Welcome to GINIE

The Institute for International Studies in Education (IISE) at the University of Pittsburgh and its partners are collaborating on the development of a Global Information Network In Education (GINIE).

GINIE contributes to the provision of educational services to citizens of or refugees from nations in emergency or post-emergency transition, by assisting governments, international organizations and NGOs to draw on collective past experience in order to fashion appropriate interventions quickly and efficiently.

Education in Nations in Emergency & Post-Emergency Transition

The past decade has been a time of rapid and often explosive transition. In addition, armed conflicts have proliferated and there has been a subsequent explosion in the number of refugees, displaced people and traumatized populations.

The international community has long been concerned with the provision of education and related counseling and orientation services to children and adults in crisis and transitional situations. Education represents stability to populations coping with trauma and change, and contributes to the maintenance of civil order during those times. Education also contributes to the post-crisis rebuilding and recovery of a society.

GINIE exists to help provide governments, donor and relief organizations with on-line information, both current and historical, on crisis- and change-oriented educational services and materials.

What is GINIE?

GINIE is an on-line repository of information on education in nations in crisis and in transition, preserving high quality materials, tools and plans developed in one situation that may be adapted for use in other situations.

GINIE is a mechanism to collect, analyze and disseminate this educational information to policy-makers, educators, government and agency officials and local communities.

GINIE is a clearinghouse for information exchange and discussion around the topic of education in nations in crisis and/or in transition.

What Does GINIE Do?

GINIE provides on-line access to educational materials used (or in use), in situations of crisis and/or transition, under the premise that lessons learned under one set of conditions may inform others.

GINIE bridges the gap between the crisis, transition and recovery phases that an education sector goes through in the wake of upheaval and change.

GINIE creates links to organizations that provide Internet access to their own materials and contacts.

GINIE helps to make the "good work" of organizations more accessible to users.

What Does GINIE Contain?

One way that GINIE works is through established working partnerships with professional organizations with related interests. Current working partnerships include:

A. Education for Humanitarian Assistance (EHA) unit at the International Bureau of Education (IBE) in Geneva

Current:

• Education for Peace and Reconciliation for Societies in Crisis
• Interagency Working Group for Humanitarian and Refugee Education Land Mine Awareness Education
• Programme for Education for Emergencies and Reconstruction (PEER)

Planned:

• Demobilization
• Education and the Environment in Crises and Post-Crises Societies

B. Education in Bosnia

UNICEF/Bosnia:

Active Learning Program

World Bank/Bosnia:

Participatory Planning for Re-newal of Teacher Education in BiH

C. Organization Mondiale pour I'Education Prescolaire (OMEP) [World Organization for Early Childhood Education]

USAID:


• Improving Educational Quality (IEQ)
• Publications and Services (CDIE)

Documents from UNHCR and other agencies and NGOs are available. Also available are links to related web sites. We invite interested colleagues to share their materials, directories and discussions with others through links to their own web sites, or through our technical support services.

Accessing GINIE Materials

Emphasis is on provision of a full description of materials available. Many of these materials can be downloaded as files over the Internet.

Information on where and how to obtain hard copy is available. As the system develops, we will give priority to materials that do not have copyright restrictions.

Contributing to GINIE

GINIE is currently soliciting high quality educational materials related to education in nations in crisis and/or in transition.

You can contribute to GINIE, (with full authorial/organizational credit) and share the good work done by you or your organization. Using past efforts to inform future initiatives saves time and precious resources in situations of crisis and rapid change, helping governments, donor and relief agencies and field practitioners to provide high quality educational services to adults and children caught in the midst of crisis and change.

Documents and materials are accepted in both electronic and hard copy format. Materials will be reviewed for relevance to GINIE areas of concern, and acknowledged. Original copies will be returned after materials are put on-line, if so requested.

Our web site URL is: http://ginie.sched.pitt.edu/~ginie/index.html

To contact the GINIE staff, send an e-mail to: ginie+@pitt.edu

GINIE Sponsors

GINIE is sponsored jointly by the Institute for International Studies in Education at the University of Pittsburgh, the U.S. Agency for International Development and the International Bureau of Education at UNESCO. GINIE is designed and maintained by students and faculty at the University of Pittsburgh.