Crime Prevention     Metzila's Mission     Community Projects     Where Metzila Operates     Metzila Programs     Areas of Activity     Technology in Crime Prevention     Community Mediation Center Model  When Tradition and Professionalism Meet: a Leadership and Crime Prevention Seminar for Bedouin Teachers  A one of a kind training seminar was held on September 2005 for Bedouin teachers in the Kay Teachers College in Be'er Sheva. The seminar focused on violence prevention and was initiated by "Metzila", Kay Teaching College, the Ministry of Education, the Israel Anti Drug Abuse Association and the Van Leer Foundation. The seminar was designed to imbue professional leadership into the teachers' teaching methods, enabling them to develop pedagogic frameworks which promote crime prevention and parenting skills in the Bedouin sector. The graduates of the seminar were certified as instructors in the local educational system, guiding the development of crime prevention programs and community services. The first seminar graduated 24 teachers and social workers that finished the 240 hour program in the Kay Teachers College. The seminar includes classes and workshops focusing on crime prevention and parental skills specifically in the Bedouin sector such as: • Family psychology in light of the development of the Bedouin sector • Laws of matrimony – tradition vs. state laws and religion • Parenting in the Bedouin sector • Crime and violence prevention in the Bedouin sector • Drug abuse prevention in the Bedouin sector • Mediating and compromising • Instructing skills The lecturers in the seminar spoke about a positive environment during the seminar, created by the participants who were genuinely interested in learning. When speaking to the participants, many of them spoke about how the seminar has already taken effect on their school work and their every day life at home. The participants said that when dealing with a violent occurrence in school, they aspire to solve the problem by discussions between the sides before jumping directly to punishment. Every graduate of the seminar sees themselves being able to promote positive parenting and violence prevention within their sector as part of their traditional ways of life.