education and Tolerance

14. Trainings for Trainers for Teachers

15. Project 2007 – 2008 Systemic Approach Sharing of experience: • International Conference “Culture of peace and tolerancepromotion inpoly-ethnic society” (18-20 October 2007, Simferopol, AR Crimea) • Web-site (www.ciet.org.ua): three languages, audio and video, international experience, news page etc.

16. Web-sitewww.ciet.org.ua

17. Project 2007 – 2008 Systemic Approach Level of Authorities: • Project “Toward a peaceful and tolerant society in Ukraine. Interethnicrelations in AR Crimea: enlightenment and education“ (joint project: Ukrainian Center of Independent Political Research (Kiev) and Center “Integration and Development”(Crimea)) under support ofthe Higher Commissioner on National Minorities OSCE The set of seminar-trainings “Management of interethnic relations in polyethnic society: the problems of tolerance and partnership of authorities and communities".

18. “Authorities and Communities”: Figures • 14 educational seminar-trainings were conducted; • Total amount of participants: 350 village heads, community leaders, representative of a local executive power. • Among participants: officials of Simferopol, Djankoy, Kerch town councils, the heads of the villages from 14 regions of AR Crimea, staff-members of executive committees of local government.

19. “Authorities and Communities”: Content During the seminar-trainings were familiarized with: • Basic concepts of ethnic policy (national minorities, indigenous people, citizenship, Ukrainian people, discrimination, positive discrimination etc.) in Ukrainian legislation, international documents that were ratified by Ukraine. • Conceptsofstereotype, ethnic stereotype, their role and functions, the ways of their translations and origins. • Information that concerns main laws of Ukraine in the sphere of ethnic policy. • Theoretical and practical information about the opportunities for advancement of effectiveness in a field of policy implementation by the way of involving of target groups into policy forming and realization. Main ways, methods and mechanisms of the work with the community were delivered.

20. “Authorities and Communities”:visualization

21. “Authorities and Communities”: Recommendations of working groups International experience ofmulticulturalism policy realization: Positive and negative aspects for Ukraine Development of a tolerance in society and conflict prevention Means of intensive support: Ukrainian and international experience Management of interethnic relations in poly-ethnic society: tolerance and partnership between authorities and communities Educational policy in Ukraine and the questions of tolerance widening Conflict prevention and settlement: theoretical and practical aspects Issues of communication and interaction between authority agencies and communities: Methods of “participative democracy”

22. “Authorities and Communities”: recommendations Resolution of legal and political issues, Improvement of a legal basis Means of national minorities’ involvement into the process of decision making Means of an employment policy optimization Realization of positive action policy concerning to national minorities and ethnic groups Solution of economical and social issues, improvement of a legal basis Means of optimization of policy in the land relations sphere

23. “Authorities and Communities”: recommendations Recommendations for local administration institutions in the field of conflict prevention and settlement Recommendations for political parties and NGOs, in the field of conflict prevention and settlement Recommendations for the Parliament of AR Crimea in the field of conflict prevention and settlement Promotion of conflict prevention and settlement Recommendations for mass-media in the field of conflict prevention and settlement Recommendations for police (“militia”) in the field of conflict prevention and settlement

24. “Authorities and Communities”: recommendations Formation of the educational institutions’ network that implement multicultural practices Improvement of a legal basis In the field of multicultural education New policy concerning to the staff training Educational Policy in Ukraine and the Widening of a Tolerance Civic Activity in the Realization of the Principles of Tolerant Up-bringing Improvement of educational curricula and textbooks

25. Our partners in Ukraine • Ministry of Education and Science of AR Crimea • Institute of the Innovative Technologies and Content of Education of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (Crimean branch) • A.E. Krymsky Oriental Studies Institute of the National Ukrainian Science Academy(Crimean branch) • Tavrida National Vernadskiy University • Crimean Repunlican Institute of the Postgraduate Pedagogic Education • Educational institutions of AR Crimea • International Renaissance Foundation • Crimean Ethnographical Museum • Crimean ethnic and cultural associations • Odessa Mediation Group • Ukrainian Center for Common Ground(Crimean branch) Our Foreign Partners • International Network on Conflict Resolution Education and Peace Education (INCREPE) • Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC) • Office of OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities • UNITED for Intercultural Action (Netherlands) • Open Society Institute (Hungary)

26. Contacts