| United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization |
Proceedings of the
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Prof. Dr. Vladimir Atanassov The questions, which we and the international organizations and ask ourselves are related to what we can do in a world confused by injustice and violence. Obviously, we have to try something substantial and radical, so that the contribution of civilizations should not remain mere promises and cultural heritage for the elite. We should start with education, and I am not saying it because I myself am a minister of education, but because I do believe that, in coming to know foreign cultures and civilizations, intercultural education is a way to make ourselves party to them, to learn more about them and to try to understand them. The educational sector of Bulgaria underwent considerable reform of its nature and scope. It was integrated and globalized, prompted by national and international factors, such as the accelerated evolution in science and technology, and the needs and interests of civil society. The main objectives of this reform, in the spirit of the requirements of a European area of knowledge are: raising the quality of education and assuring equal opportunities and equal access, also perceived as developing a feeling for citizenship, equal rights and tolerance for difference. The implementation of those objectives can take place through multicultural education oriented to "the development of free, moral, enterprising and law-abiding individuals, respecting other people's rights, culture, lifestyle and religion," as stated in our Public Education Act. Basic education or training for acquiring of professional skills is not enough for young people to develop the democratic values needed for intercultural dialogue. We have to put emphasis on civic education, or to call it more precisely, education for democratic citizenship. The triptych of “knowledge-practice-values” is the pedagogical basis for human rights education and a prerequisite for setting up a global intercultural dialogue. To this end, I would like to express my satisfaction with the new UNESCO initiative "Education for Democratic Citizenship: From Policy to Effective Practice through Quality Assurance," launched by the Organization for the period 2003-2006. Education for democratic citizenship aims at building up citizens who can feel and value the power of arguments rather than the arguments of power. In our democratic societies, the issue of education for democratic citizenship is closely connected with the issue of tolerance. Every citizen is respected, every opinion is heard. In a democratic society, there exists the right to be different, but no difference in rights. Being tolerant means to accept the other, the different one, and, what is more important, to live together with what you do not approve of and with those of whom you do not approve. Knowing a foreign culture, lifestyle and customs means learning to respect the diversity of the ways mankind. We should not forget dialogue with different ethnic minority groups. The Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria guarantees full equal rights to national minority groups. Their socialization is among the priorities of the Ministry of Education and Science, and emphasis is put on providing minorities equal access to quality education and integrating them into mainstream schools. One of the main tasks of Bulgarian education is to help young people grow as active and competent citizens of their country, of Europe and of the world. In the implementation of United Nations, UNESCO, Council of Europe and European Union priority programs and initiatives, Bulgaria actively participates or organizes events related to international projects aiming at: intercultural dialogue, education for tolerance and non-violence, peaceful resolution of conflicts through education, the fight against xenophobia, racism and prejudices, as well as teaching us "how to learn to live together." Pupils, students, teachers, academics, representatives of the governmental and the non-governmental sector and media participate in these projects. The main goal is to create a culture of peace and tolerant behavior through dialogue and constructive means of understanding. The building up of a culture of tolerance to differences and implanting the prerequisites for preserving cultural diversity are inseparable parts of national cultural policy. Thirteen century-old Bulgarian spiritual contributions have always been part pan-European heritage. No one can deny that the idea of European integration presupposes the unification of European countries around the principles of democratic governance and the market economy, with the aim of creating a common European area, abiding by the rules, respecting human rights, and assuring equal opportunities and competition. However, for many centuries in Europe, different cultural traditions have crossed and enriched themselves. For this reason, concerning cultural heritage, Europe is trying to preserve the unique diversity and character of each national culture, that is to say to follow the principle of "unification through diversification" and to consolidate interregional communication and dialogue between civilizations. We are expected to preserve our national Bulgarian identity, thus contributing to cultural diversity in Europe and in the world. I am convinced that this refers to all national cultures, which constitute this varicolored world of ours. What we all should strive for and what is worth working for, is the creative dialogue between cultures in the name of a peaceful world. People should be given the possibility of creating earthly and spiritual goods, so they can turn the intercultural dialogue into a basic value of civilization.
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