EUROCLIO Annual Conference in Belfast - Reimagining Remembrance and Dealing with the Legacy of a Violent Past

EUROCLIO Annual Conference in Belfast – Reimagining Remembrance and Dealing with the Legacy of a Violent Past

TransConflict is pleased to present information about EUROCLIO’s 2016 Annual Conference in Belfast, entitled ‘Reimagining Remembrance and Dealing with the Legacy of a Violent Past’.

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2016 marks the centenary of two important events in Northern Ireland History, namely the Easter Rising and the Battle of the Somme. Both events have come to be seen as key moments in the history of both sides of a divided society. How these issues, amongst others, are taught can provide a number of obstacles for teachers to address. How can we teach controversial history in a responsible manner?

EUROCLIO (European Association of History Educators) is inviting you to register in the 23rd EUROCLIO Annual Conference Professional Development and Training Course on ‘Reimagining Remembrance. Dealing with the Legacy of a Violent Past in History and Heritage Education’ in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The conference will run from the 19th until 24th March 2016.

Educators from all over the world are invited to apply to participate in one of the most significant history education conferences in Europe.

The conference aims to explore this question through an active programme which will engage the participant in workshops, dialogue tables, open spaces, on-site study visits, public debates and reflective and interactive panels. The core group of teachers and heritage educators will be involved in activities that will empower them to engage their students and other target groups in critical debate from multiple perspectives. For questions contact Aysel Gojayeva (Project Manager).

Visit the conference page for more information about the conference fee and practical information.

Download the Preliminary Programme.

Additional Information

Background

Societies which have experienced conflict and reached a peace accord have difficulty in moving from “negative” to “positive” peace. Often remembering and commemorating the difficult past presents particular challenges in the reconciliation process for governments, civil society and history educators. Northern Ireland is no exception to this.

This conference will take place close to Easter, 2016. In the spring and summer of that year two important events are being commemorated locally, the Easter Rising and the first day of the Battle of the Somme, both of which, subsequently, have helped shape cultural and political attitudes in Northern Ireland.

These occasions can be exclusive and therefore cause community tensions but there is also the potential to re-examine their significance from a wider range of perspectives including the present and, thereby, re-imagine the contribution this deeper understanding might make to building a transformative peace. Participants attending the conference would have the opportunity to engage with the on-going debate within civil society as to how best these events might be handled, to experience educational initiatives to help young people better understand the Decade’s historical and contemporary importance and to reflect on how similar events are remembered in their own countries.

Course Outcomes

History, Heritage and Citizenship Educators are encouraged to take part in this unique International Training Course, as it aims to achieve for individuals the following outcomes:

  • Increased participation and dialogue in European Community of History Educators.
  • Raised awareness of cultures and identities through field trips, and reflection on the teaching of history across Europe.
  • Access to new partnerships, including schools, local, regional, national and international educational authorities and institutes in different fields and sectors.
  • Recognition of developed competences in history education through lifelong learning in the international context.
  • Access to innovative history education tools from across Europe with a focus on education for peace.
  • Improved English-language competence through facilitated and engaged dialogues.
  • Understanding the challenges related to dealing with public commemoration in divided societies.
  • Conference report for wider dissemination, including educational resources, and academic papers.

Aims, Theme and Programme

  • To engage in a Europe-wide debate on the experience of Northern Ireland civil society as to how sensitive events should be remembered.
  • To compare and contrast the experiences of Northern Ireland as well as other countries across Europe and beyond on teaching sensitive history in a divided society and adopting different approaches in applying the historical process to sensitive events from the past.
  • To share educational initiatives which help young people better understand the 1912-22 decade’s historical and contemporary importance and to reflect on how similar events are remembered in their own countries.
  • To exchange innovative tools, methods and professional knowledge with all other Educators in Europe to aid teaching locally and in their own countries.
  • To develop a common understanding of innovative and responsible history education as a bridge for education for reconciliation, peace education, intercultural education and human rights education.
  • To disseminate and explore implementation of innovative history teaching resources and guidelines produced by national, international, NGO’s and intergovernmental organisations.
  • To transform the shared experiences of integrated and cross-border history education in diverse societies into tangible guidelines for European educators and policy-makers.
  • To explore the role of local (educational) authorities in bridging cultural/historical viewpoints in divided societies taking the example of the city of Belfast.
  • To strengthen synergies between EUROCLIO and history educators in Northern Ireland in order to establish and build the capacity of History Teachers’ Association of Northern Ireland.

The course is embedded in the 23rd EUROCLIO Annual Conference, which aims to bring together around 200-250 History Educators from all of Europe and beyond for a rich and active programme of 6 days, filled with debated, discussions, presentations, workshops, on-site study visits to commemoration sites, schools and educational establishments, city tours and receptions and a social-cultural programme that connects colleagues internationally in a fun and friendly way.

EUROCLIO is a member of the Global Coalition for Conflict Transformation.

The EUROCLIO Annual Conference is a unique platform combining cutting-edge in-service training for educators from over 50 countries in and around Europe with facilitated networking, dialogue and expertise-sharing opportunities. Since EUROCLIO’s establishment in 1992, 22 Annual Professional Training and Development Conferences have taken place with growing success.


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