The expanding EU needs innovative instruments to promote social cohesion among member states

Who is Europe?
The expanding EU needs innovative instruments to promote social cohesion among member states. (Everyday) culture and art can serve as intermediaries for a sustainable approach to learning and for bridging cultural gaps. Can we identify a common cultural heritage on which a shared future vision of Europe can be built and can we put such findings into transferable training tools that help to overcome xenophobia and favour diversity? We are Europe.

Coming together: ICD-Conferences
The project consortium jointly develops, tests and evaluates a model of 'Intercultural Dialogue Conferences' (ICD) as branded tool, which helps to create pathways for adult learners to improve their knowledge about the EU and their intercultural and key competences via Adult Education Agencies. Learner-centred approach and use of art and culture as intermediaries provide a rich methodology (successful in former GRUNDTVIG projects e.g. ARTEMIS) to motivate learners - activities, to raise their self-confidence and support creative expression, communication and intercultural exchange. Five regional ICD-Conferences involve participants via partners' regional/national networks and experts from all 27 EU member states. They are not only invited to discuss relevant questions and obstacles related to European integration (e.g. border conflicts/resolution, work-migration, Lisbon Treaty…), but also take an active role in developing the pedagogical strategies and the ICD-Conference Script. Being multipliers all participants of ICD-Conferences reach out to an EU-wide audience via their institutions, disseminating the project idea in everyday work, through postcards, newsletters and lectures. As a result Adult Education Institutions were provided with an ICD-Conference Script (brochure, CD) as a methodical and didactic concept developed for further use: The ICD- Conference Script comprises ICD-methodology for the hosting (Adult Education) Institutions and low level motivating methodology when learning processes with target audiences from various cultural backgrounds are initiated.

ZSI/ASO Sofia is responsible for the organization of the 4th ICD Conference.

Project Short Description English

Team:

• Magª. Maria Schwarz-Woelzl (project leader)
• DI Martin Felix Gajdusek

Section: Work and Equal Opportunities

Partners:

• Associazione Ricreativa e Culturale Italiana
• Credit Works Ltd.
• Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena
• Kanaal 127
• Riksantikvarieämbetet
• Znanstveno raziskovalni center
• Institut für Bildungsforschung der Wirtschaft (Coordinator)
• Institut für Bildungsforschung der Wirtschaft / ibw

Downloads:

Related Articles:

• Publication: weReurope handbook

Tags: diversity, intercultural dialogue, lifelong learning, social cohesion