"We Have the Same Questions“ – Project Management Training for Colleagues from Iraq, Lebanon, and Turkey

Over the years, the work of the Emergency Pedagogy department has changed. Originally, the goal of the Emergency Pedagogical interventions was to provide immediate support right after an event. Nowadays, another focus of our work is on providing long-term support. For example, in Iraq, independent organizations such as "Island of Hope" and "Warvin" have been established. In Lebanon, elements of Emergency and Trauma Pedagogy have been integrated into existing institutions, such as "Step Together" and "just.Childhood". At Egitim Sanati Dostlari Dernegi (ESDD) in Turkey, Emergency and Traumapedagogy was integrated after the earthquake in 2023. For these organizations, the question arises of how the projects can be funded and how Emergency and Trauma Pedagogy content can be implemented continuously. In early 2024, Lina Bäuerle, a coordinator of the Emergency Pedagogy department in Karlsruhe, came up with the idea of bringing these teams together for a project management training.

A large part of the projects can be financially supported by the Emergency Pedagogy department through membership in the donation alliance of Aktion Deutschland Hilft. Other funds come from foundation grants and private donations provided for this purpose. However, the goal is for these organizations to not only rely on the Friends of Waldorf Education but also to receive financial support directly from other donors.

To obtain this support, some knowledge in the administrative field of humanitarian aid and development aid is required. Additionally, general knowledge of project management, such as networking strategies or report writing, is required.

From November 3rd to 10th, 2024, the Emergency Pedagogy team met with colleagues from Turkey, Iraq, and Lebanon to work intensively on these topics. Cansu Kaygisiz, the coordinator of ESDD and responsible for projects in Turkey, expressed her joy that the training took place in Istanbul. "The decision for us to be the hosts of the event made me very happy; being a host is very important in our culture."

For Cansu Kaygisiz, it was very significant to see that others had the same questions. "I didn’t realize that the questions I have are the same as those of the others. The content and scope of the training allowed me to learn from competent people about project processes and exchange experiences with the other teams. As a result, I felt I grew more and more throughout the training."

In conclusion, Cansu Kaygisiz says, "The opportunity to talk, learn, share, ask questions, and laugh together has strengthened me a lot. In the end, I knew that I belonged to a group that has the same goal and knowledge. With the knowledge we gained from the training, my colleagues and I can take more conscious steps in the project as a team. I also feel happy to have met so many people from different places who can support me in the project and with whom I have made friendships."

To further promote the fruits of regional cooperation, Mohammad Hassan from the Lebanese organization just.childhood will fly to Kurdistan in January to share his knowledge of project management, built through years of experience, with the colleagues from "Island of Hope." Both the project management training and Mohammad Hassan's visit to Iraq is financed through donations from Aktion Deutschland Hilft.

Fiona Bay