Arigatou International Geneva is collaborating with UNESCO-International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa (IICBA) in the implementation of the “Teacher Training and Development for Peace-building” project, which aims to contribute to the provision of economically productive and peace-loving young people through quality teacher training and development. The project engages several countries of the Horn of Africa including Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, and Uganda and aims to reach 8,000 educators in the region.
The year-long project, funded by the Government of Japan, was launched in March 2017 with a planning meeting held on 20 and 21 April in Nairobi, Kenya. On 7 to 8 June, representatives from Arigatou International Geneva gathered with several stakeholders in a two-day follow-up planning meeting in Addis Ababa with the aim to discuss concrete steps for the collaboration. Participants included representatives from UNESCO-IICBA; policy and teacher training representatives from Ministries of Education of the benefited countries; UNESCO National Commission representatives from Kenya and Ethiopia; UNESCO staff from South Sudan, Uganda and Ethiopia; and UNICEF staff from Eritrea.
During the opening key remarks, Mr Yokota, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of Japan stated that “The project aims to create a critical mass of teachers who can implement effective teaching and learning of values to young people through its training of trainers’ model with the intention of creating a long term peace building initiative through education”
Mr. Ato Solomon, on behalf of His Excellency Dr. Shiferaw Teklemariam, Federal Minister of Education of Ethiopia added that “Education is the key to changing minds and empowering the young people to be agents of peace and responsible citizens. The project is about investing in the youth of the participating countries by offering them alternatives to the pull of intolerance and violent extremism, offering them tools to be builders of peace, consciously constructing a positive world for their generation and the generations to come.”
Arigatou International Geneva shared good practices and conducted two workshop sessions on the Learning to Live Together Programme, including introducing its ethics education framework and pedagogical approach. The participants received the workshop with unmatched enthusiasm and UNESCO-IICBA invited Arigatou International Geneva to continue to support the implementation of the project.
During the months of August and September 2017, Arigatou International Geneva will be working in collaboration with IICBA and Addis Ababa University at the development of knowledge resources and a Train the Trainers Training.
