The youth of Slovakia face many problems common to transitioning countries. These difficulties are related to the erosion of traditional family life, rising unemployment, and other obstacles to socioeconomic improvement in Slovakia. The education system is beset by financial strains, and youth role models often provide images of aggressive and confrontational behavior. A principal need in primary and secondary schools, therefore, is to nurture civic culture, providing education about democratic values, constitutional principles and human rights.

Partners-Slovakia has pioneered conflict resolution programs in primary and secondary schools for over six years, reaching more than 40 schools in Bratislava, Banska Bystrica, Levice, Nové Zámky, and Prešov. Several of the participating high schools were selected because they have a high number of minority Hungarian-speaking students and teachers. Training programs provide communication, cooperative behavior, negotiation and mediation skills to primary and secondary school students and teachers. These trainings were organized to be fun and full of interactive simulations and games.

In addition, Partners-Slovakia built peer mediation programs in which students can apply these skills to arrive at their own peaceful resolutions to school disputes. Partners-Slovakia provided support to student mediators by helping them develop referral systems, conducting regular supervisory meetings, organizing refresher trainings, and providing guidance on outreach. The program has seen tremendous success, and several schools have continued their programs beyond the period of Partners-Slovakia’s assistance. Further, the young mediators have proven to be very creative in promoting peer mediation, writing articles in school newspapers, painting t-shirts, creating posters on conflict resolution topics, demonstrating mediation using role-plays, and building a website (www.mediacia.sk).

In March 2001, Partners-Slovakia’s school-based programs were showcased in the publication of a handbook on peer mediation and the First Slovak Peer Mediation Conference. The conference included 60 students and teachers from primary and secondary schools participating in the programs. School representatives discussed the success and challenges in their peer mediation programs. The Center’s publication, Conflict Resolution — Handbook for Teachers and People Working with Youth, has been widely distributed and summarizes five years of experience with peer mediation programs in Slovakia.

This Partners-Slovakia initiative gives students and teachers a framework that helps them cope with the social dislocations, violence and multiethnic intolerance in their society. Further, it promotes a new way of thinking in the Slovak education system, allowing students to act democratically and cooperatively to devise solutions to their conflicts.