First Humane Education Seminar for Arab Educators: Press Release

PRESS RELEASE

Tel Aviv, 1 April 2012

Hakol Chai (Everything Lives), the Israeli sister charity of the U.S.-based Concern for Helping Animals in Israel (CHAI), today launched a pioneering educational initiative in Arab schools in cooperation with Israel's Ministry of Education.

Seventy principals, assistant principals, counselors, and teachers representing 13 schools attended by Moslem, Christian, and Druze Arab students will participate in a 2-day conference to introduce "Expanding the Circle of Compassion," a pilot project set to begin in schools in September. The seminar will be led by international humane education expert and author, Rae Sikora, whose educational materials are widely in use in the U.S. and other countries.

Values-based education is gaining favor with educational authorities worldwide. Child psychologists agree that instilling empathy in children, in particular, is key to creating moral, contributing citizens and a compassionate society. Empathy is most easily taught to children when it relates to animals, beings weaker than they are. Long-term studies of humane education programs show that when they are integrated into the regular curriculum for one year, they permanently change children's attitudes toward animals, and these attitudes are later transferred to people when they become adults.

Rae Sikora: "This project provides us with a tremendous opportunity to create a positive shift in consciousness in students and educators toward respect and compassion for all living beings."

Hakol Chai, which will supervise the implementation of the program in the schools, plans to sponsor a different conference for Jewish teachers later this year.