Intercultural education is not part of the general school curricula specifically. This issue is included within other educational programmes for schools such as citizenship, democracy and human rights, which are carried out in schools by specialised non governmental organisations. One example is the ONG “Independent Society for Human Rights Education”, which drafted manuals for teachers and pupils on human rights and democracy that include chapters on cultural diversity, national values and identity, promotion of tolerance, religions etc.
Another point of interest in this context is the European campaign “All different, all equal”, carried out by the Youth and Sport Directorate of the Council of Europe in partnership with the European Commission and the European Forum for Youth. The Campaign focuses on three main subjects: eliminating discrimination and promoting diversity; inter-religious and intercultural dialogue; inclusion, democracy and good governance. Within the Campaign various activities will be conducted: art festivals, training of trainers (teachers, local public authorities, journalists, NGOs etc.), promotion materials will be distributed, promoting these values through media etc. Some activities within the framework of the European Campaign “All equal-all different” to be undertaken in Moldova are:
Activities undertaken by the NGO “Institute for Democratic Initiatives” (Orhei). Include: training of trainers (local public authorities, local NGOs etc.) on promoting diversity through inclusion and participation in the community life.
The Centre for Innovation Technologies and the Ministry of Education and Youth will work together on a plan to prepare and organise an Arts Festival “All equal – all different”, which is intended to be open to children from specialised and auxiliary educational institutions and boarding schools from Chisinau as well as other from all over Moldova.
Another initiative in this initiative is the recently (May 2010) launched contest within the PLURAL + MOLDOVA Video Festival on the theme of Migration and Diversity, organised with the support of the United Nations Alliance of Civilisations (AoC), the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
The Festival aims at involving youth in addressing the issues of integration, identity, diversity, human rights and social cohesiveness around the globe by recognising young people as engines for social change in a world that is often characterised by segregation, divisions and intolerance.
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