06.02.2015
Project Sponsored by ARAG: Sucessful Launch of the “Conflict Management at Schools in North Rhine- Westphalia”
ARAG SE continues to demonstrate its commitment to social responsibility and has now stepped up its funding support for CSR activities. ARAG developed the innovative "Conflict Management at Schools" project, which was successfully launched at 21 schools in North Rhine-Westphalia in March 2014. "Conflict Management at Schools in North Rhine-Westphalia" is the largest support project of its kind at schools in North Rhine-Westphalia. The project has also been certified under the name "ARAG Mediators" as a Commitment to Action by the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI).
76 participants from the Düsseldorf and Cologne school districts who successfully completed the first block of training as school mediators will be awarded their certificates today. The second training block began on 2 February 2015 and now includes participants from the Arnsberg school district.
The “Conflict Management at Schools“ pilot project launched in March 2014 is devoted to three primary goals: promoting fairness in personal interaction, establishing effective mechanisms for conflict resolution and preventing violence. In the course of the project, teachers, parents, school social workers and school psychologists are trained as school mediators. They will then go on to train students as conflict pilots.
“Conflicts may arise wherever people live or work together. At school, it is very important to identify conflicts early on,” explaines Education Minister Sylvia Löhrmann, who adds that “The State Government supports programs, courses and advanced training in the field of conflict management. They equip teachers and everyone else involved in school life with important tools that enable them to respond appropriately to conflicts. Knowledge of the principles of conflict management and skills in mediation are practical aids to day-to-day work at schools.”
Students, teachers and parents at 21 general secondary and vocational schools in various school districts in North Rhine-Westphalia are currently reaping the benefits of the ARAG program, which focuses on the introduction of state-wide quality standards for conflict-management structures, preventive measures and approaches to intervention.
Today‘s graduation ceremony at the Luisen-Gymnasium in Düsseldorf for participants who completed the first block of training within the framework of the project will be attended by Sylvia Löhrmann, Minister of Schools and Further Education in North Rhine-Westphalia, and Dr. Paul-Otto Faßbender, Chairman and CEO of ARAG SE.
“We regard sustained efforts to promote the development of social competence and the improvement of the school climate through conflict prevention as absolutely essential. The self-initiated resolution of conflicts through mediation is a wonderful goal, which we share with the Ministry of Schools and Further Education in North Rhine-Westphalia,” explains Dr. Paul-Otto Faßbender. “As a family enterprise, we are closely concerned with social issues that impact on people. I firmly believe that business enterprises must demonstrate greater social commitment, especially in turbulent economic times,” he adds.