19 July 2016 – Amman: United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Generations For Peace today announced a new partnership that will scale-up the Generations For Peace Jordan Schools Programme and benefit 4,920 female and male students and teachers in Jordanian host communities in Ajloun, Amman, Irbid, Karak, Mafraq and Zarqa.
Using innovative sport and arts-based activities, the programme unlocks creativity and nurtures new capacities and relationships amongst the teachers and students, reducing serious levels of violence in schools experiencing increased population pressures and tensions due to the high influx of Syrian refugees. This month, Generations For Peace is conducting specialised trainings for 120 teachers who will then lead a series of 48 sessions of special Sport and Arts For Peace behavioural change activities with students throughout the school year.
UNICEF’s support enables the programme to double in scale from 12 to 24 schools, selected in the most vulnerable host communities, in partnership with the Ministry of Education. Evaluations from the programme over the last three years show improved relationships between teachers and students, and between the students themselves, including Jordanian and Syrian students. This has led to improvements in academic performance and a significant reduction in violence: a decrease of 80% of female and 52% of male students who report responding to conflict with other students, teachers or at home with physical violence.
Mr Robert Jenkins, UNICEF Country Representative for Jordan, said: “UNICEF is delighted to support Generations For Peace to scale-up its work in schools, in parallel with our existing partnership in community centres and youth centres. The growth of our partnership demonstrates a commitment to improving social cohesion among Jordanian and Syrian refugee children and youth in host communities.” Robert added: “We have witnessed the positive impact and growth of this programme over the past three years, and this new partnership together enables us to extend its reach to benefit more teachers and more students in the most vulnerable communities.”
HE Dr Mohammad Thneibat, Minister of Education, said: “UNICEF’s support enables us to build on the programme’s successes and the excellent collaboration between Generations For Peace and the Ministry of Education at local school level, Directorate level, and national level. With the support of UNICEF, the programme will engage more schools and teachers to ensure a greater number of students can benefit from quality education in a safe and productive learning environment.”
HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein, Founder and Chairman of Generations For Peace, said: “Generations For Peace is proud to be partnering with UNICEF to benefit more children and youth in vulnerable host communities. Through this partnership, and with the generous support also of the Jordan Olympic Committee, the Belgium Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Samsung, Orange and DHL, we are expanding our efforts to reduce violence inside and outside of the classroom, and improve educational performance in more schools throughout Jordan.”
The programme has been expanding steadily since it began as a pilot in 2013 with support from US Department of State, and then support from USAID over the last two years.
GFP Launches New Partnership With UNICEF
