Toine van Teeffelen received his Ph.D. in Discourse Analysis at the University of Amsterdam (1992) with a thesis on English-language bestselling stories about the Palestine/Israel conflict. His present work mainly involves community education with a focus on Moslem-Christian living together, learning about/through the local environment, and developing communication skills. He is married with a Palestinian, has a daughter of three and lives in Bethlehem.

Arab Educational Institute, Bethlehem

The Arab Educational Institute (AEI) is a Palestinian organization for community education operative in the Bethlehem area of Palestine. After the Institute’s foundation in 1986 its locality in the centre of Bethlehem was used for giving classes on a broad variety of subjects, including computer programmes, business administration and languages. While being forced to interminnently close and open during the Intifada, the AEI provided complementary and remedial coaching programmes for pupils while schools were closed. Following a six year long suspension of activity due to the uncertainty of the situation, in 1996 the administration decided to reopen the AEI in light of the changing political and educational circumstances in Bethlehem and Palestine. At present the AEI serves the community by providing courses in secretarial skills, English, Hebrew, computer programmes, and by setting up an educational resource centre. Simultaneously, it organises programmes to promote understanding of Palestinian culture and history as well as for peace education.

In July 2000, AEI submitted a request to Pax Christi International to grant the AEI the status of an Affiliated Organization. At the Meeting of the Executive Committee at Strasbourg, it was decided that Pax Christi would recognise AEI as such. All of us in the movement look forward to a positive and fruitful relationship between Pax Christi and AEI.

Some Members of the AEI, from left to right:
Karishma Budhdev, Susan (Suzy) Atallah, Toine, Shireen Muradian,

Ishmail Muqbil and Sawsan Hadweh.

Arab Educational Institute:
Fuad A. Giacaman, director,

Paul VI St., P.O. Box 462, Bethlehem,
tel. ++972-2-2744030, fax ++972-2-2777554,
tel resid. ++972-2-2744871,
e-mail: aei@p-ol.com - freres@p-ol-com
Toine Van Teeffelen,
P.O. Box 681, Bethlehem, West Bank/Palestine, via Israel,

tel. ++972-2-743244, fax AEI, c/o Fréres School, ++972-2-743244.
E-mail: tvant@p-ol.com
Miss Karishma Budhdev,
Interkerkelijk Vredesberaad, Euro Arab Dialogue Project, Assistant,
e-mail: kbudhdev@yahoo.com tel. ++31-070-3507100,
Celebesstraat 60, 2508 CN, Den Haag, the Netherlands

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