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TEACHING FOR TOLERANCE, RESPECT AND RECOGNITION IN RELATION WITH RELIGION OR ELIEF

Oslo, 2-5 September 2004 - The Oslo Coalition on Freedom of Religion or Belief

Educating for Culture of Peace in Asia-Pacific Region


By Samuel Lee (Director of Asia-Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding)

Introduction

The mission of APCEIU is to promote and develop education for international understanding (EIU) toward a Culture of Peace in the Asia-Pacific region. To achieve this mission, the Centre has enthusiastically implemented EIU programmes and initiatives at various levels. With the active participation of member states in the region, APCEIU has been increasingly recognized as a regional centre in education for international understanding in the Asia and the Pacific.

Based upon its achievements in the first two years of operation, APCEIU has further developed its programme during the third and fourth years. In 2003, APCEIU strengthened and stabilized its core programs such as teacher training workshops while consolidating the organization’s basic infrastructure. APCEIU’s core programmes included development of curriculum and teaching manuals/resource books that can be utilized in classrooms in both Korea and the Asia-Pacific region; holding teacher training workshops using these resources; producing and providing educational contents through internet, etc. Among the programmes for civil society leaders were an International Institute on Peace Education (IIPE) and a regional workshop on human rights education. In particular, APCEIU focused its efforts on developing a long-term professional training programme. Support from the Korean government, Korean National Commission for UNESCO, and UNESCO has been crucial in this endeavor.

I. Enhancing EIU Capacity Building for Teachers

As a key dimension of its mission, APCEIU has organized and conducted regional and national training programmes for teachers and teacher educators in education for international understanding toward a culture of peace. APCEIU organized its third Asia-Pacific Teacher Training Workshop on EIU Toward a Culture of Peace in July 2003, and its

Pacific Teacher Training Workshop on EIU Toward a Culture of Peace in July 2003, and its

fourth such workshop in June-July 2004 in Ichon, Korea. It also co-hosted a sub-regional workshop for ASP teachers in March 2003 in Beijing, China. At the national level, APCEIU has provided training opportunities for Korean teachers and school administrators. An EIU training course for in-service credit was conducted twice a year to help enhance capacity-building of teachers of EIU and to promote EIU as an optional subject in the curriculum. ASP teachers have been a priority target group.

1. Asia-Pacific Teacher Training Workshop on EIU Toward a Culture of Peace

Following the two successful teacher-training workshops during the first two years, in 2003 APCEIU carried out a more focused and comprehensive training workshop on EIU, oriented to the needs to teachers and teacher educators in the areas of teaching of social studies, geography, history and related social science areas. Held in Ichon, Korea, on July 7 – August 2, 2003, this Workshop was designed to enhance the capacity of educators for “training of trainers.”

Thirty schoolteachers, teacher trainers, and educational administrators from the following 14 countries in the Asia-Pacific region took part in this four-week workshop: Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Indonesia, Iran, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Thailand, Uzbekistan. Through participatory teaching-learning activities, the participants gained a critical understanding of the multiple dimensions of EIU towards a culture of peace and the pedagogical principles of holism, dialogue and empowerment for personal and social transformation. The participants also enhanced their knowledge and skills enabling them to integrate themes and issues of a culture of peace, human rights, inter-cultural understanding and sustainability into their subject areas and educational practices. APCEIU fully financed the participants from 5 less-developed countries and provided 50% of air fare for the participants from four countries.

Building upon and refining its third workshop design, APCEIU organized and held its fourth Asia-Pacific Teacher Training Workshop on EIU toward a Culture of Peace on June 21 - July 11, 2004 in Ichon, Korea. The fourth workshop was able to expand the diversity of participants as to national and cultural backgrounds. 34 participants from the following 20 countries across the region enthusiastically participated: Australia, China, Cambodia, Timor Leste, India, Indonesia, Iran, Korea, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Palau, Sri Lanka, Tonga, Thailand, Turkey, Uzbekistan. In order to enhance geographical representation, APCEIU provided full airfare support for three post-conflict countries, and 50% of the air fare for eight countries.

Both the third and the fourth workshops also field-tested the APCEIU Teachers’ Resource Book, which will be published in 2004. (For further details of this resource book, please refer to the section on the development of educational materials.) Drawing on the teachers’ resource book, written by educators from the Asia-Pacific region and other countries, the workshop provided the participants with opportunities to train themselves in highly practical and creative teaching-learning approaches to EIU. They were also given opportunities to participate in the process of developing this material, by filling out evaluation forms and giving extensive comments not only during the workshops but also after they had gone back to their home countries and field-tested some lessons in their own educational settings. These regional workshops have been partially financed with UNESCO Funds-in-Trust for Development of Education for Developing Countries in Asia thru the Korean government’s financial contribution.

2. Enhanced Training Programmes for Korean Teachers and Educators

In response to increasing calls by Korean teachers for EIU training, APCEIU has strengthened its EIU training programmes for Korean teachers and school administrators since 2003.

1) EIU Course for In-service Credit

APCEIU conducted three EIU training workshops on education for international understanding for Korean teachers. Two workshops were held on January 20-29 and August 7-16, 2003, at the APCEIU training centre in Ichon, and one on January 26 – February 5, 2004 at Ewha Womans University in Seoul and Ichon. The objectives of these training courses for in-service credit are to enhance the capacity of teachers of EIU and to promote EIU as an optional subject in Korean schools. EIU model school teachers, teachers in charge of EIU as an optional subject, UNESCO ASP, CCAP teachers and Global Village Club teachers in UNICEF are given priority. 47 elementary and secondary level school teachers have attended each session of 10 days. The workshop is composed of a general introduction to EIU philosophy and history, and sessions on main issues of EIU such as globalization, human rights, conflict resolution and peace, inter-cultural understanding, environment, and classroom teaching modules and demonstrations. The participants who successfully complete the course receive in-service credit, and they have played a crucial role in spreading EIU in Korean schools. The contents of the workshop consist of 6 main areas: philosophy and trends of EIU, global issues, human rights, conflict and peace, sustainable development and multi- cultures. In addition to presentations on the key concepts, analysis

of EIU practices in the classroom, the participants submit proposals for the enhancement of EIU in their schools or communities. In 2003 we had 102 participants (in January 59 teachers, and in August 43 teachers) including 29 primary school teachers and 73 secondary school teachers. Female teachers constituted 60% (61 persons) and males 40% (41persons) of the total. Most of the teachers were working at public schools (88%); only 12 worked at private schools.

In July 2004, APCEIU is organizing a special intensive training workshop for those who have taken the general EIU course for in-service credit, on July 29 – August 2 in Ichon, Korea. The design of this workshop is in accordance with the recommendation of teachers who have taken the 10-day general course, aimed at general orientation on the broad contents of EIU.

2) Circuit Workshop for Korean School Administrators

Since 2003, orientation workshops on EIU for school administrators and inspectors have been held in five different provinces in Korea in cooperation with local/provincial boards of education. 150-400 school principals, vice-principals, inspectors and teachers interested in EIU participated in each one-day session.

Jeju, Ulsan and Chuncheon were the three cities that hosted this workshop for local school administrators and inspectors in 2003.

  Jeju, May 28: In collaboration with Cheju University of Education, APCEIU held a training workshop in Jeju on May 28, 2003 to expand education for international understanding in Jeju area. Former Deputy Prime Minister Sang-joo Lee was the guest speaker on EIU trends and the Korean educational vision. A total of 151 educators from throughout Jeju Island (97 principals, 44 vice principals and 10 school inspectors) attended the workshop.

  Ulsan, September 23: APCEIU held a half-day workshop in Ulsan on ‘Strengthening EIU in Ulsan Schools,’ with 97 principals and 82 vice principals in attendance on 23 September. Professor Park Chansuk (former president of Kyongbuk National University) lectured on EIU in 21st Century Schools and the Tasks of School Administrators, and Prof. Han Geon-soo (professor of cultural anthropology at Kangwon National University) spoke on the Current Situation of Education for Intercultural Understanding and How to Introduce EIU into the Curriculum as an Optional Course. An APCEIU textbook on EIU for students and teachers was also distributed.

  Chuncheon, December 19: On December 19, 76 school administrators and inspectors in Kangwon province attended a workshop held in Chuncheon to enhance their understanding of education for international understanding. Prof. Han of Kangwon National University spoke on other cultures and how to enhance inter-cultural understanding.

In 2004, APCEIU organized two workshops for school administrators in the style of a lecture tour on April 28 in Ichon and on May 20 in Daejeon, with 96 and 447 participants respectively. The need for education for international understanding was addressed at the workshops, and teachers who have conducted EIU classes shared their best practices with the participants.

II. Strengthening EIU Research and Development

1. Development of Curriculum and Teaching/Learning Materials on EIU

Since there is a growing need for diversified EIU resources, development of teaching/learning materials is another area that APCEIU finds crucial in promoting EIU throughout the region. To provide EIU resources especially designed for teachers and students in the Asia-Pacific region including Korea, APCEIU has developed four teaching/learning materials in EIU with which school teachers use in for their educational settings: Teachers’ Resource Book on EIU (English), EIU for World Citizens (Korean, an EIU curriculum for elementary and secondary schools), Education for International Understanding in the Age of Globalization, (Korean, a collection of articles on key issues of EIU), and Making a World of Life Together – EIU for High School Students’(in Korean).

1) Development of Teachers’ Resource Book on EIU (English)

Teachers’ Resource Book on EIU is a book introducing EIU concepts and teaching modules that is especially designed for teachers’ use in classrooms. Twelve internationally renowned EIU experts and educators from both the Asia-Pacific region and other regions, including Dr. Virginia Cawagas and Dr. Lawrence Surendra, have participated in the design and writing of the book. The subsections include “Dismantling the Culture of War”, “Living with Justice and Compassion”, “Living in Harmony with the Earth”, “Promoting Human Rights and Responsibilities”, “Nurturing Intercultural Understanding and Solidarity”, and “Cultivating Inner Peace”. The resource book has also been used as a main teaching material for the APCEIU Asia-Pacific Teacher Training Workshop in both 2003 and 2004.

The resource book will soon be published and then distributed to a wide range of relevant readers such as the national commissions for UNESCO around the world, the participants of APCEIU teacher training programs, and other organizations both in and outside the Asia-Pacific region. By collaborating with UNESCO regional offices, national commissions and other local groups, APCEIU also plans to have these educational materials translated into as many local languages as possible so that they can be more widely circulated and more accessible and comprehensible to many interested educators.

2) Development of Educational Materials (Korean)

In 2003, APCEIU published the following three books in Korean language in the field of education for international understanding:

EIU for World Citizens, a guidebook for teachers in charge of teaching the optional EIU course now offered in Korean schools, examines the concepts and goals of EIU as it should be implemented at the elementary and secondary school levels. Organized systematically for step-by-step teaching and learning, it covers the following areas: 1) understanding different cultures, 2) problems related to globalization, 3) respect for human rights, 4) a peaceful world, and 5) sustainable development. All of these are linked with specific educational goals and contents, suggested activities, and teaching methods arranged for different levels.

Education for International Understanding in the Age of Globalization, a 340-page collection of articles in the Korean language, was published on December 26, 2003. Through the presentation of basic theory and concepts of education for international understanding (EIU), the book aims to promote understanding of the globalized reality and to promote values for living. It introduces the philosophy and history of EIU and discusses objectives and methods of educating toward a culture of peace, referring to situations of education in other cultures.

With the designation of EIU as an optional course, the most urgent need is for appropriate textbooks. APCEIU’s Making a World of Life Together – EIU for High School Students (in Korean) was developed to serve this need. This book, based on the EIU curriculum presented in EIU for World Citizens, is divided into five sections: 1) living cultures, dynamic cultures, 2) meeting between East and West, 3) making a world without discrimination, 4) the long, necessary road to peace, and 5) food, culture and sustainable development. The book analyzes social structures in the age of globalization and seeks to instill values and attitudes toward life together.

As a subject, Education for International Understanding has been adopted as a creative elective subject in elementary and secondary schools in Korea since 2002, but still remains at the basic step of building a fundamental framework. Considering the growing need to develop curricula on EIU, APCEIU conducted the project to develop necessary textbooks and teaching modules and to provide them to teachers.