6th Brussels Debate stressed the centrality of education in the European process of unification
Titled "Education – Ready for the intercultural challenge?” the Brussels Debate that took place last 1st October brought together Ján Figel’, European Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Youth; Professor Jagdish Singh Gundara, UNESCO Chair in Intercultural Studies; Fred van Leeuwen, Secretary General of Education International; as well as Marianne Poncelet, Secretary General of the International Yehudi Menuhin Foundation.
Main focus of the discussions has been the importance of education in fostering intercultural dialogue.
In this regard, all participants agreed on the central role that education and intercultural competences play in achieving unity in
Professor Jagdish Singh Gundara’s speech stressed how diversity always affected European history, helping in the development of mutual European values such as democracy and human rights. The Professor also recognized that “developing teachers’ intercultural competencies and abilities to transfer European values” is a need of central importance for building a cosmopolitan citizenship.
Marianne Pocelet, Secretary General of the International Yehudi Menuhin Foundation, cited some concrete examples of the foundation’s work in fostering intercultural dialogue in education, by supporting intercultural exchanges between primary school children from seven countries through artistic workshops.
“Separation and exclusion in education bring hatred and conflicts,” stated the fourth speaker of the debate, Fred van Leeuwen, Secretary General of Education International. The solution to avoid such a danger, in his opinion, is to be found in an open, democratic and publicly-funded school system able to achieve equality, inclusion and dialogue for all.
The next Brussels Debate will be hold on 5 November 2008, and will cover the role of the media in intercultural dialogue.