Education, Intercultural Learning and Youth- ALF Final Recomendations

 

 

The Anna Lindh Forum 2010 has represented an important moment to consolidate or redefine the fields of action of the Foundation. A thematic approach was adopted in all the Forum’s components in order to examine the work of the ALF by field, to evaluate specific programmes and to design together with experts and civil society members the future action of the Foundation.

The five strategic fields of the Forum emanated from the ALF triennial programme and were specified thanks to the results of the ALF Report on Intercultural Trends, thematic Preparatory Meetings and different consultations with the National Networks and the institutional Partners, in order to define topics to be discussed in the Agora, best practices and project ideas to be presented in the Medina as well as experts to contribute to the Forum at large.

In order to ensure a qualitative process, the Foundation has designated a coordinator from the field to help defining the structure and the content of the discussions. Such coordinator accompanied the Foundation from the Preparatory Meeting through the Forum. Having opted for an inclusive and participatory approach, institutional bodies such as Advisory Council Members and Heads of Networks were involved in the panels as Chairs or Moderators. In addition, experts in the strategic fields were selected to give inputs on the session and to open the debate, whereas opening remarks from the civil society were presented in order to set a frame for the debates. Furthermore, a particular attention was devoted to inform about certain important topics through the info sessions, to share best practices and project ideas, and to involve the strategic partners by giving them a space in the Medina.

The thematic approach allowed the constitution of communities inside our Networks working in the same field that had the opportunity to debate about the challenges, opportunities and future of the Foundation’s work in the Agora, and shared their ideas, projects and best practices in the Medina. Such communities will be supported in the future work of the Foundation as follow-up to the Forum.

This paper will try to present the work of the Foundation, the Preparatory Meetings outcome, the Agora/Medina recommendations and the different projects and people that represented the field of Education, Intercultural Learning & Youth in the Forum.

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Education and Youth are central themes in the civil work within the Euro-Mediterranean space, not only because the region is demographically young but also because it is a precious investment in the future. As one of the important actors in the 43 countries of the Euro-Mediterranean space working on the third pillar of the Barcelona Process, from the very beginning the Anna Lindh Foundation has tried to put Youth at the center of its priorities as advised by the Prodi Group. In addition, according to the ALF Triennial Programme 2009 – 2011, Education is one of the Strategic Fields of action and Youth is one of the major targets of the work of the Foundation.

The Action of the Foundation on the Field

 

The Foundation is investing in the future generations of the region by developing new intercultural learning approaches, tools and programmes and creating physical and virtual spaces of encounter for educators and learners.

§   Investing in Intercultural Learning

 

The Foundation has designed an education strategy which involves both the Educator and the Learner. From one side the Foundation has developed a new Resource entitled “How to cope with diversity at schools” in three languages to enable the young learners to discover the diverse cultures and beliefs of the region. From another side a Network of Teachers was created to allow a positive exchange and train the teachers on the new tools developed by the Foundation as well as to enable them to join partners’ programmes such as the Pestalozzi Teacher-Training Programme of the Council of Europe. In addition, the ALF has engaged together with its partners in creating a Guidebook for Writers of History Textbooks in order to present new methodologies in writing history narratives.

§   Investing in EuroMed Youth

 

Since its establishment, the Foundation has engaged in an effort of Coordination with the other actors of the region from the field of youth in order to create complementary programmes on Intercultural dialogue, conflict transformation and human rights education. The Youth programmes also include the creation of a Mobility Fund to facilitate the circulation of active youth and

 

 

Capacity Building Programmes for young multipliers on intercultural dialogue. Furthermore, the Foundation is trying to implicate new youth targets such as Bloggers by providing them with trainings, an adapted tool-kit and opportunities for networking.

The Preparatory Meeting

In preparation to the Education and Youth section of the ALF Forum 2010, the Anna Lindh Foundation and the Partnership between the Council of Europe and the European Commission in the Field of Youth organised a Seminar on “Euromed Youth Policies and Participation in Intercultural Dialogue” which was held from the 25^th to the 28^th January 2010 in Strasbourg, France. This Seminar gave an insight about the Youth Policies in the Region and the status of cooperation and coordination between the different actors of the Euro-Mediterranean space. The seminar was a unique occasion to gather experts (from the Council of Europe, Salto Diversity, European Youth Foundation, the Alliance of Civilizations, the European Youth Forum) and 30 young civil society actors to define together priorities for the Youth and Education EuroMed Agenda and for a complementary future strategy of the Foundation and its partners.

The Preparatory Seminar came out with recommendations focusing on 4 main themes: Non-formal Education and Intercultural Learning, Youth Inclusion and Coexistence, Social Media and ICD, and Youth Mobility:

§   Education and Intercultural Learning:

Investing in Capacity Building by developing Training for Trainers Programmes on Intercultural Dialogue, Developing Training Manuals on Intercultural dialogue, Developing a database on existing tools and resources on ICD to improve the access to information, Improving the translation of resources, simplifying funding procedures addressed to youth organisations, promoting non-formal education in schools…

§   Youth Inclusion and Coexistence:

Developing training programmes with minorities and majorities together, Creation of spaces of encounter where young people can meet and exchange experiences, Lead Campaigns to promote coexistence, Lobbying with the governments to improve policies regarding migrants and minorities…

§   Social Media and ICD:

Encouraging Online Campaigns for Intercultural Dialogue, Design Online Dialogue Classes inside and outside schools between young people from different cultures, Creating Funding opportunities and training resources on using new media for Intercultural Dialogue, Using classical Media to promote Social Media

§   Youth Mobility:

Lobbying for facilitation of Visa Procedures and Community Code on Visa for active EuroMed Youth, Creating a EuroMed Mobility Fund for active youth willing to travel for learning, doing an Information Campaign on Youth programmes for Embassy Staff, Facilitating the circulation of information about youth exchange programmes…

Education, Intercultural Learning and Youth in the Medina

Info Sessions:

 

§   Resources & Opportunities for Youth (the Partnership between the Council of Europe and the European Commission in the field of youth), Speakers: Nadine Lyamouri-Bajja

§   Intercultural Dialogue 2.0: Educational Toolkit for Training Bloggers on Dialogue (ALF Bloggers Network),  Speakers: Xavier Baró, Carmel Vaisman, Ahmed Yousry, Stephen Spillane, Majd Beltaji

§   Youth as Agents of Behavioural Change (Centre for the Cooperation in the Mediterranean IFRC), Speakers: Amelia Marzal, Roberta Fusacchia

 

Partner Contributions:

 

§   Higher Education for better life: The EMUNI University (EMUNI), Speakers: Joseph Mifsud, Nehal Farid Mostafa, António Nóvoa, Rado Bohinc

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

§   Engaging Children and Youth for Human Rights (Article 12 in Scotland), Speakers: Rosey Simonds, Lynne Tammi, Rima Maroun

§   History as a tool for Intercultural Dialogue (EuroClio: History in Action), Speakers: Emina Zivkovic, Melisa Foric, Steven Stegers

 

Project Ideas:

 

§   Bridge/Ensemble à l’école Commune de Plovdiv (BG), Mariya Pancheva

§   Centre d’Education et d`Information Club UNESCO pour la Culture en Mauritanie (MR), Mohamed Mouloud

§   Les prochains chantiers internationaux de bénévoles UNAREC (FR), Véronique Lamant

§   Euro Med Youth Council Centre Euro-Arab de Catalunya (ES), Eliana Camps

§   Istikshaf The Arab Education Forum (JO), Serene Huleileh

§   Faces of Glocalization Institute of Slavonic Philology (PL), Magdalena Pytlak

§   Peace through Sport PeacePlayers-Cyprus (CY), Marina Vasilara

§   Young Journalist Program Integrated Care Society (EG), Rasha H.Tawfik

§   The Youth X Change MIO-ECSDE (GR), Argyro Alampei

§   Youth - Agent of Change Partners-Albania (AL), Arjola Agolli

§   Critical Revision of Ethnocentrism Ideaz (AT), Johannes Maerk

§   Youth Conference: Learning though diversity IMIC (BA), Arijana Aganovic

§   FOCUS Project Croatian Youth Network (HR), Emina Bužinki

§   Forum interculturel des jeunes Association Agir ensemble (MA), Wadii Abdelwahdi

§   Forum EuroMed des volontaires Chantiers Sociaux Marocains (MA), Izzat Rachad

§   Youth Exchange Project City of Molndal KEKS (SE), Sara Lesch

§   Journalists Training Program Media International (EG), Nagwan Soliman

§   Youth project for the Union for the Mediterranean Babel España Comunicacion (SP), Alvaro Millán

§   EuroMed Research Center CAMC (EE), Thomas Kämmerer

§   Medina: Education for Diversity UNESCOCAT (SP), Onno Seroo

§   Rencontre de jeunes architectes Foro Jávea de Vecinidad, Rebeca Ribes

§   21Platform FLARE (IT), Sabrina Rondinelli

§   Mediterranean TV Channel COPEAM (IT), Alessandra Paradisi

§   Repertory of Regional Languages LEM (IT), Giovanni Agresti

§   Linking NGOs and Mass Media Centru Pentru Resurse Civice (RO), Cosmin Barsan

 

Best Practices:

 

§   Youth Exchange in the EuroMed Türk Kültür Vakfı/ AFS Turkey (TR), Ayse D. Kutluay

§   Voluntary Service Zavod Voluntariat (SLO), Katja Celin

§   Brain Drain in the EuroMed Association of Civil Society and Development Institute (TR), Necdet Saglam

§   Bilingual Talkshows Deutsche Welle DW-TV  (DE), Dirk Beusch

§   Let’s Film Fundacja Together Polska (PL), Magdalena Jakubowska

§   A Man’s Shadow Media-Arts for

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