Sub-regional training workshop on "Building intercultural competencies for sustaining peace"

The training workshop “Building intercultural competencies for sustaining peace”, will be held in Oman, from 24 to 26 February 2020, for Kuwaiti and Omani secondary school teachers. Organized jointly by UNESCO and the Omani National Commission, it is sponsored by the Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud Programme for the promotion of Arabic Language.

The workshop will consist of two sessions:
1) Writing Peace and;
2) Story Circles.

These sessions will be facilitated by international experts, and respectively Eric Cattelain and Darla Deardorff.

Strengthening intercultural competencies is one of UNESCO's contributions to peace-building, disseminating knowledge about cultural diversity, the evolving notion of cultures and their interdependence.

Within the framework of the International Decade for the Rapprochement of Cultures (2013-2022), led by UNESCO and the Programme of Action on the Culture of Peace and Non-Violence, UNESCO consists of a laboratory of innovation in terms of content and methodologies. One of UNESCO's approaches to peace-building among the youngest is the dissemination of knowledge about cultural diversity and the evolving notion of cultures and their interdependence. It develops and tests tools for the development of intercultural skills. The objective of such knowledge-sharing initiatives is to provoke reflection on the interdependence and interconnection of cultures and strengthen the sense of belonging and responsibility towards humanity.

The event will present two of the tools recently published by UNESCO:

"Writing Peace" is a manual designed to provide schoolchildren (aged 8-18) with intercultural competencies. Through familiarization with writing systems, students discover and become aware of the cultural interdependence, our respective multiple identities, their history and cultural heritage. The manual was piloted in 42 countries in 2019 through the UNESCO Associated Schools around the world. Participating teachers recommended its inclusion in national curricula to prevent racism and discrimination, aligned with values and principles of human dignity, citizenship participation and respect for the others

"Story Circles" is a structured yet flexible methodology for developing intercultural competence in a variety of contexts, both formal and informal, presented in the UNESCO Manual for Developing Intercultural Competences. Piloted around the world by UNESCO, this methodology has proven to be effective in different contexts and focused on a variety of different issues. Story Circles is an important resource for anyone concerned with effectively managing the growing cultural diversity within our societies to ensure inclusive and sustainable development. Using Story circles, the teachers will put into practice the proposed methodology, followed by a second practical exercise guided by the newly trained facilitators.