Middle East Peace Summit Simulations

As you may recall from my earlier blog communication, students had been preparing for and were participating in a Middle East Peace Summit simulation during their social studies classes. This simulation was based on a United Nations-led effort to bring together many elements of both Israeli and Palestinian societies to hold discussions about the needs and interests of both sides before entering into formal negotiations. The simulation provided an opportunity to view this longstanding conflict from the perspectives of those immediately impacted by it: in particular, the communities of ordinary Israelis and Palestinians who have yet to see much benefit in their own lives from the peace process. Students had the opportunity to role-play ordinary Israelis and Palestinians engaged in discussions about the conflict, the peace process, and the potential impact of real peace in their daily lives as they presented their formal proposals for lasting peace in the region.

This process proved to be an engaging and enriching experience for students as they gained a deeper understanding of the underlying reasons for the conflict and listened to the needs and interests of parties on the other side of the divide. Though an agreement for peace was not achieved at any of the three summits, students gained firsthand experience of the challenges confronting those who tackle the issue of peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians and how these parties might better forge a path to peace going forward.

Special thanks to Mrs. Kosakowski, our digital literacy specialist, for preparing the maker space for our peace summits and for creating a digital recording of each of the three summits as a witness to history. Please click on the links below if you are interested in viewing these peace summits.

Note: Many of the resources, materials and language used for this simulation and blog communication were obtained from the United States Institute of Peace and its Simulation on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict documents. 

Mrs. Valzania's homeroom class (above)

Mrs. Sierpina's homeroom class (above)

Ms. Magee's homeroom class (above)