International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations

The UNESCO has been designated lead agency of the United Nations system for the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD, 2005-2014). Although there are differences according to local contexts, priorities and approaches, there is a need for a holistic approach which encompasses the knowledge, skills and values needed for a sustainable future . In this context, education needs to develop respect for cultural diversity and the practice of dialogu e. At its 34th session, the General Conference adopted resolution 19 on “ Further promotion of the United Nations Decade for Sustainable Development (2005-2014) ”, which acknowledged, among others, “the Decade as a unique opportunity for Member States and for UNESCO to strengthen sustainable development through educational efforts” . Moreover, document 179 EX/INF.4 Rev. contains “ The Ahmedabad Declaration 2...

  UNESCO is deeply committed to  quality education for all , which means an education targeted at the learner, addressing his/her needs and aspirations and rooted in his/her specific social and cultural circumstances. Quality education should be primarily grounded on the respect for human rights as enshrined in the Universal Declaration and should equip the learner not only with knowledge and values to understand the other , but also competencies which are specific to openness and appreciation of diversity . UNESCO’s action supports the revision of the content of national textbooks, learning materials and curricula, taking into account diverse learning styles and life experiences, and cultural and linguistic diversity. Likewise, the role of the teacher in interpreting textbooks and developing learning materials that induce and prepare learners for dialogue, and teach them to think critically, receives high attention. An initiation into cultural diversity requires some interc...

Among the past achievements of UNESCO is the elaboration of regional histories and of a world history on the scientific and cultural development of humankind aimed at overcoming prejudices and ignorance. It is appropriate now to use the contents of these histories to reach out to the public at large through various abridged versions, translated in as many languages as possible, including local languages, and by informing with these contents the publication of new history textbooks, school curricula and media production. A set of new initiatives is to be undertaken to that end, both through regular budget and extra-budgetary funding. Bilateral, and multilateral academic cooperation for the revision of textbooks and the elaboration of new regional or sub-regional histories should also be energetically promoted, in order to get rid of hidden prejudices and facilitate the revisiting of official histories. Since...

Following the debate on the notion of a clash of civilizations in the mid-1990s and the celebration of the year 2001 as the United Nations Year of Dialogue among Civilizations , also marked by the events of 11 September 2001, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the “ Global Agenda for Dialogue among Civilizations ” (resolution 56/6 of 21 November 2001) and assigned UNESCO the lead role within the United Nations system. The Global Agenda provided inspiration and a common framework for future action, stating, inter alia, that dialogue among cultures and civilizations is a process aimed at attaining justice, equality and tolerance in people-to-people relationships, whose objective is to bridge the gap in knowledge worldwide about other civilizations, cultures and societies , to lay the foundations for dialogue based on universally shared values , and to undertake concrete activities, inspired and driven by dialogue , especially in the areas of education, cultural diversity and h...

The dialogue of cultures is a process which also requires the recognition of commonly shared values such as freedom and observance of human rights, equality, solidarity, tolerance, respect for others and for nature, and shared responsibility, as well as commitment to peace. In other contexts, a focus on transversal values – those shared by two or several cultures – may lead to mutual learning and understanding rather than a focus on universal value s. The challenge at present is to consolidate these values and to translate them into reality through concrete action, such as through the UNESCO Peace Education Programme that has been elaborated and implemented in cooperation with UNHCR and INEE. This forms part of a wider agenda on “the quality of education” which UNESCO supports in Member States to improve educational quality through its work in areas such as content...