A three-day Seminar on human rights-based intercultural competences will take place in Tunis, Tunisia, from 16 to 18 September 2014. The workshop is organized by UNESCO and the Arab Institute for Human Rights. UNESCO organizes the event in the context of the Project “Building Competences to develop policies and programmes for intercultural dialogue respectful of human rights” which was funded by the government of Denmark.
Drawing upon its longstanding experience on respect for cultural diversity, intercultural dialogue and international understanding, UNESCO works towards the promotion of intercultural competences based on the principles and values of human rights.
In December 2014, UNESCO will publish a Portfolio on strengthening intercultural competences based on human rights, which will provide a theoretical overview on the matter as well as guidance and practical advice to policy makers. This training seminar will focus on this Portfolio and the enclosed training manual. It will target policy makers, programmers, governmental senior officials, local authorities, civil society leaders, youth organizations in Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia.
Along with international experts on Human rights in its widest dimensions, specific sessions will be devoted to the presentation of the Training manual currently under development, having as a dual objective to a) develop knowledge and competences related to intercultural dialogue, cultural diversity and human rights and b) to elaborate tools required for the design or revision of human rights-based public policies and programmes aimed at reinforcing intercultural understanding and human rights.
The participants will test the training manual that is being finalized by the Arab Institute for Human Rights, as part of the Portfolio elaborated by UNESCO on Intercultural Competences. Participants’ feedback will be used for the finalization of the training manual. The event will provide an opportunity for the establishment of a network of potential facilitators that would further disseminate the guidelines and training tools for policy making and programming in the field of intercultural dialogue.