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WHAT DO WE DO The many cities of the Mediterranean region have constructed a common history and traditions over the course of many years. Although a large part of this period has seen the existence of misunderstanding and conflict, peaceful coexistence has prevailed. Serving as an example of this is the city of Toledo, during medieval Spain, where Christians, Muslims and Jews coexisted peacefully for many centuries.
Mapa de la Cuenca Mediterránea

In actuality however, the differences between the countries of the North and South in the Mediterranean basin are increasing, gravely affecting the sustainable development of the region. The majority of the development indicators show this tendency. For example, the information on the “State of Infant Mortality in 1998” edited for UNICEF, was used as a source to compare mortality rates of children less than five years of age in Spain and Egypt. These two countries can especially serve as an especially good example of the difference between the reality of the North and South. The primary indicator for Egypt is 78 deaths for every million children born as opposed to only five in Spain. Similarly, life expectancy in Egypt is only 65, while in Spain it reaches as high as 78.

These indicators are the reflection of the growing inequity between the North and South. This profound inequality, along with other religious, historical, and cultural dispositions, crystallize into multiple problems and difficulties, which affect distinct countries in different ways. The situation in Algeria or the difficulties in the peace process between Israel and Palestine are a clear example of however more increasingly, situations of structural violence, conflicts of direct violence, the deterioration of the environment, population growth, and Southern emigration affect the entire region. In addition, this migration phenomenon is producing increasing xenophobic behavior in Europe.

The Mediterranean region constitutes an authentic microcosm found between cultures, which reflects the majority of our global conflicts. The differences between the customs of growth between the countries of the North and the South and stereotyped perceptions in means of communication are increasing.

In the Mediterranean, a significant part of the conflicts are caused by the concept of security, based on armament and the use of force. This is where education has the fundamental role in the task of conflict resolution.

Spain has a very important role in the process of peace along the Mediterranean region. It has already demonstrated to the international community its part in the negotiations between the Palestinians and Israelis and developments in Madrid like the Conference of Barcelona, where the present and the future of the region was analyzed. The political forum is of great importance because it was when the negotiation process was mutually recognized between Palestinians and Israelis. In the Mediterranean Group of UNICEF, the Arabic countries of the region also participate, along with Israel in the planning and execution of the Plan of Action.

The actual situation of poverty and political instability, in the Magreb region, principally, and areas of the Mediterranean region are generating migratory patterns from the South to the North that directly affect Spain. Xenophobia and racism, increase in our population, and education for peace as well as intercultural education in all of Europe, but in specifically in Spain, is converted into developing fundamental strategies to generate attitudes and behavior of acceptance, respect, and tolerance towards immigration.

Sensitive to this reality, the UNICEF National Committee in Spain, along with ASDE-Scouts of Spain-are involved in the analysis and transformation of this profoundly unjust situation into another more in accordance with freedom, justice, and world peace. Not unlike the United Nations Charter which is based on the recognition of intrinsic dignity and the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human race.

Having the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the promotion of human development as their central mission, UNICEF and ASDE-Scouts of Spain have put into action the strategy they believe will contribute the most to this change. This being, educational programs that can propitiate a change in attitude in the youth when the time comes to confront the differences and inequalities evident in the region.

The difficulty of finding out about other experiences in education for peace is that it manifests itself as an impediment in globally confronting this problem. It seems necessary to compile the different contributions that the different leaders for the Mediterranean region make. Considering the great variety of situations we are presented with, when the time comes to initiate one of those theoretical reflections we must take that diversity into consideration.

ASDE-Scouts of Spain and the UNICEF National Committee in Spain have been working since 1995 on activities for cultural exchange and training in the area of intercultural education and education for peace. Apart from these experiences, December of 1997 will see the realization of Peace in the Mediterranean, with the support of AECI, with the objective of promoting respect and the cultural enrichment in addition to the knowledge and interchange. Utilizing communication, training, and youth activities, we hope to advance the perspective of education for peace.

The interchange of experiences generates an important multiplying and clarifying effect on the different positions which can be taken on this subject. On the other hand, the training of educators will facilitate the spreading of these responsible and respectful attitudes both quantitatively and qualitatively.

The project tries to provide the instruments that make Education for Peace possible in the Mediterranean region so as to facilitate interaction between different leaders in a way that provides a common sense of pertinence in a region so diverse and complex as the Mediterranean.

This joining of forces which favors the betterment of Education for Peace in the Mediterranean, justifies the decision reached at the February 15, 1997 meeting between the members of the Mediterranean Group of UNICEF and the Nostrum Group of the Scouts Association. Whereas, with the creation of the PERMANENT NETWORK FOR EDUCATION FOR PEACE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN, so many UNICEF and Scouts members as well as other non-profit organizations in the Mediterranean region who are interested in this project.

DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT

The Peace in the Mediterranean project was initiated in December, 1997, with the assistance of AECI, to offer a response to the structural violence and xenophobia that exist in the Mediterranean region.

The focus of Education for Peace, as a component of the project, is to reach as many youths of the region as possible to try to modify violent attitudes in future generations. To accomplish this, Education for Peace is based on the following strategy:

Promote the exchange of information and experience between organizations and associations of the Mediterranean region dedicated to Human Development and Education for Peace. For this purpose, the Permanent Communication Network has been created as a forum for reflection and exchange of experiences;
Theoretical and practical training seminars for educators in the region which consolidate the Education for Peace programs of these organizations and guaranteeing the multiple effect of the project6;
Direct socio-educative intervention with youth of the Mediterranean region.

The global objective of the project consists of the development and the diffusion of activities and programs of Education for Peace in the Mediterranean region. To realize this goal, we are trying to consolidate the Permanent Communication Network so as to serve as a catalyst of experiences of Education for Peace in the countries of the region.

This project is directed at youths, educators, and organizations interested or involved in Education for Peace in the Mediterranean region.

The principle activities of the project are:

The Permanent Communication Network (elaboration of an informative bulletin, analysis of the information that circulates on the Network, etc.).
The realization of the Education Seminars for Education for Peace and Intercultural Education.
The recruitment of youths of the Mediterranean region to participate in the Bridge of Cultures 99` program.

These activities will permit us to optimize Education for Peace programs of the organization in the region.

The Technical Secretary of the Network will work from the offices of the National Committee of UNICEF. From there, he will be able to coordinate the services that the Network offers, the training seminars, and the youth activities.

After a preliminary phase of gathering information and investigating the programs and organizations that work for Education for Peace in the Mediterranean region, continuous information will be generated so as to make those involved aware of the most promising and interesting experiences available.

The different activities will be at the disposal of any individual once the Web Page for the program is functioning on the Internet. A database has also been created of interested parties and organizations that will receive up to date information once the system becomes more efficient (when communication becomes possible through email, the trimester bulletin, mail, fax, etc.). Similarly, it will facilitate communication between the members of the Network which will create direct interchange of experiences.

Since the analysis of the educational proposals studied will detect the formative necessities that later will be offered in the Seminars, we can in this way animate active participation. The Bridge of Cultures program is a prime place to put forth the investigation-action philosophy of the project that can obtain direct information on the validity of different educational proposals.

Through all of these activities we can extract pertinent conclusions and will return to spread them throughout the Network for consideration by all other participants.