Sustainable Education in the Middle East: endeavour to unite countriesby | 15-09-2016 07:30 |
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![]() The Eastern Mediterranean International School (EMIS) is a unique international boarding high school with a mission of making education a force for peace and sustainability in the Middle East. Located in Hakfar Hayarok ,a youth village and educational campus at the center of Israel, EMIS fosters intercultural understanding and promotes personal and social leadership. (EMIS official website) In the attempt to unite the region with Sustainability, the school has been constantly involved in students-led initiatives and in partnership with governmental bodies and non governmental organizations around the region and the world. For example, every year the Eastern Mediterranean International school organizes the YOCOPAS Conference, in partnership with The Konrad Adenauer Stiftung and other Israeli and Palestinian schools (including from the Gaza Strip).The purpose of the conference is to bring together people with a common interest in working towards sustainable development in the Middle East. Also, when it comes to students engagement the school offers a range of activities related to Sustainability and awareness of environment preservation. For example the participation of students in the EcoPeace organization, which brings Jordanian, Israelis and Palestinians together to tackle water issues and work towards sustainability in the region. The organization have similar ideals to EMIS: make education a force for peace and sustainability in the Middle East. Throughout the year, students explore local and regional challenges, giving them the opportunity to lead their own initiatives. The students are also invited to participate in EcoPeace international camps. (EMIS official website) Not only that, the school also offers a Permaculture course where students learn about methods of sustainable design. Students are encouraged to develop sustainable ideas and bring these projects to life, embracing sustainable development as part of the school?s mission. EMIS is still on its 3rd year, however, it is being able to accomplish great results and have been working hard to follow the mission statement. It is notorious the importance of educational institutions in the development of sustainable communities and in the integration between students and the role to preserve the environment. Therefore, the school can serve as a model to be followed by other educational institutions around the world. EMIS website: http://em-is.org/en/home |