A dual activity: a seminar for intellectuals and a workshop for teachers around “ the Cultural aspects of the two religions, Christianity and Islam”

General Information
Leading Organisation/Person: 
Lebanese National Commission for Unesco
Type of best practice: 
Training / Workshop
Brief description: 

The Best practice which was a two pronged activity gained special importance because of the subject it tackled, the target group it addressed and the high level patronage it had secured.
-The Seminar, which was organized on April 4, 2009, gathered a large audience and had an official opening ceremony under the high patronage of H.E. President of the republic represented by minister of culture. Introductory speeches were given by the director of Unesco office in Beirut , the Secretary General of LNCU and the minister of culture. 7 experts on Islam-Christian dialogue tackled the subject, underscoring its importance in enhancing conviviality among citizens of different beliefs, and in knowing more about the other, as a means for better understanding and mutual respect.
-The workshop which was organized on May 22, 2009 gathered 43 teachers coming from 31 ASP Net schools located in different regions of Lebanon, thus reflecting its great diversity. Two experts in Islam-Christian dialogue trained the teachers on how to introduce information about the cultural aspects of Islam and Christianity in class and how to make the concepts carried by those manifestations be properly understood by school students.

Specific Information
Strategic field: 
Media and Communication
Geographical coverage: 
National
Geographical coverage: 
Global
Target Groups: 
Youth
Target Groups: 
Other
Please specify: 
The public at large
Main Objectives: 

The dual activity that was undertaken around the subject “Cultural aspects of the two religions, Christianity and Islam” intended, by reaching two different types of stakeholders, intellectuals and youth, to achieve the following:
-Create awareness of the crosscutting areas and commonalities in spirituality between the two religions
-Build bridges between citizens from different religions, age brackets and status, in matters related to the practice of their respective rituals
-Reach in particular the youth by transferring to them, through their teachers, knowledge and experience about the cultural aspects of the two religions
-Contribute to the prevention of inter-community conflicts, and foster dialogue among individuals and groups based on understanding of different cultures

Main Outcomes: 

-Greater awareness of the spiritual meanings that stand behind quite many of the everyday cultural manifestations as practiced by Christian and Muslim followers.
-Greater awareness of the common space shared by both religions though expressed differently.
-Fostering dialogue and increasing awareness of diversity especially among the youth and the followers of both religions.
-Willingness and preparedness of school teachers to introduce to their students the many parallel and compatible manifestations in both religions (around 40 of them were presented in the reference book which was used for the activity).

Funding bodies: 

Unesco Beirut office

Contact Information
First name: 
UNESCO Beirut Office and the Lebanese National Commission for UNESCO
Phone Number: 
+961 1 850013
Fax Number: 
+ 961 1 824854
Street Address: 
Lebanese National Commission for Unesco, Ministry of culture, Mme curie street. Hatab bldg, 1st floor
City: 
Beirut
Country: 
Lebanon
E-mail: 
cnlu@cyberia.net.lb
Website: 
http://www.lncu.org