A large part of the American STTP team cam to visit us last week. This visit was a follow-up to the international affiliates conference that was held earlier this year in May. The main goal of that conference was to set out a course for more alignment between the different affiliates. Director HRE Stephanie Eger set up an elaborate program for the American team to get better acquainted with the Swiss educational system, the role of human rights education (HRE) in it and to engage directly with the Swiss team and its partners.
The work visit started out in Zürich, with a conversation with Dr. Stefanie Rinaldi of the PH Luzern. She did extensive research into HRE in the Swiss system, which provided a good overview to our American colleagues. Like Switzerland, the US is a federalist state and the colleagues know what it is like to deal with different curricula and school systems. Dr. Rinaldi further elaborated on her conversations with teachers, what their perception of the content of HRE is and how there seemed to be a lack of legal and international context.
After talking about theory, the next visit was to the Freies Gymnasium to meet the school director and one of the school‘s history teachers. Both have worked with our STTP program in the past and could not only talk from experience, but expressed a sincere hope to engage with the program once again in this school.
Although jet lagged, the international guests did not get any rest. During lunch a meeting was held with Herr Frommherz from Education21. He explained about the role of the Platform and how he is in charge of connection schools and non-school actors in the domain of „Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung“.
Off the team went, to the Zürich International School. It has been several years since RFK Switzerland was present at this school, but never forgotten. While Ms Heller and Mr Kirkwood explained about the school, its commitment to sustainability and wishes for the future, it became very clear how those coincided with RFK‘s new approach of the Whole School Approach and the central role of human rights education in it.
The evening ended with a meeting with both the Swiss Youth Ambassadors and the Swiss RFK team. Founder and President Dr Christoph Karlo opened with a recap of how the Swiss foundation was set up and what all transpired since 2015 - ending with a successful gala only a few days ago. The US delegation then introduced themselves and the new STTP course.
The second day was a visit to Luzern and long term partner-school IS Utenberg. School director Uwe Volkwein had arranged for a meeting with Prorektor Lukas Keiser, the possibility to sit in on a class - even to take over for a while! - and even visit a special class of young Ukranian refugee children. The day ended with a special guided tour by two pupils from IS Utenberg. Both girls came to Luzern several years ago and could elaborate on the differences between their old Norse / American school and their (relatively new) Swiss school.
The last day was all about arts and human rights. During the last two years RFK Switzerland has been developing an elaborate offer for schools in this regard - an offer that could also be transpired to other affiliates. First stop was with RFK‘s new partner the music school in Hinterkappelen. This was followed by a private tour of the Kunsthaus in Zürich evolving around arts and human rights by educational associate Dr Kerstin Bitar. Afterwards, the different „artistic“ partners sat together to explain to the US about the different programs and had a lively exchange.