Teaching Sensitive History - Pedagogical Guide

News | Memory and Disinformation Studies | Article 14 June 2024
The Institute for the Development of Freedom of Information worked on the Georgian translation of a pedagogical guide as part of the project "History education at the time of war", funded by the Civil Society Forum e.V. Created by the Confronting Memories program, the guide addresses conflicts in the post-Soviet space and explores methods for teaching sensitive historical topics.
 
The conflicts presented in this pedagogical guide are sensitive because they are so fresh in the collective memories of people from all sides: there are still people alive who directly experienced one conflict or another, whether as soldiers, victims, children, or people who have lost a loved one. Furthermore, in school curricula and textbooks, these conflicts are often taught with a strong focus on military-political history (if they are taught at all), putting forward the viewpoint of the regime in power at that moment.

The materials are designed to be as practical as possible, which is why they are all made by history teachers and educators themselves, with the consultation and support of a professional team of pedagogical experts. 

The guide is a ready-to-use resource not limited to teachers who come from conflict or war zones, or for teachers living in a country that has recently experienced conflict; it is also designed for educators beyond these regions. It provides concise information on the local contexts in Armenia, Georgia, and Moldova before presenting the three model lesson activities on the long persisting Nagorno-Karabakh conflict (1988-present), the Georgian coup d’état (1991-92) and the War on the Dniester (1992).
 
The guide is available in the respective national languages of the teachers who made it – Armenian, Georgian, and Romanian – and in English, so that it can be used by a wider community of international educators. This guide and other lesson materials can be accessed and downloaded for free from the Confronting Memories website.
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