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STRATEGIC PLANNING

Intersectoral Platform for a culture of peace and non-violence

    All living cultures are outcomes of intercultural communication. This becomes particularly evident in the globalization era where the ever-fast evolving cultural landscape is characterized by an intensified diversity of peoples, communities and individuals who live more and more closely. The ability to actively take other cultures as references is predicated not only on an open and pluralistic spirit but also on self-reflexivity. When a culture is critically aware of its own strengths and limitations, it can extend its horizons and enrich its intellectual and spiritual resources by learning from alternative visions in epistemology, ethics, aesthetics, and worldviews.

    Thus, learning from diversity, which is fluid, dynamic and transformative, needs specific competences and capacities to learn, re-learn, and unlearn to meet personal fulfilment and social harmony. Nevertheless, the constant question remains as to how better approach the unity-in-diversity, or to learn how to “live together” by fully participating in the infinite wealth of the cultures of the world and by averting the fear reflex when confronting with “otherness”. Approaching cultural diversity in a true spirit of diversity requires that the broadest possible range of competences be identified and promoted, especially those that societies have devised and transmitted from generation to generation.

    UNESCO has longstanding experience in promoting intercultural sensitivity and solidarity with a view to fighting intolerance, stereotyping, discrimination and violence through its fields of competence, formal and non-formal education, culture, sciences and communication. At present, as new global challenges and threats are multiplying and undermining humankind’s cohesion, the Organization seeks to elaborate new guidelines for a global humanistic curriculum and intercultural competences conducive to a practice of “cardinal virtues” (temperance, courage, wisdom and justice) as well as of empathy, hospitality, harmonious coexistence and appreciation of diversity, respectful of equal rights of men and women in order to instill critical and creative thinking, namely in youth.



    Lead ADG: Hans d'Orville, Assistant Director-General for Strategic Planning
    Platform Coordinator:Katerina Stenou, BSP, k.stenou@unesco.org

     
    Europe and North America Latin America and the Caribbean Africa Arab States Asia Pacific