Dear Colleague,
At the Georg Eckert Institute for International Textbook Research (GEI) we study the production, presentation and dissemination of socially relevant knowledge within educational media for schools, in a national and international context. We provide advice and mediation for work on textbooks and curricula, particularly in (post) conflict societies and those undergoing transformative changes, and support the development of new textbooks and teaching materials.
The Institute currently coordinates three bilateral textbook commissions (German-Israeli, German-Czech and German-Polish) as well as a joint German-Polish textbook project. Our next step is to create a European Forum for Reconciliation (EFREC). The aim of the forum is to strengthen existing partnerships and establish new cooperative relationships with relevant state and civic partners in the field of international work on school textbooks.
We are currently working on a detailed overview of state and civic initiatives in this field and would very much appreciate your help. If you are aware of any bi- or multi-national initiatives related to textbooks or curricula that would be of interest to our project, please let us know.
We are enclosing a questionnaire for reference, which with we are approaching relevant initiatives in order to record their central organisational forms, areas of activity, methods and products, as well as their academic and political relevance. Our aim is to examine cooperative structures in order to support multilateral interchange. Bringing together diverse experiences of bi- and multilateral projects promises to produce highly synergetic effects for all involved. For this reason, we very much hope that you will take the time to participate.
We would be grateful if you would advise us of potential partners and we look forward to a successful start to this venture, which will enable us all to better link our activities and to launch new projects and initiatives.
If you have any questions regarding the European Forum for Reconciliation please do not hesitate to contact us.
Best wishes from Braunschweig
Dr Steffen Sammler
Georg Eckert Institute. Leibniz Institute for international Textbook Research
Celler Strasse 3
38114 Braunschweig
Mail sammler@gei.de