Betzavta is a Hebrew word and means "togetherness". The title of this method of learning democracy, which was developed by the Adam Institute in Israel, makes up the programme and philosophical background at the same time. Democracy is a form of authority, society and life, which at its core assumes that everyone has an equal right to freedom. Everyone has the right to live according to his own convictions and values, provided that he does not limit the rights of others in doing so.
One could describe democracy as an agreement between all the members of a society concerning this core principle. In order that the society is able function, one needs aids (for instance majority decision, a legal system etc.). These aids serve to solve disputes and problems, when no solution can be found in another way.
Introduction to Betzavta
We were able to win the support of a proven expert, who has been dealing with peace education for many years and the methods of Betzavta in particular, to write a introduction to this unusual method for us. Dr. Ulrike Wolff-Jontofsohn's text "Die Sprache der Demokratie lernen mit Betzavta" (Learning the Language of Democracy with Betzavta) can be downloaded and printed out.
... Introduction to Betzavta [pdf,
110 KB] |
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What does Betzavta teach us?
The participants in Betzavta workshops learn what the basic principle of democracy - "everyone has the same right to freedom" - means. They deal with difficult questions of democracy and as such the political, develop an understanding of its complexity and learn to place themselves in the position of those who make decisions in a democracy. At the personal level they learn to recognise disputes and place themselves in the position of those who think differently. Furthermore they learn what democratic attitudes consist of and how one can behave democratically.
How are we taught Betzavta?
The participants do not learn by hearing, reading or rationally understanding information. They learn from the inside, i.e. from within themselves, by experiencing and understanding their feelings (emotional learning). They experience personally how a inner dilemma feels and that there are solutions to this that correspond to the core principle of democracy (namely that everyone has the same right to freedom) to the greatest possible extent. |
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