[hr-education] Education to promote peace and tolerance in the aftermath of Beslan

UNICEF Press release

Healing Beslan's wounds

GENEVA, 16 November, 2004. UNICEF has announced plans for a new programme
to promote peace and tolerance across the troubled North Caucasus. Coming
in the wake of the Beslan tragedy in September, the new programme will
promote much-needed dialogue between children from different ethnic groups
and religions.

"It is time to look to the future and try to heal age-old wounds," said
Carel de Rooy, UNICEF Representative in the Russian Federation. "This part
of the world has suffered from more than a decade of violence and fear as
unresolved disputes and divisions have re-emerged. In the aftermath of
Beslan, we fear that things will get worse unless we work with children
and young people to build tolerance and understanding."

The new programme, to be launched in January 2005, will bring together key
players from government, NGOs, schools and communities from every republic
in the North Caucasus to create a common syllabus for peace and tolerance
education. The aim is to introduce the syllabus into schools across the
region over the next two years.

"It seems fitting, after the tragic events in Beslan, that schools should
be at the heart of efforts to build peace and reconciliation" said Carel
de Rooy.

The programme will begin with a study tour to existing peace education
programmes supported by UNICEF, and will include art competitions, sports
contests, youth discussions, exchange visits and summer camps for children
and young people from different ethnic groups and religions. The programme
is scheduled to run – initially – from January to December 2005, and will
require US$ 500,000.

UNICEF provided medical supplies to the survivors within hours of the
September siege at School Number One in Beslan. It has provided education
materials for the remaining schools in the town to make them more
welcoming for children. UNICEF is also supporting psychological counseling
for the survivors, their families and other affected children in Beslan.

For further information:
Angela Hawke, UNICEF Regional Office for CEE/CIS and Baltics:
Tel: (+4122) 909 5433. Mobile: (+4179) 601 9917. E-mail: ahawke@unicef.org



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