Promoting intercultural awareness in schools

Intercultural dynamics and related issues such as multi-ethnicity, immigration and ethnic and religious minorities, and their relevance to teachers' professional approaches within the school context were the topics discussed at a one-week European seminar workshop entitled "Teaching intercultural understanding: approaches and challenges" that I attended in Bergen, the city of culture and gateway to Norway's fjords.

The participants were first introduced to key concepts in intercultural understanding, exploring the links between schools and the nation state taking examples from Norway. The workshop then focused on civic education in pluralist societies, discussing political liberalism with particular attention to French and German state schools, and how their approaches contrast when dealing with religious conflicts.

Other presentations dealt with racism and anti-racism, religious intolerance, and bullying in schools. Group discussions were held to enable participants to share their opinions, national experiences and foster intercultural understanding.

In view of globalisation, irregular immigration, the increase in religious pluralism and multiethnic minorities, any society's reality is ever-changing emerging and raising cross-cultural dilemmas. Such issues are therefore becoming more pressing and demand reflection and debate. In this context inter-cultural communication is one of the best tools and approaches that educational institutions should adopt.

The seminar was organised by the Norwegian Teacher Academy for Studies in Religion and Education, and I was able to attend it after having applied for and received a bursary under the Pestalozzi/Council of Europe scheme.

Workshops such as this one serve a very beneficial purpose - that of getting people from various countries together, and making them appreciate the underlying common issues within diverse cultures. They also serve to create awareness, promote dialogue and develop solidarity among peoples from different cultural contexts.

I very much recommend to other teachers to look for similar experiences in their respective professional field. Such intensive experiences are indispensable for teachers' professional development and to prepare them for the evolving socio-cultural contexts in our schools.