The work of Dr. Sis Levin

 

Report to
The Children of Abraham Mission Support Group for
Education for Peace

Model Program in Bethlehem, Palestine

After a three year exploratory mission in Bethlehem, the SOS Village School and the Frere School systems have proven to be the ideal sites for the Model Education for Peace Project of The Children of Abraham Support Group in the USA. The on site pedagogical approach has been labeled by the students themselves in the six tested systems as “Peacebuilding” and they are excited and proud to call themselves Palestinian “Peacebuilders”.

This test project development was launched and has been supported under the sponsorship of the Holy Land Trust in Bethlehem, the Cathedral Church of the Advent, Episcopal, Birmingham, the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama, Christ Church Cathedral Women of the Church, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA and Grace Church and Episcopal Peace Fellowship, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA.

The unique program of training teachers, systemically (K-12) and comprehensively (by infusing into classroom management methodology all of the best practices endorsed internationally by professional educators, social workers and World Health Organizations) has been proven to be best exhibited and performing most successfully at the SOS and Frere Schools of Bethlehem, Palestine and with the University level students who are volunteering to meet regularly to study advanced theory and practice in the field.

This first organization (SOS) is judged to be making the most efficacious use of the world class materials and funds designated for Teacher and Social Workers’ Training that have been donated for this specific mission project: Systemic, Comprehensive Education for Peace and Wellbeing of children.

Although the SOS School System in Bethlehem currently extends only through the eighth grade, there are fully assisted international plans to add the next systemic grades as soon as possible. At the moment most of the SOS students are moving up into the Frere School next door where the Peacebuilder Team has also done training (K- 12) which effectively completes the secondary level for the SOS, as well as partnering the Frere School students into this pedagogical system. This arrangement also gives the project team opportunities for comparison and contrasting evaluations of both schools with researched implementation for strengthening the training and materials in both sites at every grade level.

The project Model, now unofficially called “The Peacebuilders System” will continuously operate out of offices in Bethlehem. Visiting scholars and requesting interns are regularly accepted for interviews. On site visits are arranged by appointment with Peacebuilders Episcopal Mission Director: Dr. LH (Sis) Levin at 972-2-274 3861 or mobile: 054 316 5592.

The University level Teacher and Social Worker Training for Peacebuilder certification is currently under discussion for Teacher Training credit at Bethlehem University. Con currently, BU, Birzeit and Hebron University students are studying and performing class room assistance as part of the Peacebuilders Educational Team.

Ahmad Al Azzah, MA
Dr. LH (Sis) Levin, MA, Ed D
Stephanie Rhodes, MA
Elizabeth Kopp, Musical Education
Rev Dr. Linda Allen Arts in Education
Tawfiq Salman, MD
Raouf Azzar, MD
Salim Adwad, MD
Vivica Hazbroun, MD

Students
Nidal Al Ayasa, BU
Shatha Walid Nihad Daqaq, BU
Safa Awaad, BU
Zaid Qumsieh, BU
Mirna Sakleh, BU

Graduate Students
Nivin Abdullah, Birzeit University
Nimala Kharoufeh, BU

These and other Peacebuilder students in training were invited to the US by the Suffragan Bishop of Alabama, Mark Andrus. They participated in a ten day Pilgrimage for Peace where they met American students at every school level and exchanged histories, studies and future plans for study in and activities for peace and democracy. There are additional plans by the same Pilgrim Mission Group (Bishop Andrus is now Bishop of California, San Francisco) to take Peacebuilder student “Pilgrims” to other tender spots of conflict (South Africa, Northern Ireland: see:www.pilgrimage4peace.org ) to exchange the emerging knowledge and practice of Nonviolence that has proven effective in changing whole communities (like Bethlehem) into World Models for Peaceful Communities Through Education.
 
Additional information, CVs, Teacher, Parent and Student, as well as Community evaluations and annual report budget figures are available on request through Dr. Levin (drsis2@yahoo.com) or US Co-coordinator: Mary Wade, MA, RNP (maryjwade@bham.rr.com)  or the increasingly Interfaith committed group: www.thechildrenofabraham.net