MIP continues series of workshops for history teachers in Serbia

On 26 February 2022, the Mechanism Information Programme for Affected Communities (MIP) continued its workshops on the use of the ICTY and Mechanism archives for history teachers with an event in Belgrade, Serbia.

The workshop, led by MIP youth outreach coordinator Ms. Anisa Sućeska, was organized in cooperation with the Association of History Teachers in Serbia (UDI EUROCLIO) and the European Association of History Teachers (EUROCLIO), together with associations of history teachers from other countries of the former Yugoslavia. Its aim was to train history teachers on how to effectively use judicially-established facts when creating educational material related to the 1990s conflicts in the former Yugoslavia.

Around 20 history teachers from Serbia participated in preparing lectures for high-school students by using judgements and witness testimonies from cases before the ICTY and the Mechanism, along with other material from the digital archives. Applying the knowledge and methodologies learned during the previous MIP training held in August of last year, the participants discussed opportunities for teaching about the conflicts and relevant contemporary topics that could also be addressed.

In order to provide a regional perspective during its workshops, the MIP has developed close cooperation with associations of history teachers from six countries of the former Yugoslavia. Ten representatives of national associations participated as trainers during Saturday’s workshop, sharing their experience and contextual insights from their own countries with the history teachers from Serbia. Importantly, they also brought familiarity and expertise in the use of the ICTY and Mechanism archives, having themselves participated in similar MIP trainings as part of this project.

Trainings on the use of the ICTY and Mechanism archives for history educators form part of the wider MIP, which is generously supported by the European Union and Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. The aim of the MIP is to improve the knowledge and understanding of citizens and communities in the countries of the former Yugoslavia about the crimes committed during the conflicts of the 1990s, based on ICTY and Mechanism cases.