Intercultural dialogue

The project “Intercultural dialogue guarantees safe future for society” had officially ended. Project was sponsored by European Union and  Ministry of Finance according to the prescription of 2007-2013 m. Human Resources Leadership Development Program, 2nd priority’s “Lifelong learning” VP1-2.2-ŠM-05-K section “Implementation and encouragement of enterprise, learning foreign languages and innovative educational methods”. 523.423,62 litas was given to realize the project.

Topics represented and analysed:

  • Cultural dimension model and how to use it working with young people
  • Intercultural Education conception
  • Resolving conflicts in multicultural environments
  • Development Model of Intercultural Sensitivity and how to use it working with young people
  • Intercultural communication and psychology
  • Teachers‘ and parents‘ preparation for intercultural exchange
  • Students preparation for intercultural exchange
  • Intercultural Education
  • Cultural Peculiarities and The Development of Cultural Identity
  • The Concept of Equal Opportunity
  • Human Rights Security and Development
  • Social integration of migrants and ethnic minorities
  • Prevention and discrimination
  • Bullying and Discrimination Prevention
  • New societies: multicultural or intercultural
  • Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms

See video and photos from training.

Reporting and using project “Intercultural dialogue guarantees safe future for society” survey results

The survey was made to find out the needs of specific groups and organize the methodical material. Analysing survey results some conclusions were made:

  • Although pupils usually have many friends, almost 47 % of them are victims of bullying. Most often it happens in school among boys and girls of 6th– 8th Those, who had been victims of bullying, tend to attack others. Sometimes pupils overreact to ironic phrases or funny jokes. It’s important to be able to see the difference between bullying and joking. Seminars were arranged not only for pupils, but also for teachers, because they also tend to attack pupils or are attacked by them themselves. Pupils want professional help also to talk about it with their parents, so psychologist and group work with parents are needed.
  • Pupils enter intercultural environment in school, at home, and the main problem is foreign language.
  • 45 % of teachers are victims of bullying.
  • According to the survey, more than 60 % of being inquired see themselves as being tolerant. However, they have different attitudes towards particular cultures; among those who had the most negative evaluation are the Romany and Arabian people. It’s important to introduce these cultures and analyse main reasons of negative evaluation during the training course.
  • Ministry of Social and Labour security and Lifelong learning uses developmental model of intercultural sensitivity and model of cultural dimensions in school programs.
  • Teachers, Professional Educators Union and Ministry of Social and Labour security and Lifelong learning support the cultural iceberg model.
  • Members of youth organizations tend to work with cultural students exchange program, while 65 % of cultural institutions, 62 % of youth organization members, 41 % of pupils and 34% of parents contact with people from other cultures personally.
  • 93 % of parents have no contact with students exchange program in general and for them the topic is not relevant.
  • Main key verbs that indicate the intercultural training are: to socialize, to explore, to communicate, to interact, and to understand; nouns: communication, tolerance, cognizance, equality.

Intercultural dialogue guarantees safe future for society Nr. VP1-2,2-ŠMM-05-K-01-114

Project coordinator

Public institution “New qualification”

Partners

Šilutės r. Rusnės lower secondary school

Alytaus r. Daugų Vlado Mirono secondary school

Mažeikių r. Židikų Marijos Pečkauskaitės secondary school

Kelmės r. Užvenčio Šatrijos Raganos gymnasium

Vilkaviškio Salomėjos Nėries lower secondary school

Panevėžio union of youth organizations “Apskritasis stalas”

Anykščių r. Fine Arts school

Budgetary institution Vilnius Municipality Pension for Mother and Child

Pagėgių municipality department of Social Service

Public institution “Elektroninio verslo ir inovacijų plėtros agentūra”

“European Social Entrepreneurship and Innovative Studies Institution”

Project duration

November, 2010 – August, 2012

Aim of the project

Aim of the project – enhance intercultural education development, promoting the conception of self – consciousness and intelligence among society, also to establish conditions under which all the social groups could get education and intercultural competence to improve social cohesion.

Short project description

Racism, social tensions, discrimination, bullying and other forms of hatred and intolerance among the society appear as an outcome of globalization and increasing multicultural society. Intercultural education, promoting delicacy, familiarity, tolerance, and openness towards the people coming from social minority groups is significant in creating positive and democratic relationships among the different social groups living in multicultural environment. Due to the lack of educational methods innovative education program and training course have been organized to cultivate tolerance towards the cultural minority groups. The project significantly contributes to Educational policies and initiatives of the European Union: innovative methods should enhance the intercultural dialogue, prevention of discrimination, bullying, and reducing confessional strife. In addition, promotion of self – esteem and self – consciousness is significant in creating intelligent society that understands the principle human rights and freedoms and how important it to defend it. Training pupils, their parents, teachers, educational help experts, lifelong learning administration, and cultural institutions personnel, enhance the collaboration between educational institutes, non-governmental youth, social services, cultural and business organizations. As well, the project promotes integration of innovative educational products and methods, new model of education system.