Series of interviews with
Palestinian teachers:
Educators and Conflict in Schools:
What is Argued about, What is Done
about it, and Aims for the Future
By Teresa
Mongan, for AEI-Open Windows.
Interview with Anton Murra
As an administrator within the Arab
Educational Institute-Open Windows' School
of Communication, Anton served as youth
leader for several years within the
organization before taking on his new
role.He spoke with me about the issues
students face in arguments and conflict, the
environment and training that AEI-Open
Windows provides, and his suggestions on
further improving the way conflicts and
potential conflicts are dealt with between
students.
First touching upon the types of issues that
normally come up in arguments among
students, Anton explains that the students
represent the diversified population of the
greater Bethlehem community; they vary in
age, class, religious views, gender, and
political perspectives. In youth-specific
trigger subjects, Anton named ethnicity,
religious practice as well as
inter-religious relations and marriage, and
broader societal issues concerning the
ongoing conflict with Israel as points of
argument that are brought up both within and
outside of the workshop setting that AEI
provides.
In confronting conflict, Anton is a
proponent of preventative education. To this
end, Anton advocates for discussion
workshops to open up the floor to divisive
issues so that participants can express
their views confidently and safely within
AEI and more effectively outside of the
Institute. Anton also spoke about the
conflict resolution training he coordinated
among the women, postgraduate, and high
school groups which include peace and
conflict resolution methods and techniques.
Because of this, Anton believes that when
the teenagers argue, they incorporate
respect and sensitivity into their open
dialogues and debate. "It's how you say
something, not what you say," explained
Anton. Coming back to elements of mediation,
the concepts of reflecting, expressing
feelings and needs, dissolving hurt, and
open expression are skills that the
teenagers use in their workshop discussions.
Above all, the goal of these workshops is to
connect for mutual learning and to grow
together.
When asked about his suggestions for further
improvement, Anton made it clear that it is
"impossible to isolate students from their
environments," and while parents may be too
busy working and teachers at school too
occupied with their lesson plans, AEI gives
students space, time, and open ears. To make
the Arab Educational Institute even more
beneficial to students especially, Anton
suggested at least one lecture a week
dedicated to students' needs in order to
give young people a space to talk openly
about issues.
In addition, Anton suggested that teachers
in schools should have skills in areas such
as conflict resolution, mediation, and
non-violent communication so as to
comfortably work with conflict rather than
divert the issue to the principal's office.
Lastly, trust-building is an area that Anton
suggested for students in developing
students' confidence, as well as those of
the postgraduates and women. Illustrating
what he means by this, trust-building
involves relating to oneself and the
surrounding environment, relating to one
another, and having the ability to express
oneself. With this, trust can better be
established with the students so that
they're better equipped to discuss divisive
topics openly and confidently, as well as
having the ability to listen to one another
despite contrary points of view. While it
may indeed be impossible to isolate students
from their environments, Anton wants to make
certain that this environment also includes
a safe space within AEI to discuss and
debate the ongoing issues that youth face.
Teresa Mongan
is an American research student studying
conflict resolution |
