Prayer Carpets and Apricot Stones: How Folklore Is Used in 'Coexistence' Education between Israeli and Palestinian Communities and Its Potential Application to Other Multicultural Settings and Conflict Situations

Abstract

The Centre for Creativity in Education and Cultural Heritage brings together Jewish and Arab, Palestinian and Israeli communities through multigenerational folklore programs. Participants research and experience their family traditions of play, song, foodways, and religious practice. Meeting against a backdrop of bloodshed, fear, and distrust, stereotyped images of "the Other," or even "enemy," can be replaced with a deeper understanding of different communities' everyday life and perspectives of the complexity of the situation. Why is folklore, theory and practice, particularly well suited to "coexistence" education and how can this approach be applied to other multicultural settings and conflict situations?