Case Study: Croatia

1. Case Study: Croatia Evaluating an Initiative through the Eyes of an Insider Presented by: Steve van de Hoef Karen Vanscoy Michelle Vibert Janani Vijayaraghavan Joanna Weiss Emily Wilson Kate Wood Rachel Wortzman

2. Conflict Background Why is there a need for peace-work in Croatia?

3. Overview of Major Events • 1991 – declaration of an independent Croatia • 1992 – massacres; peacekeeping troops • 1993 – warfare continues • 1994 – initiation of peace treaties • 1995 – peace pacts; the Bosnian Peace Treaty; the Dayton Treaty • But…

4. Why is there a need for Peace Work in Croatia? • What was the Peace Work? • What evaluation was done? • Do your own evaluation

5. Peace Goals To promote: • Trauma healing • Non-violent conflict resolution • Peaceful living • Human rights • Reduction of ethnic bias • Foster reconciliation • Heal psychological wounds http://www.landmines.org.uk/Photo_Gallery.asp?submit=search&country=CRO

6. Foundations • Health initiative = trauma healing • Peace initiative = non-violence and reduction of ethnic bias http://www.landmines.org.uk/Photo_Gallery.asp?submit=search&country=CRO • “…psychological healing and social healing were interdependent and mutually reinforcing.”

7. Peace Initiative (Intervention) • Students • 10-14 yrs., 3 cities, 6 schools; all war-affected • Peace Workers • Curriculum: Opening the door to non-violence; a peace education manual for primary schools in Croatia, grades 4, 5, and 6. • Trained and supported teachers • Teachers • Learned and presented curriculum

8. Peace Initiative – Curriculum Progression Start with “normalizing and validating” children’s experiences and reactions  Explore similarities and differences between ethnicities, celebrate differences  Communication and non-violent conflict resolution skills  Peaceful living and human rights

9. Evaluation • Series of tests • Measured ‘peace quotient,’ trauma, self-esteem, ethnic bias • Comparison of scores = assessment of curriculum effectiveness

10. Benefits Room for Improvement • Increased self-esteem, affinity for non-violence • Help deal with trauma • Reduced ethnic bias • Anecdotal evidence • Deeper relationships • Increased openness • Incorporate parents • Should social healing start in the classroom? • Low analytical importance of empirical measures Conclusions

11. Themes • Defined, measurable parameters for evaluating program effectiveness • Anecdotal evidence • Extrapolation of results and considering future programs http://www.landmines.org.uk/Photo_Gallery.asp?submit=search&country=CRO

12. Class Activity Discuss the strengths and limitations of this peace through health intervention from 3 different perspectives • Gain a deeper understanding of the case study • Practice evaluation techniques • Appreciate importance of evaluating PtH initiatives from different perspectives Objectives

13. Students

14. Teachers

15. Peace Workers

16. 4 Criteria for Assessing Effectiveness Did the effort… • cause participants/communities to develop their own peace initiatives? • help create political institutions to handle injustices that fuel the conflict? • prompt people to increasingly resist violence? • increase people’s security?

17. Students’ Perspective

18. Does the effort cause participants and the community to develop their own initiatives for peace? • There was no indication of development of other programs for peace • While children were asked about specific aspects of the intervention, they were not sought out for ideas regarding their own peace initiatives “I learned I don’t need to fight every time when I am not happy about something”.

19. Does the effort result in the creation or reform of political institutions to handle grievances that fuel the conflict? • Students were not directly involved in reform but based on the program, there was reform to the educational system • The introduction of training manuals and programs specifically for children who suffer from post war trauma were a reform in themselves • Students and teachers were the primary beneficiaries of these reform creations

20. Does the effort prompt people to increasingly resist violence? • Enjoyed the symbolic release of anger, the non-violent conflict resolution, and the guided imagery of peaceful situations • Made new deeper friends and maintained old friendships, improved relationships with a decrease in conflict • Significant positive change in attitude toward the Serbs in the intervention group • Significant increase in acceptance of non-violent conflict resolution • Girls had consistently higher scores on all measures of attitudes and behaviour • The intervention applied to children in order to reach the greater public • Issues previously unspoken are now shared and discussed openly

21. Did the effort result in an increase in security? • Better acceptance of the ‘other’ • Children seemed to show some decrease in ethnic anger and hatred • Increased willingness of the children to confide in the teachers • Children felt safer, but as a population whole, this can not be assumed for all members *ethnic mistrust continued, which impeded security*

22. Important Notes • Children rarely did assigned homework as they felt it to be a burden • Children looked forward to the training sessions, and opened up their feelings in a new way, and talked about issues that were previously unspoken • Recalling traumatic events was not viewed as very effective • The war was not over yet and the political situation did not foster an environment for reconciliation at that time • Parental response or attitudes were not incorporated

23. Parent’s Influence on Children • While children are taught peace building and anti-racism at school, the vulnerability of this intervention to be spoiled by parents once children return home is high • Without continual teaching of these aspects, one questions the sustainability of this intervention

24. The future… If students can be taught conflict resolution through out their schooling, there is a good possibility that much of the ethnocentrism and conflict can eventually be combated by educated adults

25. Teachers’ Perspective

26. The effort causes participants and communities to develop their own initiatives for peace Strengths • Collaboration with local groups in development, delivery and evaluation • Extended in 1996-7 to 35 schools with 65 teachers trained • Provided a enhanced support system for teachers • Teachers advocated its extension to older students • Enhanced the relevance of social and personal issues Limitations • Political atmosphere was not supportive of reconciliation • Impossible to talk about ethnic conflict even within the context of trauma healing

27. The effort results in the creation or reform of political institution to handle grievances that fuel the conflict Strengths • Reform of the education system: By promoting the importance of human rights, respect, and non-violent conflict resolution, the education system can be a vehicle for reducing injustice and inequality • Increased motivation by teachers to promote non-violent conflict resolution could impact on other political institutions • Significant change in the relationship between teachers and students Limitations • Did not directly deal with ethnic prejudice, or specific inequalities and injustices

28. The effort prompts people to resist violence Strengths • Teachers felt that the curriculum on conflict resolution was the most useful to students • Curriculum focused on dialogue, and communication skills • Increased acceptance of non-violent conflict resolutions • Ethnic bias reduction with a significant positive change in attitudes toward Serbians • Enhanced psychosocial climate in the classroom Limitations • Do students apply learning outside of school-are these new values and strategies reinforced at home? • Some teachers had to soften the ethnic bias model due to continuing hostilities, and some modules had to be simplified

29. The effort results in increased security Strengths • Significant positive change in the attitude towards Serbs • Teacher noted that students were better able to make new friends, maintain old ones, and have deeper friendships • Teachers noticed an improvement in conflict reduction • Increased willingness to confide in teachers • Positive and lasting effect on post-traumatic symptoms Limitations • Ethnic identity viewed as a source of security • Ethnic hatred and mistrust

30. Peace Workers’ Perspective

31. Peace Workers’ Perspective Strengths • Program was administered by local workers; effective method • Focusing on children is a good choice. It has proven to be effective in other peace initiatives Limitations • Political or other community leaders were not involved • without this support, the probability of making any long lasting changes is minimal • How does initiative affect the broader scope of the conflict? • Have they conducted a PCIA, and identified all stakeholders • How effective are the assessment tools used? • Did they make choices that will gather substantial and important results?

32. In addition to the points previously discussed, what aspects are important to remember when creating a program evaluation? • Think of all perspectives and how everyone contributes to and is affected by conflict (as we did today) • That not only health, but also peace is being achieved and maintained – Did you INCREASE THE PEACE? • Did you incorporate ideas and support from the community/country you are working in?

33. Thank you for your ideas!