LEARNING FROM THE PAST: THE LEGACY OF MEDIEVAL IBERIA FOR 21ST CENTURY EDUCATION

The legacy of convivencia or cultural exchange among the Muslims, Jews and Christians of medieval Iberia has an important contribution to make to education in the 21 st century. Creating a bridge between the history of convivencia and our own global society, this article aims to bring into the classroom a subject that is both timely and relevant, given its multicultural and interdisciplinary content. Highlighting the interaction of Iberia's 'three cultures' over almost eight centuries we illustrate issues of diversity, emphasizing how these medieval Iberians built community by interacting with each other and melding their contrasting, often conflictive traditions, languages and religions into a remarkable pluralistic narrative. To demonstrate how convivencia can serve education we offer a framework for interdisciplinary learning, as well as two examples of action research and role playing: a successful theatre program for high school students of the Jenin refugee camp in Palestine that is effecting social change; and a collaborative classroom activity in which students do research, brainstorm, and experiment with representation to give voice to conflict as they search for creative solutions to some of today's pressing issues.