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Teaching about Displacement and Identity in Arabic-speaking 

Higher Education Institutions and Schools.

This booklet, in Arabic and English is a unique product of the DEMO project, which is a part of the ERASMUS + program. The project was intended to raise awareness to the need for education about the lives of immigrants and displaced persons in higher education institutions in Israel. The booklet was written by the project team of Sakhnin College. Its goal is to improve the skills of professionals in applied social science professions (teachers, counselors, social workers etc.) in Israel and around the world, and especially in the Arab world in a way that would enable them to meet better the needs of these segments of the
population. In addition, by giving voice to immigrants and displaced persons, we strive to promote a more inclusive and cohesive discourse in the Israeli society. The booklet includes theoretical background and descriptions of applicable innovative teaching methods, which incorporate visual and audio aids (culture-based learning, PhotoVoice, narrative interviews,
community involvement and the use of arts). These methods produce among students a personally meaningful learning process with deep and lasting effects. These methods also allow a safe space for students to share their own and their families' experiences of marginalized and displacement and reflect on their life challenges as members of a minority group and on their civic and national identity.


We are grateful to Prof. Julia Mirsky from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev for initiating and leading the project, and to our colleagues from the eleven academic institutions in Israel and Europe who participated in the project. Special thanks to our mentor, Prof. Isabell Schierenbeck from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden who accompanied us in our work and in preparing the booklet.

Written by Dr. Yaser Awad, Dr. Rawia Hayik, Dr. Amal Taha-Fahoum, Dr. Lina Boulos and Dr. Sehrab Masri

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