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Education,Intercultural Learning and Youth

Learning to live together in diversity

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 Forums 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 aframe 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 Foundations 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 ofEducation, 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 countriesof 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 andprogrammes 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 theFoundation 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 apositive exchange and train the teachers on the new tools developed by the Foundation as well as to enable them to join partnersprogrammes 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 inwriting history narratives.

Investing in EuroMed Youth

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


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Capacity Building Programmes for young multipliers on intercultural dialogue. Furthermore, the Foundation is trying to implicatenew 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 25th

to the 28th

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, andYouth 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 InterculturalDialogue, 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 (thePartnership between the Council of Europeand the EuropeanCommission

in thefield of youth), Speakers:Nadine Lyamouri-Bajja

Intercultural Dialogue 2.0: Educational Toolkit for Training Bloggers on Dialogue (ALF Bloggers Network),Speakers:Xavier Bar, CarmelVaisman, AhmedYousry, StephenSpillane, Majd Beltaji

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

Partner Contributions:

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


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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 inAction), Speakers: Emina Zivkovic, Melisa Foric,

Steven Stegers

Project Ideas:

Bridge/Ensemble lcole Commune de Plovdiv (BG), Mariya Pancheva Centre dEducation et d`Information Club UNESCO pour la Culture en Mauritanie (MR), Mohamed Mouloud Les prochains chantiers internationaux de bnvoles UNAREC (FR), Vronique Lamant

Euro Med Youth Council Centre Euro-Arab de Catalunya (ES), Eliana Camps IstikshafThe 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 Buinki Forum interculturel des jeunesAssociation Agirensemble (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 Espaa Comunicacion (SP), Alvaro Milln

EuroMed Research CenterCAMC (EE), Thomas Kmmerer Medina: Education for Diversity UNESCOCAT (SP),Onno Seroo Rencontre de jeunes architectes Foro Jvea 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 EuroMedTrk Kltr Vakf/ AFS Turkey (TR), Ayse D. Kutluay Voluntary Service Zavod Voluntariat (SLO), Katja Celin

Brain Drain in the EuroMedAssociation of Civil Society and Development Institute (TR), Necdet Saglam Bilingual Talkshows Deutsche Welle DW-TV (DE), Dirk Beusch Lets Film Fundacja Together Polska (PL), Magdalena Jakubowska

A Mans Shadow Media-Arts for Development (EG), Nardine Abdallah School Exchange-SP, SYR, JOR IES Pompeu Fabra (SP), Xavier J. Benet Innovative Use of IT Media Bradford Study Support Network (UK), Alexander Ainsworth

Intercultool Project Artemisszio Foundation (HR), Balzs Kiss- In the World of Islam Polish National Commission for UNESCO in cooperation with the Association ARABIA (PL),

Ilona Morzol

- Climate Ambassadors Concept Crossing Borders (DK), Garba Diallo Green Pack Toolkit The Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe (HR), Ariadne A. Kemele-

Vandlik Alternative Energies for Morocco Tierra Inst. Internacional de Catalunya (SP), Eduard Pujol-Xicoy

MED Citizens Assembly CERAI, Centro de Estudios Rurales y de Agricultura Internacional (SP), Vicent Garcs Social Movements for WaterFundacin Nueva Culturadel Agua (SP), Pedro A. Agudo Youth Carriers of Changes CORRIDOR (Psycho-Social/Humanitarian Assistance) (BA), Salih Rasavac

Intercultural dialogue and youth Consell Nacional de la Joventut de Catalunya (SP), Csar Martnez

Children of Bureij Bureij Cultural Forum (PAL), Maher Issa A Mapping for Civil Society Fondation Ren Sydoux (FR), Giovanna Tanzarella / Elisabeth Grech

Practices of Local Democracy Association of the Local Democracy Agencies (FR), Marco Boaria Agenda 21 Culture Municipality of Barcelona, Ciutats i Governs Local Units - CGLU (SP), Jordi Pascual EuroMed School Forum Interkulturelles Zentrum (AU), Rebecca Luise Zeilinger

Peace Caravan AFS Egypt (EG), Sherifa Fayez Youth Caravan S&G System and Generation (TR), Gurkan Akcaer Model Int. Criminal Court Kreisau-Initiative Berlin e.V.(DE), Sandra Hackert

Social Enterprise: Seeduction Youth Council of Slovakia (SR), Dominika Martincova Drama School for Teachers Birzeit University (PL), Manal Issa


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FFIPP Internship Progrogramme Faculty for Israeli Palestinian Peace (FR), Farida Souiah Schools Information Material Life-Link Friendship Schools Association (SE), Hans Levander

Project HOPE Project HOPE (PL), Safaa Abuaisha

Programme Jeunesse en Action AMSED (FR),Tarek Amraoui Al-Azhar English TrainingCentre British Council, Al Azhar English Training Centre (EG), Jeanette Coogan Rural Development Projects Development Center (TR), Yilmaz Akinci

COME IN Czech Youth Programme the Duke of Edinburgh`s Award (CH), Alena Jeslinkova Europe starts with us! PRONI, Centre for Social Education (HOR), Diana Lupsic

RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE FORUM

Creative and Innovative Tools and Approaches:

At the level of the EuroMed Agenda, it is recommended to support the usage of creative and innovative tools and approaches inteaching Intercultural Dialogue in schools curricula and to invest in combining formal and non-formal education methodologies in thelearning process and the educational systems of the EuroMed countries.

At the level of the ALF Programme, it is recommended to develop new educational tools which focus on critical thinking, empathyand curiosity and to revise existing tools by assessing them at the level of sustainability and effectiveness. It is also important to

work on the accessibility and dissemination of existing tools by translating them into many languages and gathering them in onlinedatabases which allows the exchange of best practices and the interaction between the members of the educational community. Inaddition, a special attention should be paid to the usage of internet as a tool of learning and teaching intercultural dialogue.

Targeting the community:

At the level of the EuroMed Agenda, it is recommended to the decision makers of the EuroMed countries to design acomplementary Lifelong Learning policy in the field of Intercultural Dialogue and Intercultural Learning.

At the level of the ALF Programme, it is recommended to develop educational programmes targeting the communities directly.These programmes should focus on the role of families and parents as multipliers and on the education of adults through non-formaleducation methods. In addition, the concept of Lifelong Learning was underlined as the key of a holistic approach of education. Also

it was recommended to design less elitist programmes targeting privileged youth and more programmes working with minorities,youth with special needs and youth from migrant backgrounds.

Capacity building:

At the level of the EuroMed Agenda, it is recommended to encourage the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean countries tocontribute financially to the capacity building programmes in order to avoid Eurocentrism and to develop independent structures in

the form of Youth Councils to manage the funds and the programmes dedicated to the capacity building in the field of InterculturalDialogue.

At the level of the ALF Programme, it is recommended to concentrate the training strategy around two target groups, the first being

trainers who act inside the schools and who should be trained on new methodologies and tools and empowered, and the secondbeing active youth trainers from the EuroMed civil society who act as multipliers outside the schools. Furthermore, both targetgroups should be organised in networks and have a virtual space to network and interact.

Mobility as priority:

At the level of the EuroMed Agenda, it is recommended to facilitate mobility between North and South and between South andSouth by simplifying the Visa procedures for youth participating in programmes with an intercultural dimension, and the creation ofinfrastructures to enable youth from both shores to have physical encounters and to meet face to face in youth centres.

At the level of the ALF Programme; it is recommended to create a EuroMed Mobility Fund for youth workers desiring to travel forexchange and learning purposes. Also sensitizing campaigns should be carried out among the embassies staff in order to inform

them and engage them in the process. Moreover, virtual spaces of encounter and online platforms based on new technologiesespecially social medias should be developed as an easy and less expensive way of bringing youth together cross-borders.

Coordination efforts:

At the level of the EuroMed Agenda, it is recommended that the Education and Youth sectorial coordination should be formalized

through the European Commission between the main actors on the field in the EuroMed region to sustain this action.

At the level of the ALF Programme, it is recommended to continue its EuroMed secrtorial coordination efforts to guarantee synergy,

complementarity, avoiding duplication and working together for the same purpose. The coordination efforts should be concentratedaround yearly themes to explore in relation with current issues related to intercultural dialogue such as migration, coexistence, social


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inclusion and youth policies. Moreover, specific events and programmes should be developed in common to havemore credibility and greater impact.

Credits

These recommendations were developed with the inputs of the participants and the following experts:

Coordinator: Ljubov Lissina (Trajectorya, Estonia)

Chairs: Rowaida Al-Maaitah (AC, Jordan), Jean-Pierre Goor (Fondation Roi Baudouin,HoN Belgium), Eduard Gombr(Advisory Council, Czech Republic), Tuomo Melasuo (Advisory Council, Finland)

Rapporteur: Rebecca Luise Zeilinger (Interkulturelles Zentrum, Austria), Nayla Hajjar (ADYAN, Lebanon)

Presentations: Salwa Baassiri (National Commission for UNESCO, HoN Lebanon), Grard de Puymge (UNESCO),Khalid Louhichi (League of Arab States), Haythem Kamel (SDA, Egypt), Rui Gomes (Council of Europe), Luis Pinto(EPTO, Belgium), Bernard Abrignani (SALTO Euromed, France), Vania Freitas (European Youth Forum, Belgium)

Opening remarks:Eman Qaraeen (Jordan), Silvia Putes (UNESCOCAT, Spain), Magda Zaki Toulouny (League of ArabStates, Egypt), Aspasia Kakari (Athens Network of Collaborating Experts, Greece); Dominika Martinova (Youth Council of

Slovakia, Slovakia); Amer Hadmi (IPCC, Palestine), Magdalena Jakubowska (Together Poland Foundation, Poland),

Mohamed Salem Mohamed Mouloud (Club UNESCO pour la Culture, Mauritania), Leah Davcheva (AHA Moments,Bulgaria), Adnane Addioui (British Council, Morocco); Andrius Becys (Culture Center In action, Lithuania); Carmel

Vaisman (ALF Bloggers Network).

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