Foreword

“Dialogue between cultures is essentially a dialogue between human beings, not between anonymous cultural entities. Present and future generations must, therefore, be given the instruments for dialogue. In the Euro-Mediterranean region, they need to be provided the opportunity to learn at least one foreign language, preferably more, and to acquire knowledge about all religions and cultural traditions that have shaped this region as crossroads of civilizations.”

As stated in its declaration, and taking into consideration the fundamental importance of reaching the future generations, namely the youth, the Anna Lindh Euro-Mediterranean Foundation for the Dialogue between Cultures in the framework of its approved 2005 -2008 programme (ALF) established in May 2006 the Euro-Med Teacher Training Programme in collaboration with the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organizations (ALECSO) and the Council of Europe to provide teachers from Euro-Med countries with teaching skills and materials on cultural and religious diversity, sustainability development and education for human rights and democratic citizenship.

Next steps and objectives of this programme are to create concrete and useful teaching and learning materials to provide various actors involved with the instruments for dialogue.

Introduction

The present document is an inventory of teaching materials and resources. It focuses on the issues of intercultural education, inter-religious dialogue and cultural diversity. It is aimed at providing teachers, teacher trainers and other education professionals, with a tool to encourage them to tackle these issues in the schools and classrooms, with the young people who are before them.

One will see, when reading this inventory, how much the concepts of “culture”, “identity” and “dialogue” are dynamic at their heart. We all have more than one identity, and our identities change with time, experience and education. We are all part of diverse social environments and belong to diverse and intersecting groups and cultures. We all need to understand others in order to evolve in a diverse world and be able to reach our full potential. These concepts are nothing static, they are all about dynamic: identity and culture are processes in constant movement.

Diversity, as a concept, is equally a cornerstone to the edifice of building understanding: it implies moving beyond mere “tolerance”, and goes toward mutual respect involving dialectic processes and therefore also a dynamic reality powered by knowledge.

In this context, inter-religious education is of great importance. It will have to be conducted with a human rights vision: learning about what others believe and why they believe it. There is never enough teaching about “others”, and in a world where the concept of nation-state is changing at a fast pace, the importance of such a goal is clear to see. In this way diversity, intercultural and inter-religious dialogue need to be taught and learned if today’s young people are to become tomorrow’s “global citizens” who believe in and are ready to act for democracy and human rights.

The notion of respect for others, introduces the other necessity: respect for our environment. Sustainable development and global education are an important goal for youth. The planet we share and its protection implies dialogue and searching together how we can achieve a balance between social, environmental, and economic development.

Now the question is on the table: how do we find the language to promote dialogue and diversity between these dynamic and multifaceted identities and cultures? “What we need now is developing a common language for understanding and respecting cultural differences without doing harm to our universal values” (Dr. Traugott Schoefthaler; section 2.3).

Within the resources listed in this document, one will find many paths to promote awareness of these issues with young people and thus promote dialogue between cultures for today and tomorrow.

The document’s aim is to offer a tool to help teachers acquire attitudes and competencies enabling them to promote peace and dialogue within a multicultural, diverse society. The materials and resources presented here have been used in workshops on the themes of intercultural education, inter-religious dialogue and cultural diversity, which teachers and teacher trainers of the Euro Mediterranean region have attended through the support of the ALF:

• Each chapter presents a workshop or an ALF funded project:
• Under each chapter head, the reader will find the list of materials used within the workshop or program.
• At the end of each document summary, in italics, some materials are highlighted, and specific uses are suggested.
• When available, web links are provided.
• When the document exists in both English and French, there is no translation of the summary. When the document exists in only one of the languages, a brief descriptive, in brackets, gives the reader information on the theme and the type of document listed.

We hope readers will be able to take full advantage of this inventory and that these resources will help education professionals, throughout the Euro-Mediterranean countries and elsewhere, develop their curriculum in ways to promote peace and dialogue with the young people they are in charge of educating as tomorrow’s democratic citizens.