Every year, on the 21st of September, the International Peace Day is celebrated worldwide.
On this day, dedicated to strengthening the ideals of peace, both among all nations and all peoples as well as among the members of each of them, from Social Promotion we want to highlight the work done by the Spanish School “Nuestra Señora del Pilar” since 1923.
The “Nuestra Señora del Pilar” School is located in the Old City of Jerusalem, managed by the Missionary Sisters of Calvary. It serves underprivileged students belonging to the poorest families in and around East Jerusalem, who receive education from preschool to pre-university levels. The given curriculum follows the program of the Ministry of Education of the PNA and girls learn four languages: Arabic, Hebrew, English and Spanish.
The school not only carries out an important educational work at a curricular level, but also an integral human education. Therefore, it fosters intercultural coexistence among its students, Muslims and Christians, favouring mutual and cooperative relationships. In this way the school tries to contribute to the creation of a more tolerant and fraternal society, starting from childhood.
Because of this important educational work, as well as its fundamental role in building peace, in a Region frequently threatened by conflicts, the Foundation has been supporting this school since 2003. Various projects have been funded by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) for the period 2003-2005; the Reina Sofía Foundation, 2008-2011; and the Regional Government of Madrid, 2010-2011, contributing to the improvement of the facilities and, consequently, to the quality of education.
Currently, the Foundation and the Mondo Unito Foundation support the implementation of a psychosocial and counselling program for the students of the school, in order to improve the mechanisms to manage a peaceful coexistence.