ifa – Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen /Germany

Knowledge to Act (featuring NACE members Moez Ali, Nelly Corbel, Ziad Haddara)

Within the focus on civic and citizenship education, ifa aims to promote and facilitate cross-regional, interdisciplinary, and transcultural exchange. It is their intention to ensure a lasting and purposeful knowledge transfer as well as to deepen and expand the CrossCultureProgram Alumni Network. This very first publication under the title, »Knowledge to Act« focuses on giving an insight into the findings and recommendations from their workshops as well as presenting the voices and projects of CCP Fellows and partner organizations such as NACE.

Here you can find the publication in  English.


UNESCO | COUNCIL OF EUROPE

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on student voice

Findings & recommendations

The COVID-19 pandemic has provided major disruptions in the education of young people. This study by UNESCO and the Council of Europe assesses the effect of school closures on opportunities for student voice in Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa, as well as explores the implications for democracy and inequalities in political engagement. The vast majority of young people lost out on opportunities to have their voice heard and to learn the competencies
to assert their rights as a result of the pandemic. Student decision-making regarding school life was deeply impacted, with about one-third of teachers saying that students were never given the opportunity to participate in decision-making during the lockdown. While school closures reduced the physical spaces for freedom of expression and civic participation, the study provides insights into how student creativity thrived online during that time. This study provides a reflection on the
overall loss in opportunities and learning on students’ voices during the pandemic, as well as recommendations for school directors and personnel, teachers, educators, policymakers, and young people on how to address this loss. It highlights the importance of prioritizing student voice, especially for students from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds to counter inequalities and promote healthier democracies.

Here you can find the study in  English.


Danish Egyptian Dialogue Institute (DEDI)

The Road to Citizenship Education in Egypt

DEDI initiated the Civic Edutainment Manual to document the best practices in the field of Civic Education, that adopt entertainment and art as a way of learning. The documentation was done, based on a participatory basis through a series of interviews and workshops with Egyptian organizations and practitioners. The ultimate objective of the manual is to raise awareness of the concept of Civic Edutainment and encourage CE practitioners to adopt it for more interactive and experiential learning experiences in the CE field. As the Civic Edutainment Manual is based on the experiences and lessons learned from actors working on Civic Education in Egypt, the first chapter released in March 2019 highlighted five methodologies, and their applications by five Egyptian organizations, providing a theoretical background for each method, and practical tips for each application. The five methodologies are Role-playing (by Tahrir Lounge), Practice-based learning (by Lazord Fellowship at Gerhart Center), Drama (by Greenish), Debates (by Think Tank Development Solutions), and Creative expression (by Arab Digital Expression Foundation).

Here you can find the manual in English and Arabic.


Danish Egyptian Dialogue Institute (DEDI)

The Road to Citizenship Education in Egypt

In 2015 The Danish Egyptian Dialogue Institute (DEDI) conducted a qualitative study regarding Citizenship Education in Egypt, especially the efforts done within the non-formal sector. The final version of this study “The Road to Citizenship Education in Egypt” was published in 2016. It was realized in partnership with the German Federal Agency for Civic Education (bpb) and the Egyptian Youth Federation (EYF). In their qualitative study, the researchers provide an overview of the current status of Citizenship Education (CE) in Egypt. The focus is set on the non-formal sector, including the work of Civil Society Organizations and NGOs. What the study is trying to identify is a common understanding of CE in the Egyptian context: What are the various forms of “non-formal” Citizenship Education? Which current subjects of initiatives and programs are there to be found? What kind of different stakeholders work in the area of CE and what are their most striking challenges? And finally: How do well-tried practices and lessons learn to date look like? To get those insights, semi-structured interviews and focus groups were conducted with different stakeholders, for example, members of NGOs or donor agencies and especially with youth, active either as participants or trainers in citizenship education projects. The results of these encounters might help policymakers or organizations working within CE retrace the structures of the work field in Egypt. The special regard to the involvement of young adults in CE aimed to explore their representation and responsibility within the civil society. Here you can find the study in  English and  Arabic.


Danish Egyptian Dialogue Institute (DEDI)

Regional Database for Civic Education Actors in the Arab World

At the Civic Education Conference (CEC), the need for developing a platform for Arab Civic Education actors was raised by the participants. Echoed at the concept of NACE, this need to be developed to be an objective for the emerging network. Accordingly, the first step was to identify the active organizations working in the region, which was a task led by the Danish- Egyptian Dialogue Institute (DEDI). Starting with ten Arab countries as an initial step to incorporate them in the NACE platform, a research process was initiated. The first phase of this research was a mapping exercise, which aimed to create a database for one hundred actives (formal and non-formal) actors in the Civic Education (CE) field in the Arab region. Phase one of the database focused on ten Arab countries: Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, Sudan, and UAE.

Here you can find the study in  English.


Education for Citizenship in the Arab World

In 2011 the Carnegie Middle East Center published this study from Muhammad Faour and Marwan Muasher regarding necessary changes in Education within the Arab world.

You can find the complete study on this site.


Informal meeting of European union educatIon ministers (PARIS, TUESDAY 17 MARCH 2015)

Declaration on Promoting citizenship and the common values of freedom, tolerance and non-discrimination through education

During the informal meeting in Paris on 17 March, which was honored by the presence of the French President François Hollande, Education Ministers from the European Union Member States and Mr. Tibor Navracsics, the Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport adopted the Declaration on promoting citizenship and the common values of freedom, tolerance, and non-discrimination through education. 
The declaration calls for Europe’s combined efforts to prevent and tackle marginalization, intolerance, racism, and radicalization and to preserve a framework of equal opportunities for all. “As ministers responsible for education, we have a special duty to ensure that the humanist and civic values we share are passed on to future generations,” on behalf of the Presidency said Ms. Mārīte Seile, the Latvian Minister for Education and Science. 

Read more about it: http://ec.europa.eu/education/news/2015/documents/citizenship-education-declaration_en.pdf


COUNCIL OF EUROPE

Charter on Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights Education

In 2010 the Council of Europe decided on the Charter on Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights Education.
Here you can find further information regarding the Charter on Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights (EDC/HRE).


Literature Country Profiles

Charter on Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights Education

In 2010 the Council of Europe decided on the Charter on Education for Democratic Citizenship

Since a lot of work was put into the research regarding the Country Profiles we gathered the literature from all articles to present it to you: PDF Literature


Citizenship Education in Europe

Charter on Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights Education

Eurydice is a network that collects and distributes data about European education systems and how they work. The Eurydice reports show how challenges at all education levels are tackled. The latest study focusing on Citizenship Education was published in 2012 and collected data in 31 countries. 

Find more: http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/education/eurydice/documents/thematic_reports/139EN.pdf


International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA)

Charter on Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights Education

The International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) is an independent, international cooperative of national research institutions and governmental research agencies. It conducts large-scale comparative studies of educational achievement and other aspects of education, with the aim of gaining an in-depth understanding of the effects of policies and practices within and across systems of education. 

The IEA conducted in 2009 its third study on civic and citizenship education. The study evaluated civic and citizenship education in 37 countries around the world and assessed students enrolled in the eighth grade. 

You can find more information about the IEA and the “International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS)” via this link: http://www.iea.nl/iccs_2009.html


Citizens in the Making

Civil Society and Civic Education in Egypt 2012

The Gerhart Center hosted a consultation with 29 organizations active in civic education, as well as donors and media outlets.

Discussions focused on issues of outreach, curriculum, and measuring impact while addressing the challenges and opportunities in each area. To expand on the knowledge gained during this consultation, the Gerhart Center undertook a series of interviews with representatives of organizations involved in civic education. The interviews were conducted in Cairo and Giza in June and July of 2012. 
 Citizens in the Making: Civil Society and Civic Education in Egypt