Program Description

Welcome!
The purpose of this blog is to document the adventures of three teachers from ARHS. Samantha (Sam) Camera, Tom Fricke and Kristen Iverson are headed to Indonesia this Friday....here's why:

Program Description
Democracy and Tolerance is an exchange program between American and Indonesian Educators for the purpose of studying how each nation addresses the key Democratic question “How do people balance democracy, which allows majority choice, and tolerance, for those who find themselves in the minority?” The program is funded by the U.S. Department of State and is conducted through a partnership between the University of Massachusetts Civic Initiative, the Teacher Training division of the Indonesian Ministry of Education, The Center for Pancasila Studies at Gadjah Mada University, State University, Makassar, the English Training and Testing Center-ETTC Kota Balikpapan, and the United States-Indonesian Society.

Using religious tolerance and free expression as our comparative focus we will increase teacher and student knowledge, improve cultural appreciation, develop and distribute a curriculum unit, and build long term relationships among educators.

The Civic Initiative began in 2003 as the brainchild of Dr. Mike Hannahan. Having spent years teaching and working in politics and government he wanted to create an organization to promote civic education and foster research on democracy. His ideas found a home at the University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute, the research, consulting, and outreach branch of the University of Massachusetts Office of the President. To read more about this program you can go to the website.

Wish us luck! We will be traveling to Indonesia from Janauary 30th-February 17th, 2009. Check this blog to see what we are up to!