LLinE Lifelong Learning in Europe

Orientation 3/2006

CELEBRATING DIVERSITY

Jagdish Gundara
INTERCULTURAL STUDIES. DIVERSITY AND ADULT CONTINUING EDUCATION

European countries have always been multicultural and multireligious, based on differences. It is the intercultural approach that we should concentrate on in educational policies, practices and processes. One of the greatest challenges is to bring the ‘new’ minorities’ languages, histories and cultures to having an equal value with the dominant European nationalities. There adult and continuing education has a great challenge.

Eha Korkus
TEACHERS AND LEARNERS IN DIALOGUE. ESTONIANS AND RUSSIANS IN ESTONIA

With independence in the early 90’s, Estonia was left with a painful history and big Russian minority not used to a minority position in society. The solution applied in the situation was to introduce the Estonian society and structures to them in Estonian, with varying success. Only starting from the students, with them, the Estonian teachers could make a difference – also for themselves.

Kris Gutierrez and Maricela Correa-Chávez
WHAT TO DO ABOUT CULTURE?

In ‘other’ cultures we often see stereotypes, groups with certain qualities. They are reflected in our teaching, we expect certain cultures to produce certain learning styles. Only realising that ‘they’ are just as diverse as ‘we’ can we see the individual learning styles, and respond to it. The American experience with people from widely different cultures gives a good ground for experiences.

Pauli Brattico
SPONTANEOUS VERSUS NON-SPONTANEOUS ACQUISITION OF KNOWLEDGE

We are exceptionally good learners, but this ability is often restricted to spontaneous learning. Non-spontaneous knowledge acquisition, such as externally driven, passive, or superficial memorization, is as difficult as it is unnatural. But if the learner can connect new material with existing knowledge in a meaningful way, its retrieval later becomes easier due to the multiple links, pointers, or associations stored in the memory.

Slavica Borka Kucler
INTERCULTURAL LEARNING, RESPECT OF DIVERSITY AND INTEGRATION

Slovenian education shows signs of turning from the present strict rationalism, data accumulation and stimulation of competition. The formal system does not recognise the need for social interaction, personality growth and aspiration for a more qualitative coexistence. Expressing intolerance towards Roma, Muslims and others has become part of life. Two examples in adult education show results of a different orientation.

Jean-Pierre Titz
THE IMAGE OF THE OTHER IN HISTORY TEACHING

The Council of Europe adopted in 2001 a recommendation on history teaching in the twenty-first century Europe to promote an approach to learning history that reflects the increasing cultural and religious diversity of European societies and to contribute to reconciliation, acknowledgement, understanding and mutual trust between different cultures. The project will propose strategies, methods and tools into specific activities also for out-of-school activities.

Vanya Ivanova
DIVERSE APPROACHES TOWARDS A DIVERSE PAST. HISTORY PROJECT IN SOUTH EASTERN EUROPE

Adult education in the South-Eastern European countries has taken up the difficult legacy of recent history. Projects in these countries separately and together have collected an exhibition of sore points for the public to confront and discuss, to remember for the future. The exhibition travelled in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Romania, and Serbia. Along with the exhibition there has been educational activities.

Traugott Schöfthaler
CULTURAL DIVERSITY FOR ALL

The Anna Lindh Euro-Mediterranean Foundation for the Dialogue between Cultures, with its headquarters in Alexandria, Egypt, has in its regular Euro-Mediterranean program developed activities to help people keep brains, emotions and spirits alive as human instruments for shaping more decent social and cultural relations in the affected communities. We do not just need more knowledge, says the writer. We need a fundamentally new understanding of culture and cultural identities. And a common language.

Eric Agbessi
THE FIRST AFFIRMATIVE ACTION BY THE FRENCH

Of educated people with foreign origins, 11 percent are unemployed versus 5 percent who are fully-fledged French: access to training or to a first job is more difficult, enlarging gaps within the French society. The French need to tackle the situation with more than words. A list of proposals completes the report. But no law is expected to back up the development.

Magda Trantallidi
COLOURS – ART THERAPY AGAINST XENOPHOBIA

Techniques used in art therapy can be applied in working with migrants with difficulties in language and verbal expression. Good experiences have been gained in four countries and a varied group partners, from universities to libraries.

Yasemin Karasoglu and Sigrid Luchtenberg
ISLAMOPHOBIA IN GERMANY

The closed view of Islam in general discussion leads many Germans to understand anti-Muslim feelings and attitudes. And the open view is seldom expressed. The visible symbols of Islam often read as symbols of fundamentalist Islamic attitudes. Even teachers get too little information on the situation of migrants, and specifically Muslims. There are some examples of good practice.

Beate Schmidt-Behlau
MIGRANTS AS CHANGE AGENTS IN ‘LEARNING TO LIVE TOGETHER’

A project on its second round, NILE has already some practical results. The partners have concluded that intercultural competence is one of the most important basic skills. Migrants need access to fundamental rights including civil, political, social, economic and cultural rights, strong anti-discrimination policies, social inclusion policies in housing and health, positive family reunification policies, and individual rights and an independent legal status to women accompanying their partners and husbands.

Wilhelm Filla
AUSTRIAN ADULT EDUCATION FACES MODERNISATION

Over half of the population in Austria can think of participating in adult education, and about one quarter does it. They are mostly drawn to conventional courses. Problem areas are political (citizenship) education and literacy courses. The professionalisation of the field will probably be leading to a specific pedagogical qualification, which will be a challenge for the about 100,000 volunteers working in the field.