Community Circle

Peres attended the 2007 Regional in Israel. He was one of the speakers in the opening ceremony. Since he was elected president he has been promoting technology and science, and FIRST is one of the project which he wishes to develop.

Take 10 minutes and listen to the smartest man in Israel, President Peres.

Today’s youth – tomorrow’s adults – must embrace peace as a central objective and realize that peace offers everyone, on both sides of the border, the best and only option for a brighter future. Indeed, the violent circumstances of the past several years have highlighted the need for an innovative and creative educational approach that will empower youth to face present challenges.

The Peace Education & Culture Department has designed and begun implementation of a multifaceted “Peace Education” program directed at Palestinian and Israeli children and youth. It is predicated on the notion that attitudinal change can best occur as a consequence of subtle educational measures primarily directed at the affective rather than the cognitive domain. Thus, the Peres Center has chosen to concentrate its educational interventions on a series of activities utilizing vehicles such as theater, cinema and the arts to instill values that favor peace and coexistence. These programs and activities have been specifically developed against the backdrop of the recent period of instability, and are continuously adapted to reflect the dynamic reality of the region.

Through these initiatives, participants gain an awareness of the benefits of peace on a personal, communal and societal level, become aware of cultural differences and appreciate cultural diversity, and gain an understanding of the negative effects of stereotyping, thereby acquiring the skills to exercise caution in making social judgments. Through the internalization of the messages conveyed through the activities, the participants transfer the values of peace to their parents, their schools, and their wider communities.