Parallel Histories is an educational charity that offers a new way of studying contested history. It helps students navigate the history of Israel and Palestine, the Northern Ireland conflict, Putin and Ukraine, and the impact of the British Empire, and take courses on those it calls “great” leaders, including Winston Churchill, Mahatma Gandhi and Margaret Thatcher.

Pupils are split into two groups and assigned one side of an argument. They study historical sources that will support their view and debate with each other. Then, they switch positions and see all the information their opponents had access to, and debate again from their new perspective.

Helen Pidd and producer Courtney Yusuf visited Lancaster Royal grammar school to observe the method, as pupils spent the day debating the history of Israel and Palestine.

“By the end of the day, normally, the tensions are broken down, and people are making a lot of noise and, in a friendly way, arguing,” Hugh Castle, director of education at Parallel Histories, explains.

He tells Helen when he knows the method is working its magic.

“The moment when students who have probably been arguing with the position they might naturally feel to start with, start then engaging with the other position. Tim Snyder, in his book On Freedom, talks about this tiny leap of empathy. Now, that’s a tiny thing, but it’s a massive thing, because it’s the realisation that, oh, I don’t agree with you, but I see why you think what you think.”

Parallel Histories is one of three charities the Guardian is supporting this year, alongside War Child and MSF. With the horrifying increase in conflicts across the globe this year, millions more civilians have seen their world turned upside down. You can help those caught in the crossfire by donating to the Guardian winter appeal.

Donate now to help civilians rebuild their lives: theguardian.com/charityappeal2024

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