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Operating since
1996, the Evens Foundation owes its existence to the commitment and vision of
Mr.Georges Evens, a businessman of Polish origin, a philanthropist and
supporter of European unity. The Evens
Foundation develops its activities in the intercultural field.The artistic
component is its second core activity. The mission statement of the
Foundation is: In the
intercultural domain, three main
fields of action can be identified: The ‘Evens Prize for Intercultural
Projects’ is awarded to a project deemed to have made an outstanding
contribution to European social integration in the field of intercultural education. Besides, the
Foundation develops or finances European projects in this field. Main topics
are youth empowerment, media education, teacher training and community
building. Supporting conferences and seminars on racism, tolerance and community-building aiming at analysing growing tendencies of new exclusions from society is the third way the Foundation is contributing to the realisation of its mission statement. The objective is to bring together academics and different representatives of our society and initiate a long-term reflection through dialogue. In the field of Art, the same pro-active structure is applied.The Evens Art Prize supports contemporary artistic research/practice relating in a innovative way to society. Specific European artistic projects and conferences in this area can also count on our support.
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Learning for change in a multicultural society |
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General introduction
In 2000, the Jury of the Evens Foundation of
Antwerp granted the Prize for the best European Project in the field of
Intercultural Education to the Stichting Vredeseducatie (Peace Education
Projects) of Utrecht and to the Steunpunt Intercultureel Onderwijs (CIE –
Centre of Intercultural Education) of Ghent for their appealing approach to
intercultural education. ExchangeThe jury felt both projects were
complementary to each other and urgently recommended both laureates to
exchange their ways of working and their methods and to learn from each other’s
expert knowledge. This is why two internal debates were organised in Ghent
and Utrecht. The debates turned out to be very informative, instructive and
animated. |
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The debates were
then incorporated in a public debate that took place on September 24, 2001 in
the Open Education House in Antwerp. The debate covered the legitimacy and
the methodical approach of Intercultural Education. Some 25 Dutch people
participated in the debate that was attended by about a hundred visitors. As
to Belgium, supervisors and experts in the field of educational innovation
participated in the discussion. Dr.Günther Dietz
of the University of Granada, Spain, Prof.Jaghdish Gundara of the London
University, Great-Britain, and engineer Theo Cappon, president of the Dutch Janusz
Korczak Stichting. In its report, the international jury praises the
excellent quality of the projects developed in Utrecht and Ghent.
Furthermore, it indicates that they are complementary and in line. Interactive exhibitions The Foundation Peace Education Projects
is granted the Prize for the seven interactive exhibitions that have been
organised in Western Europe and in Russia in the last couple of years. The
exhibition ‘Vreemd is anders heel gewoon’ (Ordinary – Extra-ordinary) has been
travelling through the Netherlands and Belgium since 1994 and reached 100.000
pupils and their teachers, whereas ‘De Gewoon –Vreemd Express’ (The Ordinary
– Strange Express) in a large truck, started in 1996. The new edition 2000 of
the latter is called the ‘Terrific Express’ and it is always "on the
road". The ‘Herinneringscentrum voor de Toekomst’ (Commemoration Centre
for the Future) was opened at the former military Fortress The Bilt in April
1999. This centre serves as a ‘laboratory’ within the research -project
Interactive Methodology Education World War II – Present: a project subsidised by
the Dutch government. The interactive methodology applied to these
interactive exhibitions is closely related to self-reliant learning. The
objectives in the field of knowledge, skills and attitudes are
explicitly formulated. Children and
teachers alike are immersed in stories and experiences about themselves and
other people thereby focusing on prejudices, scapegoats, resistance to
injustice and dedication to people and the planet. Complex
Learning
The Centre of
Intercultural Education of the Ghent University has offered thousands of
teachers a new perspective on intercultural learning, by stressing the need
to take into account all forms of diversity as locally produced. Complex
learning in multi-cultural classes (CLIM) is one of the pilot projects of the
centre. CLIM is a type of education in which the learning process is ‘managed’
by the pupils themselves. The teacher assumes the important role of
stimulator and supervises the project. Different aspects of diversity,
concerning (sub)cultural and socio-economic backgrounds, gender, capacities,
interaction modes and learning styles are tapped into this method. The
CLIM-project promotes heterogeneity in the classroom and derives its strength
from the implicit approach of diversity. Intercultural thinking and acting
are generated by the meticulous organisation of the group assignments. Utrecht
versus Ghent
The final debate
in September 2001 was opened by Mrs.Corinne Evens, daughter of the late
Georges Evens, who discussed the educational challenge to strengthen European
co-operation.The representatives of both institutes then introduced their
specific methods in the field of Intercultural Education, after which the
members of the jury drew attention to specific topics. This gave rise to an
interesting exchange of ideas with the people present, moderated by
Mrs.Christine Castille, director of the Evens Foundation. The debate was
critical and showed involvement. The methods of both institutes adopt a
different point of departure. The CIE intends to have the pupils experience
the diversity of life by conquering, challenging concepts in the classroom. Peace
Education Projects puts the tensions and challenges of the multicultural society
first, as objectives of the learning processes in which the pupils themselves
analyse problems and create perspectives. Both learning methods do not
exclude the other. The debate has only strengthened their complementary
nature. Contents
of this brochure
This brochure
reports on both projects that were awarded the Evens Prize 2000 by the jury.
Peace Education Projects will describe its interactive projects in the first
part of the brochure. The second part will be dedicated to the Centre for
Intercultural Education and its CLIM-method. Both parts will contain
informative elements as well as polemic lines of approach. These are the
results of the debates that preceded this brochure. The final part contains
some conclusions that are endorsed by both laureates. Part one consists of an
introduction of the concept ‘Interactive Learning’, as developed by the Peace
Education Projects during the past few years. This concept is then
illustrated by means of the exhibition at the Remembrance Centre for the
Future Fortress The Bilt. Some propositions on the differences and
similarities between both approaches are discussed in a final chapter. In the
introductory text of the CIE, the reader will find the mission and the
activities of the centre.Secondly, CLIM as a method for Cooperative Learning
in Multicultural Classes will be presented and illustrated. The method will
be linked to the pragmatic approach of the CIE. Thirdly you will find a reflection on the role of CLIM as a break-through method of intercultural education in school practice. Part two ends with the rationale ‘behind’ CLIM. Utrecht/Ghent, November 2001 Jan Durk Tuinier
& Geu Visser, Peace Education Projects An Vleurick & Marc Verlot, Centre of
Intercultural Education of the Ghent University |
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