This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.
This web site reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
Towards the Recognition of
Non-discrimination Principles at School
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Case Studies
60 case studies identified through Europe focusing on intercultural issues, integration, non-discrimination values and human rights at school
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Best Practices
12 best practices have been identified throughout Europe on intercultural competences and human rights at school
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Reports
6 reports presenting the main findings related to the survey on human rights and intercultural issues carried out in the partners' countries
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Factual Background
Guidelines on the challenges encountered by secondary school teachers in managing multicultural classes
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Teachers in a Multicultural Environment
Guidelines on improving teachers’ skills in dealing with multicultural environments
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Teachers for an Inclusive School
Guidelines on the acquisition of intercultural competences based on understanding human rights and non-discrimination values
Global Citizenship Education Multiculturalism and Social Inclusion in Europe
The publication focuses on the Integration of Immigrant Students at School.Events
The I Have Rights project has been promoted trough conferences and articles.
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Conferences
The I Have Rights project was presented in a number of events in order to report about the activities carried out and the results achieved
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Training Activity
The training activity 'Expert in Multicultural School Environment' was organised in Siena (IT)
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Press Review
The I Have Rights project partnership made contacts with web sites focusing on the fields of education
Partnership
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Contractual Partners
From this section it is possible to access to a description of each contractual partner of the I Have Rights project.
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Schools
From this section it is possible to access to the information about the schools involved in the I Have Rights Project in the 6 European countries involved.
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Associated Partners
As a result of the exploitation activity a number of associated partners officially joined the project in order to contribute to the improvement of the project impact on their target groups and to ensure the project sustainability by continuing using the project deliverables in the next years.
This section of the I Have Rights portal provides administrative information for the project contractual partners and for the European Commission and it is password protected.
Teachers for an Inclusive School
Homepage > Guideline > Teachers for an Inclusive School
Acquisition of intercultural competences based on understanding human rights and non-discrimination values
Definition of Skills Required by Teachers
to Become Agents of Change in Inclusive Schools
Chapter 1 – Definitions and Models of Intercultural Competences
1.1 The Conceptualization of Intercultural Competence by the Institutions of the European Union
In 2006 and 2008 the European Parliament and the Council defined the key competences needed to achieve personal development, social inclusion and employability. Among these competences those related to an intercultural concept are: (a) communication in a foreign language, (b) civic and social competences, (c) cultural awareness and expression.
(a) Communication in a foreign language is defined as:
“the ability to understand, express and interpret concepts, thoughts, feelings, facts and opinions in both oral and written form in an appropriate range of societal and cultural contexts.” (EU 2006)
But unlike communication in the mother tongue, “Communication in foreign languages also calls for skills such as mediation and intercultural understanding” (EU 2006).
(b) It is possible to find references to the concept in Social and Civic competences as well, which:
“include personal, interpersonal and intercultural competence and cover all forms of behavior that equip individuals to participate in an effective and constructive way in social and working life, and particularly in increasingly diverse societies, and to resolve conflict where necessary”. (EU, 2006)
Finally, essential knowledge of the cultural awareness and expression competence includes:
“an awareness of local, national and European cultural heritage and their place in the world. It covers a basic knowledge of major cultural works, including popular contemporary culture. It is essential to understand the cultural and linguistic diversity in Europe and other regions of the world, the need to preserve it and the importance of aesthetic factors in daily life.” (EU, 2006)
These and other references in the document indicate that the concept of intercultural competence is important enough to be included among the competences that the European Union regards as being fundamental for its citizens. The Council of Europe, when it published its fundamental work for the setting of Common Reference Levels in foreign language-learning and teaching in Europe, namely the Common European Framework of Reference for languages (CEFR, 2001) already placed emphasis on intercultural competence. Thus, it is stated at the beginning of the CEFR that “in an intercultural approach, it is a central objective of language education to promote the favourable development of the learner’s whole personality and sense of identity in response to the enriching experience of otherness in language and culture” (CEFR, 2001).
Another important document that affirms the importance of intercultural competences for the European Union is the report entitled “Developing Intercultural Competence through Education” (2014). In its introduction the Council of Europe states that the development of intercultural competence and intercultural education is necessary in order to avoid manifestations of prejudice, discrimination and hate among different people. These problems originate in the social inequality that Europeans of different cultural backgrounds and affiliations face, making a peaceful coexistence more difficult.
Furthermore, currently intercultural and inclusive education is being launched in the EU as one of the main tools for the promotion of citizenship and shared values. Thus, one fundamental aim is to establish a policy framework to support Member States in promoting inclusive education that fosters ownership of shared values, contributing to the prevention of radicalization that might lead to violent extremism (see, COM(2016) 377 final 7.6.2016). Fears of extreme violence and radicalization, reinforced by the recent attacks in the territories of EU member-states, place emphasis on the need for inclusive education which substantially promotes social integration and intercultural awareness. The aim is that young people will be able to participate in facilitated discussions that increase their intercultural awareness and expand their intercultural competences through non-formal learning (European Commission 2017).
In view of this, a new Erasmus+ Virtual Youth Exchange initiative is due to be launched in 2018 to increase intercultural awareness and understanding between young people inside and outside the EU. Overall, one of the main aims of the Erasmus+ programme is the strengthening and enhancement of the intercultural competence.
(a) Communication in a foreign language is defined as:
“the ability to understand, express and interpret concepts, thoughts, feelings, facts and opinions in both oral and written form in an appropriate range of societal and cultural contexts.” (EU 2006)
But unlike communication in the mother tongue, “Communication in foreign languages also calls for skills such as mediation and intercultural understanding” (EU 2006).
(b) It is possible to find references to the concept in Social and Civic competences as well, which:
“include personal, interpersonal and intercultural competence and cover all forms of behavior that equip individuals to participate in an effective and constructive way in social and working life, and particularly in increasingly diverse societies, and to resolve conflict where necessary”. (EU, 2006)
Finally, essential knowledge of the cultural awareness and expression competence includes:
“an awareness of local, national and European cultural heritage and their place in the world. It covers a basic knowledge of major cultural works, including popular contemporary culture. It is essential to understand the cultural and linguistic diversity in Europe and other regions of the world, the need to preserve it and the importance of aesthetic factors in daily life.” (EU, 2006)
These and other references in the document indicate that the concept of intercultural competence is important enough to be included among the competences that the European Union regards as being fundamental for its citizens. The Council of Europe, when it published its fundamental work for the setting of Common Reference Levels in foreign language-learning and teaching in Europe, namely the Common European Framework of Reference for languages (CEFR, 2001) already placed emphasis on intercultural competence. Thus, it is stated at the beginning of the CEFR that “in an intercultural approach, it is a central objective of language education to promote the favourable development of the learner’s whole personality and sense of identity in response to the enriching experience of otherness in language and culture” (CEFR, 2001).
Another important document that affirms the importance of intercultural competences for the European Union is the report entitled “Developing Intercultural Competence through Education” (2014). In its introduction the Council of Europe states that the development of intercultural competence and intercultural education is necessary in order to avoid manifestations of prejudice, discrimination and hate among different people. These problems originate in the social inequality that Europeans of different cultural backgrounds and affiliations face, making a peaceful coexistence more difficult.
Furthermore, currently intercultural and inclusive education is being launched in the EU as one of the main tools for the promotion of citizenship and shared values. Thus, one fundamental aim is to establish a policy framework to support Member States in promoting inclusive education that fosters ownership of shared values, contributing to the prevention of radicalization that might lead to violent extremism (see, COM(2016) 377 final 7.6.2016). Fears of extreme violence and radicalization, reinforced by the recent attacks in the territories of EU member-states, place emphasis on the need for inclusive education which substantially promotes social integration and intercultural awareness. The aim is that young people will be able to participate in facilitated discussions that increase their intercultural awareness and expand their intercultural competences through non-formal learning (European Commission 2017).
In view of this, a new Erasmus+ Virtual Youth Exchange initiative is due to be launched in 2018 to increase intercultural awareness and understanding between young people inside and outside the EU. Overall, one of the main aims of the Erasmus+ programme is the strengthening and enhancement of the intercultural competence.
Online Resources
- The European Parliament and the Council, Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 on key competences for lifelong learningOJ L 394, 30.12.2006, pp. 10–18
- Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2008 on the establishment of the European Qualifications Framework for lifelong learningOJ C 111, 6.5.2008, p. 1.
- Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)Online edition of the CEFR of the Council of Europe which constitutes the Common Framework establishing Common Reference Levels for languages (A1 to C2) in Europe and worldwide.
- Council of Europe Pestalozzi Series, No. 3 (2014). Developing intercultural competence through educationA volume that discusses the way to fully integrate intercultural competences as a key competence. It seeks to offer an educational rationale and conceptual framework for the development of intercultural competence and also describes the constitutive elements of intercultural competence that need to be developed in and through education in formal, non‑formal and informal contexts.
- Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. Action Plan on the integration of third country nationals
- Study On the Feasibility of an ERASMUS+ Virtual Exchange Initiative - Final Report (2017)Online report from the European Commission Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture that refers, among other issues, to intercultural education and the intercultural dialogue among young people.
- Problem-Solving and Critical ThinkingOnline article presenting the characteristics of critical thinking and the main teaching strategies that can be used to promote it.
- Jonas Stier, Internationalization, intercultural communication and intercultural competence, Journal of Intercultural Communication, Issue 11, 2006This article assumes that the internationalization of higher education demands more elaborate pedagogical approaches to utilize the experiences of multiethnic student groups and to facilitate students’ acquisition of intercultural competencies. Drawing from three internationalization ideologies embedded in the educational discourse, it is argued that intercultural communication – as a field of study or a discipline – can play a key role in this endeavour. Twelve fields of consideration, when international educators work with students, are also identified.
