Fwd: Seminar on Tolerance and Human Rights in Prague
Reply-To: [email protected]
Sender: [email protected]
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Date: Sun, 13 Jun 1999 10:22:43 +0300 (EET DST)
Message-Id: <[email protected]>
Subject: Fwd: Seminar on Tolerance and Human Rights in Prague
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Original sender: Eldar Zeynalov <[email protected]>
Fwd: Seminar on Tolerance and Human Rights in Prague
-----Original Message-----
From: Laura Laubeova <[email protected]>
TOLERANCE, RESPECT AND HUMAN RIGHTS
Second International Seminar of the Teachers for Tolerance/GFSI
Initiative 20-22 January 2000, Prague
SPONSORS AND ORGANISERS:
GSFI, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, University of
Cambridge, UK
Royal Netherlands Embassy in Prague
Citizens' Solidarity and Tolerance Movement - HOST
Police Training College, Prague
Department of Pedagogy, School of Education, Charles University,
Prague
Bohemia Corps
Center for Human Rights Education Pribram
Association of History Teachers in the Czech Republic, ASUD
Association for Education towards Citizenship and Democracy, SVOD
Czech Helsinki Committee
UN Prague Model
Sadika Peace Education Prague
SPUSA Educational centre Prague
Girls' Catholic School Prague
PREPARATORY COMMITTEE:
Laura Laubeova, Prague
Zdenka Maskova, Pribram
Ludmila Horakova, Prague
Marianne Wiseman, Prague
Stepanka Manhalova, Prague
Helena Holcova, Prague
Pavla Polechova, Prague
Jana Chrzova, Prague
Karin Genton-L�Epee, Prague
Mary Fischer, Prague
Jan Bucek, Bratislava
Maria Kuzniarc, Wroclaw
Eva Blenesi, Budapest
Lungile Buthelezi, Johannesburg
Dududzile Maseko, Johannesburg
Roseline-Ntshingila Khosa, Pretoria
I. Rationale:
Interethnic conflicts, human rights violation, intolerance,
nationalism and racism are, together with low eco-environmental
awareness, main threats to stability of present world. Globalisation
and growing multiculturalism in nation states societies bring these
issues to the attention of many policy makers as well as ordinary
people. Teachers may play a very progressive role in the process of
combating intolerance and racism and can articulate the bottom-up
policies for social change. Teachers organised into an international
network can use this space for exchange of information, experience and
as well as for lobbying at higher levels of policy making.
II. Background:
On February 11-13, 1999 the international seminar "Teachers for
Tolerance and Cultural Pluralism" (TTCP) was held in Prague, at the
Secondary Police School. The project was initiated and supported by
the GSFI* Regional Initiative Programme of the University of Cambridge
and is targeted at teachers and educators from Central and Eastern
Europe and South Africa. Additional financial support was received
from the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Prague, mainly to cover local
expenses and coordination costs.
The meeting provided space to 55 teachers and educators from the Czech
Republic, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and South Africa for sharing and
exchange of information and experience; it initiated mutual support
and cooperation and helped to empower teachers to bring changes within
the current educational systems. (The seminar programme consisted of
short presentations discussions, and activities leading to exchange of
good practice and networking.) The experience from South Africa
enabled central European teachers to draw parallels and commonalties.
The main difference seemed to be that in the South Africa, though the
history of democratic development is shorter there, the government
managed to introduce major democratic changes in the educational
system that have had instant impact at the school level and on the
teaching and learning atmosphere (such as students rights, focus on
learners, change in teaching methodology and curriculum). Such a
systemic change seems to be missing mainly in the Czech Republic. What
both regions share are difficulties in implementing equal
opportunities policies and concepts (in central European countries
these policies are not yet very common), high resistance to changes,
occurrence of racism, prejudice and stereotypes, and others.
The first TTCP seminar was oriented to future action planning. Indeed,
many participants expressed importance of having such opportunities
for exchanging experience, networking, and planning joint projects.
Therefore, already at the end of the seminar, a range of follow up
activities started to be planned.
The seminar was organised in cooperation with thirteen Czech NGOs that
either helped to promote it (ASUD, SVOD, OPU, Prague offices of
UNESCO, UN, UNHCR) or helped with its organisation (Bohemia Corps, New
School Foundation, SPS Cultural centre, HOST). We hope that also the
next seminar will be prepared jointly by a coalition of Czech NGOs
which may facilitate the communication and remove barriers among NGOs.
III. Follow-up activities; need for an annual seminar:
The first TTCP seminar initiated regular exchange of information and
establishment of cooperation among organisation within the Czech
Republic (e.g. SVOD, ASUD, PAU for negotiating with the Czech Ministry
of Education) as well as internationally (eg. initiating contact
between schools, mutual visits, planning joint projects). The need
for continuing the exchange and cooperation was one of the strongest
ideas expressed by most participants.
Two follow-up working groups were created under the name of Teachers
for Tolerance/GSFI Initiative:
1. A local organisational committee that is in charge of monitoring
similar projects, linking them together and facilitating communication
between teachers from various school levels and subjects
specialisation. It is also in charge of preparing the follow-up
seminar next year as well as other events. One of the first follow -
up projects organised by Bohemia Corps in cooperation with the TT/GSFI
Initiative was the TOLERANCE AND RESPECT PROJECT CONFERENCE which was
be held in P���bram, Czech Republic, in April 23-25, 1999.
2. An international planning committee (Czech-Polish-Hungarian-South
African), members of which include former GSFI Fellows, that will work
on programmatic outline of the next transnational seminar as well as
on other follow up joint projects.
The main focus of both committees is being targeted at the second
Teachers for Tolerance seminar, which will be held in February 2000 in
Prague, at the same location. The program agenda will remain similar
but will be more focused on ethnic issues, i.e. several given topics
and open space for their adjustment, as this format proved to be very
effective. The Draft Agenda is attached. The organisers hope that they
will secure enough fund so that the participating countries could be
enlarged by Ukraine and former Yugoslavia.
IV. Financing:
Also the second TT Seminar will be partially funded by the GSFI
Programme, therefore no conference fee will be charged to
participants. Accommodation and meals will be charged to participants
at a rate of: USD 10 per day (350 CZK). Other costs, such as local
transportation, various social events and excursion will be covered by
the organiser. The organiser is not able to provide any international
travel grants.
V. Conclusion:
The TTCP Seminar proved to be a very effective tool for initiating and
promoting communication among teachers from different and
geographically very distant places. It managed to identify common
problems and despite the distance and seemingly distinct differences,
it brought people together to find and share ways of addressing those
problems. If the positive impact of the seminar should continue, it is
however necessary that contacts and cooperation are maintained and at
least once per year a meeting/conference is organised so that
participants can use mutual personal support and exchange of
experience as an energising and motivating occasion for their further
efforts.
>From the transnational as well as local perspective the TTCP Seminar
has shown that comparing policies and practice of different countries,
as well as drawing parallels, is a viable instrument for improving
ones own society as well as our global society as a whole.
Contact Persons:
Laura Laubeova Lida Horakova, Jolana Rysava
HOST/ Education for Tolerance Bohemia Corps
Kettnerova 2052 Sudomacska 32
155 00 Praha 5 130 00 Praha 3
tel./fax: +4202- 651 44 42 tel. 627 09
67-8, fax: 627 08 35
e-mail: [email protected]
e-mail: [email protected]
Appendix A
Draft Seminar Themes:
1. Prejudice and stereotypes, racism. Forms of discrimination.
2. Equal opportunities concept and its implementation.
Anti-discriminatory practice in my work.
3. Individual human rights vs. collective minority rights.
International legislation. Discrepancy between laws and their
implementation. How is this dilemma reflected in my work?
4. Managing multiethnic communities on local level. Role of school;
creating partnerships.
5. Why something has to be done and what would be most effective to
do? Need for long term action.
As required by the participants of the First TTCP Seminar, more space
will be provided to topics on issues related to Roma and Romany
education in Central and Eastern Europe.
The above topics can be enlarged with other related areas of interest.
Topics should be presented and discussed in a workshop format (50%
time allocation for discussion among participants). Presentations
should not be longer than 20 minutes and should initiate questions for
discussion. Candidates are encouraged to send their papers by 30
September 1999. The seminar is targeted at all teachers from primary,
secondary, and higher education levels, including teacher trainers.
Candidates with more academic background can contribute by papers
focussing on conceptual/theoretical framework; primary and secondary
school teachers can share their practical experiences and methods. The
seminar will be opened also to non-teachers. Participants will be
selected by the preparatory committee: the main criteria will be the
content of their contribution and/or references from first TTCP
conference participants.
Appendix B
Draft programme:
Wednesday, 19 January 2000 Arrival of participants
Thursday, 20 January 9.00 - 9.30 registration
9.30 - 10.30 opening plenary
10.30 coffee
11 - 12.30 workshop I
13.00 lunch
14 - 15 30 workshop II
15.30 coffee
16 - 17.30 plenary
18 00 dinner
19 30 - 21 reception
Friday, 21 January
9 - 12 30 workshops III-IV
13.00 lunch
14 - 17 30 sightseeing in Prague
18 00 dinner
19 30 - 21 informal meeting
Saturday, 22 January
9.00 - 10.30 workshop V
10.30 coffee
11 - 12 30 workshop VI
13.00 lunch
14 - 17 30 plenary
18.00 dinner
19.00 informal meeting
Sunday, 23 January departure
APPLICATION FORM
Title (Mr, Ms, Mrs) First names: Last name:
Passport No:
Full postal address:
Telephone: Fax: E-mail:
Employer:
Type of school /organisation (primary, secondary, higher education,
teacher training, other
Areas of interest related to the conference topics:
Title and form of your contribution (paper, abstract, workshop
activity, experience to be shared, etc):
Arrival and departure details (please indicate here if you want to
stay longer):
Diet restrictions and other preferences
Date: Signature:
Please send this application together with your paper/input outline by
30 September 1999 to:
Ms Laura Laubeova
HOST/ Education for Tolerance
Kettnerova 2052
155 00 Praha 5
Czech Republic
or email to: laubeova@iol. cz
or fax to : + 42 02 - 651 44 42
Earlier applications will be given preference.
======== Global Human Rights Education listserv ========
Send mail intended for the list to <[email protected]>.
To subscribe to the list, send a message to <[email protected]>, with
the following text in the message: subscribe hr-education
To unsubscribe from the list, send a message to <[email protected]>,
with the following text in the message: unsubscribe hr-education
If you have problems (un)subscribing, contact
<[email protected]>.
*Por informaci�n en espanol, por favor contactar
<[email protected]>.
*Pour assistance en francais, merci de contacter
<[email protected]>
--
==============================================================
MINELRES - a forum for discussion on minorities in Central&Eastern
Europe
Submissions: [email protected]
Subscription/inquiries: [email protected]
List archive: http://www.riga.lv/minelres/archive.htm
==============================================================