“History education can become a weapon, drawing divides between an ‘us’ and a ‘them’”, Mire Mladenovski, President of the Association of History Teachers of Macedonia, vividly explained to the twenty history teachers from Armenia, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine who took part in this year's Teachers’ Academy. All the participants had successfully supported their students in the participation of the local history competition. At this year’s Teacher’s Academy in Budva, Montenegro from 17 to 20 October 2024, the teachers learned how they can shape their teaching to overcome differences, promote empathy and encourage critical thinking.

What struck a chord with the participating teachers was Mladenovski’s illustration of how history education can become a tool for mutual understanding. “I participated in interesting discussions moderated by Mire Mladenovski”, one of the participants remarked, “a teacher who knows how history must be taught in order to change mindsets.”

At the Teachers’ Academy the tutors discussed with Aleksandar Todosijevic, President of the Association of History Teachers of Serbia, how balanced narratives of historical events can be created with regard to history text books. Milos Vukanovic, President of the History Teachers Association of Montenegro, argued for a multi-perspective approach to studying history in his workshop. This approach encourages learners to question stereotypes and to think critically. In a fourth workshop, participants reflected together with Admir Ibricic, a history teacher from Bosnia and Herzegovina, on their role as history educators in the protection of cultural heritage today and in the future.

Beyond the four workshops conducted by the history teaching experts from the Western Balkans, the participants enjoyed the opportunity to exchange views on the challenges of teaching, the development of teaching methods and the activities of their local history teachers' associations. “This event was much more than just an educational setting”, praised one of the teachers, “it was a space of authentic learning, communication and professional development, it was a unique and valuable experience.” As part of the accompanying cultural programme the educators furthermore gained valuable insights into the history of Montenegro with visits to the old town of Budva and the city of Kotor.

After completing the four-day academy, many of the teachers were certain that they would like to use the methods they learned in their lessons and to pass them on to their colleagues. “I would be glad if more teachers could have the same experience. It will be great for their professional development,” concluded one of the participants.

The Sumer Academy  is a part of the international project “A Toolkit for Critical History Teaching", financed by the Federal Foreign Office of Germany. The project's main partners are DVV International and Körber-Stiftung. It is implemented jointly by DVV International representative offices and local NGOs: Teachers Association NOVA DOBA (Ukraine), The National Association of Young Historians of Moldova ANTIM (Moldova), Soviet Past Research Laboratory (SovLab) and GAHE - Georgian Association of History Educators (Georgia), and "Hazarashen" Armenian Center for Ethnological Studies (Armenia).