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Launching conference of the European Year of Citizenship through Education - Sofia, Bulgaria– 13 - 14 December 2004
 Strasbourg, 14 February 2005 DGIV/EDU/CIT (2005) 2 prov Conference Report by David Kerr, National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), England UK EDC National Co-ordinator, CACHIT Member Contents CONTENTS 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 5 1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND 17 1.1 Setting the Scene 17
2. WHAT WERE THE OBJECTIVES OF THE LAUNCHING CONFERENCE AND HOW FAR WERE THEY MET IN PRACTICE? 23 2.1 Objectives of the Launching Conference 23
3. WHAT WERE THE CONCLUSIONS AND POINTS FOR ACTION FROM THE LAUNCHING CONFERENCE? 31 4. APPENDICES EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Introduction and background
· What were the objectives of the Launching Conference?
The conclusions and points for action are particularly crucial not only for the conduct of the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ but also for the future direction of education for democratic citizenship and human rights education in 2005 and beyond. What were the objectives of the Launching Conference and how far were they met in practice?
· Objective 1 – Endorse the concept for the 2005 European Year of Citizenship through Education, as well as a Communique and Action Plan, which can serve as an inspiration for activities in member states during the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’;
Meeting Objective 1 – Endorse the concept for the 2005 European Year of Citizenship through Education
· Endorsed education for democratic citizenship and human rights education (EDC/HRE) and supported the concept of the 2005 European Year of Citizenship through Education
Meeting Objective 3 – Exchange information and expertise about plans for implementation of the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’
Meeting Objective 4 – Discuss inter-institutional co-operation in the framework of the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’
· UNESCO Decade for Education for Sustainable Development ;
future PISA studies; · IEA proposed Third Civic Education Study, planned to begin in 2009. However, a note of caution was raised about the potential for such co-operation to be successful without the active involvement of NGOs. What were the conclusions and points for action from the Launching Conference?
Conclusions
democracy · Is broad-based, inclusive and involves many ‘sites of citizenship’
empower them. The EDC Pack was seen as useful to a wide range of audiences. However, issues were raised concerning accessibility, and mechanisms for distribution, trialling and feedback. Participants welcomed the opportunity to exchange information and expertise about plans for the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’. Issues were raised about the need to consider dialogue, documentation, lines of communication and resources in order to make the Year a success at all levels. Participants supported the need for greater inter-institutional co-operation during 2005 and beyond. However, they raised issues concerning the need for improved knowledge and understanding of priorities and actions, clearer lines of funding and of communication and the need to promote sustainability beyond 2005. Points for Action
European Year of Citizenship through Education in 2005. · medium term considerations, following immediately on from the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’, in 2006 · longer term goals beyond 2006. Short-term points for action (in the run up to and conduct of the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’)
· Make the Communique and Plan of Action agreed in Sofia, along with this final report, widely available to all the ‘key players’ involved in the ‘2005 European Year of Citizenship through Education’; · Ensure ‘key players’ implement the Plan of Action through a planned programme, as it is instrumental to the success of the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ at member state, Council of Europe and wider European and international levels; · Set up effective co-ordination mechanisms for the planning and conduct of actions and activities during the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’. This includes national co-ordination/steering groups at member state level and continued support for the EDC national co-ordinators network at Council of Europe level; · Establish clear lines of communication between all the partners and networks who are involved in the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’. Central to communication is the role of the Council of Europe’s EDC website and this will need to be regularly updated. It would also be helpful if the Council of Europe drew up an overarching calendar of EDC/HRE events and activities throughout the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’; · Ensure that the EDC Pack is made widely available and is accessible to a range of audiences in member states. This includes the need to agree on an appropriate dissemination and trialling strategy for the Pack at Council of Europe and member state levels; · Think carefully about the rhythm of actions and activities during the course of the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ so that momentum is established and maintained through a carefully planned programme. The Plan of Action agreed at the Launching Conference is helpful in this respect. It suggests three interrelated phases during the 12 month period § Launching events (January to March 2005)
· Focus on the identification and pooling of expertise and ‘know-how’ about the processes and practices of EDC and HRE, including the collection of ‘best practice’ at member state and Council of Europe levels. Think about ways of diffusing this expertise and ‘know-how’ so that it builds capacity at all levels; · Build in evaluation and feedback processes and mechanisms in order to collect evidence about the degree of success of the actions and activities that take place throughout the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ at all levels. · Consider how best to feedback and make use of the outcomes of the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ at member state and Council of Europe levels. Medium term points for action (in 2006 following the end of the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’
· One idea put forward by the Greek delegation to encourage continuity and maintain momentum was for the designation of an official ‘Citizenship Day’ each year. This would act as a focus and catalyst for events and actions within and across member states. It would be the same every year and be celebrated at local, national, European and potentially international levels in time. It was felt that this proposal should be given careful consideration by the Council of Europe and its member states; · Pull together the lessons learnt and disseminate these outcomes as widely as possibly so that they continue to influence processes and practices in this area; · Focus on reviewing, revising and extending the EDC Pack based on the results of the period of development and trialling conducted during the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’. This includes ensuring that the documents and tools in the revised EDC Pack seek to encourage the development of frameworks and mechanisms for EDC and HRE that sustain themselves; · Consider how best to collect, benchmark and diffuse ‘know-how’ and best practice in EDC and HRE, above and beyond the EDC Pack, accumulated during 2005 through existing networks and partnerships at member state, Council of Europe and wider pan-European and international levels. The Council of Europe website should have a central role in this process with strong links to the websites of other networks and organisations; · Build up pools of ‘experts’, who have up-to-date and relevant experience and expertise in particular aspects of EDC and HRE, and who can be included in a database. This database can be made available to all European countries as well as those in other parts of the world. These expert pools can help to maintain, develop and grow a strong European platform in this area and ensure that EDC remains reactive and responsive to new, emerging challenges in Europe and the world such as violence, conflict and terrorism. · Maintain and expand the network of EDC national co-ordinators as a central pool of experts, but with links to pools of experts in particular aspects such as teacher training, participation and governance, quality assurance, and research and evaluation; · Encourage increasing dialogue and co-operation between the Council of Europe and its member states and other European and international organisations. This dialogue should be a two-way process but with a particular focus on how the learning and expertise accumulated during the EDC project and the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ can be presented and made available to these organisations in order to influence their immediate actions and medium and longer term planning. Long term points for action (from 2006 and beyond) There was agreement on the overarching long-term goal of ensuring that: · Education for democratic citizenship (EDC) and human rights education (HRE) become a permanent, sustainable, long-term, strategic goal for the Council of Europe and its member states, in active partnership with other European and international organisations. Strengthening, capacity building and sustainability are at the heart of the EDC project and the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ and must remain so beyond 2005. Achieving this long term goal would mean, among other things: · Developing sustainable frameworks and mechanisms that make EDC part of everyday practices and processes at all levels of society. Frameworks would include those for policy and implementation so as to ensure that there was not an ‘implementation gap’ between the rhetoric of policy and the realities of practice. Mechanisms would involve people, documents and networks with a recognition of the key role of policy development and training in maintaining and sustaining such mechanisms. The idea of a globally celebrated ‘Citizenship Day’ may prove an important catalyst to the development and sustainability of these frameworks and mechanisms;
This long-term goal for EDC was seen as vital in continuing to motivate, encourage and inspire people and organisations to play an active part in the 2005 European Year of Citizenship through Education and beyond. Concluding Comment
The Sofia Launching Conference has proved an excellent way to kick start the 2005 European Year of Citizenship through Education. What happens from here is very much up to you, your actions and how well you work in partnership with others. 1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND The Launching Conference of the 2005 European Year of Citizenship through Education took place in Sofia Bulgaria on 13-14 December 2004. This report focuses on the proceedings and outcomes of the Launching Conference. However, these proceedings and outcomes can only be fully understood if set within the broader context of the Council of Europe’s Education for Democratic Citizenship (EDC) project.2 The EDC project was initiated by the Council of Europe in 1997. The Sofia Launching Conference and the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ are the culmination of the EDC project activities, to date. They take stock of existing activities and also look forward to new developments. In particular, they mark the end of the second phase of the EDC project (2001-2004) and signal the potential for new developments in education for democratic citizenship and human rights education (EDC/HRE) for the Council of Europe and its member states, through collaboration with other European and international institutions as well as non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in 2005 and beyond. This introduction provides the background to the EDC project and the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’, in terms of aims, achievements and objectives, which is needed to fully understand the outcomes of the Launching Conference. It goes on to give brief details of the participants who attended the Launching Conference, the conference objectives and the working methods employed. It concludes with an explanation of the focus and structure of the report. 1.2 The Education for Democratic Citizenship (EDC) Project The Education for Democratic Citizenship project (or EDC project, as it is more commonly known) was launched by the Council of Europe at the meeting of the Heads of State and Government of the 40 member states, held in Strasbourg on 10-11 October 1997. The EDC project was seen as a central political priority for the Council and its member states because of its relevance to the Council’s core mission to strengthen pluralist democracy, human rights and the rule of law. Education for democratic citizenship (EDC) is defined by the Council of Europe as a set of practices and activities for equipping young people and adults to play an active part in democratic life and exercise their rights and responsibilities. EDC focuses on the policies, practices and processes of citizenship education and human rights education as well as of intercultural and peace education. It is underpinned by the values and concepts of democracy, participation, human rights, citizenship, diversity, cohesion, equality, governance, tolerance and pluralism. The Council of Europe’s EDC project has three core aims, namely to: · Strengthen democratic societies by fostering and perpetuating a vibrant democratic culture;
The project is multi-dimensional, inclusive and promotes a lifelong perspective. It is based on capacity building, networking and the sharing of information and practices across all age groups and social classes, but with a particular focus on: · The educational community (headteachers, teachers, students, parents etc.);
The EDC project has resulted in a number of achievements to date. These include: 1997-2000 – First Phase
These results were endorsed by the European Ministers of Education, in the Resolution they adopted, at the 20th session of their standing conference in Cracow, Poland on 15-17 October 2000.3 2001-2004 – Second Phase
Policy development – adoption of Recommendation (2002)124of the Committee of Ministers to member states on education for democratic citizenship calls on governments in member states to make EDC a priority objective of educational policies and reforms;
1.4 Objectives and Organisation of the 2005 European Year of Citizenship through Education The Council of Europe has proclaimed 2005 as the European Year of Citizenship through Education. This is founded on the achievements of the first two phases of the EDC project as well as a recognition that education for democratic citizenship (EDC) and human rights education (HRE) remain a key political priority for the Council of Europe and its member states in a rapidly changing European and world order. There are four main objectives of the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’, namely to: · Draw attention to the vital role that education, both formal and non-formal, plays in a lifelong learning perspective in fostering democratic citizenship and participation and to the need for citizen participation in any truly democratic society;
The ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ is aimed mainly at education policy-makers, practitioners and specialists, though there will also be some targeting of the general public, depending on the context in member states. The ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ also provides the opportunity to raise the Council of Europe’s profile and illustrate its know-how, experience and expertise in education. It is no coincidence that 2005 marks the 50th anniversary of the implementation of the European Cultural Convention. The 2005 European Year of Citizenship through Education is organised as a ‘year’ rather than as a ‘campaign’. The emphasis is on a decentralised approach with activities developed, planned and organised by member states and supported by the Council of Europe. The Council aims to support activities in member states through an interactive website, instruments for the implementation of EDC as well as teaching materials and support for dissemination and communication. It will also continue to support and encourage the development of networks, most notably the pan-European network of national EDC co-ordinators. 1.5 Participants and Working Methods The Launching Conference was attended by over 150 participants from the Council’s 46 member states, as well as those from other European and international organisations (see Appendix II for a full List of Participants). They represent the main groups and audiences targeted to be involved in the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ and included: · Education professionals (teachers, teacher trainers, headteachers, professors and students);
While a significant number of participants were already engaged with the EDC project (including EDC national co-ordinators), there were many others for whom EDC and HRE, and the proposed activities of the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’, were new and innovative. This created an interesting dynamic in the Launching Conference proceedings. It heightened awareness, in particular, of the challenges, during the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’, of introducing and defining EDC and HRE to new audiences and encouraging the multiplication of actions and networks. The conference was conducted using a variety of working methods including keynote presentations, plenary sessions, a round table and working groups. There were also a number of social and cultural events laid on by the Bulgarian host authorities in collaboration with the Council of Europe (See Appendix I for Launching Conference Programme). This mixture of methods, both formal and informal, worked well and proved conducive to participants renewing old friendships and making new ones while actively contributing to the proceedings. 1.6 Focus and Structure of the Report There is neither the time to report in depth on the proceedings nor the space to report on the detail of each session of the Launching Conference, in Sofia, Bulgaria. Such an approach leaves too little room for analysis of the outcomes and the drawing of conclusions and points for action. It should be remembered that much of the detail of the proceedings is publicly available via the Council of Europe’s EDC website and can be used to supplement this report.7 Rather I have chosen to focus this report on the outcomes and conclusions of the Launching Conference. To this end, the report is structured around three questions: · What were the objectives of the Launching Conference?
These three questions were at the heart of the proceedings and best capture the spirit and essence of the discussions and deliberations at the Launching Conference in Sofia. I want to concentrate, in particular, on the third of these questions – what were the conclusions and points for action from the Launching Conference. These are crucial not only to the conduct of the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ but also for the future direction of education for democratic citizenship and human rights education in 2005 and beyond. This means that the emphasis in this report is more on the collective outcomes from the Launching Conference rather than on contributors by particular individuals. This is in the true spirit of the process of democratic participation, which underpins the EDC project and informed the conduct of the Launching Conference. This approach is also the best way to bring the outcomes of the Launching Conference to a wider audience and to assist and inspire the Council of Europe and it member states in planning their actions and activities in education for democratic citizenship and human rights education during the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ and in following years. The sections of this report that follow this introduction address each of the three questions in turn. To achieve maximum impact and understanding of the conclusions drawn, the report should be read alongside a number of key supporting documents about EDC. These include documents about the current state of EDC in educational policy reforms in Europe, and plans for the 2005 European Year of Citizenship through Education at Council of Europe and member state levels.8 Some of these key documents are appended to this report and include: · Press Release on the Launching Conference (See Appendix III);
It should be recognised that this report is a collaborative effort. It could not have been completed without the help of the EDC secretariat at the Council of Europe, ably led by Ólöf Ólafsdóttir, the hospitality and support of the Bulgarian host authorities, and the efforts of the working group moderators and rapporteurs. I would like to record my appreciation and thanks for all their hard work, diligence and encouragement. However, in the final analysis, the precise reporting of the Launching Conference proceedings and the drawing of conclusions is down to me. While I am conscious that another General Rapporteur may have offered different emphases in places, I am also heartened that my initial thoughts on conclusions arising, delivered in the final session of the Launching Conference, were warmly welcomed and endorsed by participants at the time. I have attempted to keep to the spirit of these conclusions in this report 2. WHAT WERE THE OBJECTIVES OF THE LAUNCHING CONFERENCE AND HOW FAR WERE THEY MET IN PRACTICE? 2.1 Objectives of the Launching Conference The objectives of the Launching Conference were set out in advance by the Council of Europe. These were agreed by the Council, in collaboration with the pan-European network of EDC national co-ordinators and the host Bulgarian authorities. The Launching Conference had four main objectives, namely: · Objective 1 – Endorse the concept for the 2005 European Year of Citizenship through Education, as well as a Communique and Action Plan, which can serve as an inspiration for activities in member states during the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’;
These four objectives influenced the Launching Conference programme and working methods (i.e. the programme and working methods were designed to provide the best conditions for the objectives to be met). The Launching Conference programme involved a mixture of presentations, working groups and plenary sessions (See Appendix I for Launching Conference Programme). 2.2 Meeting the Objectives in Practice The Launching Conference was extremely successful in meeting the objectives set. This success was made possible by a number of factors, most notably by the structure of the conference programme, the quality and range of presentations and inputs and by the willingness of participants to fully engage in discussion, deliberation and debate. 2.1.1 Meeting Objective 1 - Endorse the concept for the 2005 European Year of Citizenship through Education
· Endorsed education for democratic citizenship and human rights education (EDC/HRE) and supported the concept of the 2005 European Year of Citizenship through Education
The following short summaries of the main contributions highlight these points. Professor Igor Damianov, Minister of Education and Science in Bulgaria, began proceedings. After warmly welcoming participants, he stressed the urgency of achieving the goals of EDC across the whole of society through a life long learning perspective, and not just in education and schools. He highlighted the active and progressive involvement of Bulgaria during the two phases of the EDC project. He commended Bulgaria as an example to other member states of how to make the most of the EDC project in partnership with the Council of Europe. He finished by stating his desire that the 2005 European Year of Citizenship through Education should be a catalyst, triggering further innovative activities in this area, and, thereby, ensuring that EDC became a permanent, long-term, strategic programme for the Council of Europe (See Appendix VI). Maud De Boer-Buquicchio, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, spoke passionately about her first participatory experiences where she earned her ‘badge of citizenship’. She emphasised the need for citizenship to be developed through small steps, involving a range of ‘sites of citizenship’, which combine to build a democratic personality and culture. She drew attention to the wealth of good practice and know-how amassed by the Council’s EDC project and how this can act as a platform for partnership during the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’. She highlighted the central role of the network of national EDC co-ordinators at the heart of this partnership process. She concluded by stressing the sense of pride in what the EDC project had achieved to date but, at the same time, warned of the need to be ever vigilant in order to meet the daily challenges that face democracy in modern societies – after all democracy is precious and must be treasured. She hoped that the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ would further underline the importance of the democratic process, and the fact that you should not only learn about democracy but also have opportunities to practice it i.e. learning and living democracy, which is the slogan for the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ (See Appendix VI). Yuri Sterk, representative of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, reaffirmed the importance of democratic dialogue at the heart of education for democratic citizenship. He drew attention of the need for the state to be an active rather than a passive force for citizenship in society. He also stressed the proactive links that needed to be made between EDC and various initiatives and policies already under discussion, such as the response to violence and terrorism in society. He called upon Heads of State and Government, at the third Summit of the member states of the Council of Europe, to be held in Warsaw, Poland in May 2005, to endorse the crucial role of education for democratic citizenship in Europe and to encourage the identification and spreading of ‘best practice’. Milena Milotinova, representing the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly, also urged Heads of State and Government at the forthcoming third Summit in Warsaw to reaffirm the crucial role of education for democratic citizenship in present day Europe. She stressed the enormous contribution the Council of Europe and its EDC project could make in reinforcing the core values which underpinned the countries, regions and peoples of Europe. These values were already enshrined in instruments and mechanisms, such as the European Convention on Human Rights, but could be brought to life and spread more widely through the activities and actions during the 2005 European Year of Citizenship through Education. The importance of the values underpinning education for democratic citizenship and human rights education, and the contribution of EDC and the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ in meeting the new and demanding challenges facing Europe were themes also picked up by Professor Vedrana Spajic-Vrkas from the University of Croatia and by Professor Jerry Wiatr, former Minister of National Education and Sport in Poland, in their keynote presentations. Professor Wiatr provided a summary of the results of the Ministerial Conference commemorating the 50th anniversary of the European Cultural Convention and held in Wroclaw, Poland on 9-10 December 2004, in his role as General Rapporteur in Wroclaw. He underlined, in particular, the hard fought victory of democracy and its institutions over the forces of totalitarianism in Europe during the past 50 years. At the heart of that victory was not only support for the procedures and institutions of democratic society but also, and perhaps more importantly, the belief of people in the system of values which underpinned democracy. He stressed that people must have frequent opportunities to practice those values through participation. He also drew attention to the line of action concerning ‘European identity and democratic citizenship’ which was referred to in the Declaration adopted in Wroclaw. Professor Wiatr made the important point that Europe did not have a monopoly on these democratic values but that they were universal and enduring and had to be developed and maintained through active partnerships with other countries and organisations across the world. He believed that promoting and sustaining such partnerships was one of the major challenges facing Europe and its countries and institutions, such as the Council of Europe, at the start of the 21st Century. He hoped that the dynamic created by the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ would make a major contribution to such partnerships within Europe and with the other regions of the world. The presentations by Etienne Van Vaerenbergh, representing the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, Alain Mouchoux, Chair of the Education and Culture Grouping of the INGOs enjoying participatory status with the Council of Europe, and Dietrich Baenziger, a representative of the Directorate of Youth emphasised the inclusive, life long learning perspective of EDC and the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’. All three speakers underlined the need for the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ to be open to and inclusive of all citizens, including young people. This meant working hard to remove what Alain Mouchoux referred to as any remaining ‘grey areas’ concerning the processes and practices of education for democratic citizenship. It also meant ensuring transparency in the practices and institutions of democracy and creating increasing opportunities for people to participate in activities which were ‘meaningful and real’ to their daily lives. Dietrich Baenziger reminded participants that, despite considerable publicity to the contrary, young people today remained as passionate and committed as they had been in previous generations. However, the difference was that that passion and commitment could and should not be taken for granted. Young people should not be viewed as a homogeneous group but rather their interest and involvement in society had to be progressively nurtured and developed over time so that it became integral to their daily lives. Many of the issues raised by the speakers in the opening session were taken up and discussed and debated in more depth in the three working groups in the afternoon on the themes of ‘Citizenship and Democracy in Present Europe’, ‘From Policy to Practice in Democracy Learning’ and ‘Democratic Participation’. The points raised in these and the other working groups are picked up in the next section of this report on conclusions and points for action. During this first session of the Launching Conference participants were also presented with a draft Communiqué and Action Plan for the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ and asked to suggest suitable amendments during the two days, so that a final version could be produced and endorsed at the end of the Launching Conference. This process worked well and the amended Communiqué and Action Plan for the 2005 Year was duly ratified at the end of the final session (See Appendix IV for the Communiqué and Action Plan). 2.1.2 Meeting Objective 2- Present the instruments prepared by the Council of Europe in the EDC Pack
Rui Gomes from the Youth Directorate introduced the COMPASS manual and the T-Kits already produced by the Council of Europe. He explained that these instruments have been translated already into a number of languages in order to make them more accessible and user-friendly. He gave details of a new T-Kit on ‘Citizenship Youth and Europe’ which is currently being developed and will be useful during the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’.10 Rui Gomes spoke of the importance of what he termed ‘complimentarism’ in the EDC Pack; that is the different tools and instruments which comprise the Pack providing similar core messages. He also warned participants that the aim was not for the Council of Europe to provide one, definitive EDC Pack that could be adopted by every member state; rather, it was to produce a Pack that could be adapted by member states to suit their different contexts. I gave a brief overview of the tools currently under construction in the EDC Pack under the direction of the EDC Division, namely Tool 1 on policy-making in EDC, Tool 2 on democratic governance, Tool 3 on teacher training in EDC and Tool 4 on quality assurance and EDC. I noted that Tool 4 represents a unique partnership between the Council of Europe, UNESCO and the CEPS centre in Slovenia and demonstrates the power of inter-institutional collaboration in EDC and during the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ (Objective 4 of the Launching Conference). I stressed the need to see the EDC Pack as ‘developmental’, to be trialled by organisations and member states during the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’, in order that an improved and enhanced EDC Pack could be produced by the Council of Europe in 2006 based on the outcomes of this trialling. Professor Maria Helena Salema, from Portugal, spoke in detail about Tool 3 on teacher training for EDC, as one the contributing authors. She stressed the importance of teacher training being clear about the values underpinning EDC and bringing these out through training activities. The EDC Pack was also picked up in discussion in the working groups, particularly the group examining the theme ‘From Policy to Practice in Democracy Learning’. The working group discussed the challenge of how to make the Pack accessible to a range of audiences, perhaps through the use of new information and communications technologies (ICT). Members of the group reinforced the message from Rui Gomes about the importance of the process of adaptation, rather than adoption, in using the Pack. They hoped the EDC Pack would be a stimulus for debate with different audiences during the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ and that the culmination of the trialling process would be a revised Pack that was a benchmark for ‘best practice’ in EDC and a platform for building further effective practices. 2.1.3 Meeting Objective 3 - Exchange information and expertise about plans for implementation of the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’
These contributions and the subsequent discussions underlined the tremendous range of activities and actions already planned for implementing the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ within and across Europe at member state, regional and Council of Europe level and the scale of the partnerships and resources involved.11 Many of the plans were based on making EDC sustainable and long-lasting beyond 2005 through the use of the 2005 European Year of Citizenship through Education as a springboard for this permanency. The following examples of planned actions are indicative of the range and scale. For example, at member state level representatives from Serbia and Montenegro, Slovenia and Norway spoke of national strategies and programmes aimed at making EDC sustainable beyond 2005. Meanwhile, Malta was investigating how successes during the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ could be built into the education system and Austria had planned EDC Action Days and monthly EDC topics to coincide with the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’. Among the many NGOs represented at the Launching Conference the ESIB spoke of moves to link democratic governance (Tool 2 in the EDC Pack) in higher education with the Bologna Process; KulturKontakt provided details of a partnership with Bulgarian authorities to develop democratic practices in schools and European School Net spoke of the on-line project ‘My Europe: Bringing Europe to Your Classroom’. There were many other plans and actions for the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’, at member state, NGO, regional and Council of Europe levels, highlighted at the Launching Conference but there is not space in this report to do them all justice. 2.1.4 Meeting Objective 4 - Discuss inter-institutional co-operation in the framework of the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’
The presence of representatives from a range of European and international institutions in Sofia underlined the recognition of these organisations of the importance of the EDC project and the contribution of the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ in meeting the challenges facing modern societies in Europe and across the world. Such representatives were keen to contribute to and learn from the successes of the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ in developing a rich base of knowledge, expertise and ‘know-how’ that could be made available to others. For example, the British Council spoke of the links between EDC and its programmes on citizenship and human rights education and governance in offices across the world. Meanwhile, CIDREE (the Consortium of Institutions of Development and Research in Education in Europe) provided details of a planned project during 2005 to investigate approaches to pupil assessment in citizenship education, the outcomes of which would make a welcome addition to the revised EDC Pack in 2006. The round table discussion with a panel of representatives of other European and international organisations on the issue of ‘inter-institutional co-operation during the 2005 European Year of Citizenship through Education’ on the last day of the Conference also provided a platform to cement inter-institutional co-operation during the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ and beyond. The representatives from UNESCO, the European Commission, and OSCE expressed support for the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ and drew attention to the potential for lasting links to be made between EDC and various European and international initiatives currently underway and planned, what one representative termed to potential to create a ‘platform of international actors’ in this area. There was potential to contribute to, among others: · UNESCO Decade for Education for Sustainable Development ;
However, the chair of the round table, Mr Anatoli Ermolin, from the Russian Federation, sounded a note of caution about the potential for such co-operation to be successful in practice without the active involvement of NGOs. He raised the difficulty that in some member states, particularly in central and eastern Europe, European and international institutions continue to work with and through governments and their agencies and not directly with the NGOs who are leading much of the innovative EDC practices on the ground. This means that not all the funds designated to support education for democratic citizenship actually achieve this in practice. He argued that this was an issue that required urgent attention if the co-operation and partnerships envisaged in the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ were to become fully operational in certain contexts. 2.2 Success in Meeting the Objectives The overall success of the Launching Conference in meeting the four overarching objectives can be evidenced in a number of ways. They include: · Quality, number, background, expertise and range of participants who attended;
These conclusions and points for action are explored in the final section of this report. 3. WHAT WERE THE CONCLUSIONS AND POINTS FOR ACTION FROM THE LAUNCHING CONFERENCE? The final section of this report is perhaps the most important. It seeks to capture and make sense of the vibrant discussions and exchanges at the Launching Conference and distil them into a series of conclusions and points for action concerning EDC, the conduct of the 2005 European Year of Citizenship through Education and future developments beyond 2005. These were reached through the collective efforts of the participants rather than by the force of will of particular individuals. It is hoped that these conclusions and points for action will be considered by all those involved with the EDC project and the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ and that they will inspire them in their thinking, planning, doing (i.e. in their actions and activities) and reflection in this area. The official outcome of the Launching Conference is the Communiqué and Action Plan ratified by all participants in the final session (See Appendix IV). The points for action, in particular, are designed to move thinking and action in EDC and HRE forward. However, the Communiqué and Action Plan represent the summative pinnacle of the Conference outcomes. There were many other formative conclusions reached during the course of the deliberations in Sofia which paved the way for unanimous agreement about the Communiqué and Action Plan. These summative and formative conclusions are captured here in equal measure. The conclusions are discussed in relation to the four objectives of the Launching Conference, in part, to enable comparison to be made with the preceding section of this report. The points for action, which follow from these conclusions, are listed in terms of short, medium and long term goals. The following conclusions, or learning points, were reached in the course of the Launching Conference proceedings in Sofia. 3.2.1. Endorsing EDC and the concept of the 2005 European Year of Citizenship through Education
· EDC has a clear rationale - it is about preserving and strengthening the culture, principles and practices of democracy and democratic society in the face of growing challenges to citizenship in the modern world. It is also about building and sustaining partnerships. Though the tradition, history, culture and context of countries in Europe may be after they are united in facing many of the same challenges. The EDC project is a response to and recognition of the major challenges posed by globalisation and rapid change in our societies, particularly in relation to issues of diversity, social cohesion and human rights, and of the depth and breadth of these challenges. · EDC is a positive response – it is a positive response to the global challenges to citizenship and democracy and the associated challenges to diversity, inclusion and social cohesion. This is a critical time for citizenship, democracy and human rights around the world. The principles and practices of democratic society are very fragile in many contexts and societies and there is a need to ensure that these principles and practices are strengthened so that they bend rather than break under such pressure. This strengthening can be achieved if we work together to recover and restore a strong base for citizenship and democracy through EDC at local, national, European and international levels as well as through the many different communities to which we belong. · EDC is broad-based – it involves many ‘sites of citizenship’. Though education ‘sites’ in schools, higher education institutions and other formal, non-formal and informal settings are very important they need to work in active partnership with other ‘sites’ in civil society in families, communities and organisations at local, national, European and international levels. EDC is also inclusive and involves many actors and partners in society. · EDC has an identifiable ‘core’ – it has a clear core of knowledge and understanding about political, legal and civil institutions and processes in society, linked to a core of skills development involving discussion, debate, participation, conflict resolution, cohesion, enquiry and communication with the goal of influencing dispositions and behaviours concerning participation, engagement and responsible action, among others. This ‘core’ sets education for democratic citizenship and human rights education apart from other areas and represents the ‘added value’ that it brings. · EDC concerns fundamental values – it is important to get the basics or fundamentals of society right before you can begin to make real progress in EDC and in building and strengthening active citizenship and democratic culture in societies. There are basic ethical and moral foundations – our ‘moral sensitivities’ - which build respect, trust, value, confidence, tolerance and self-esteem. Education for democratic citizenship and human rights education recognise the need to have these fundamentals in place and to treasure and value them. However, EDC also needs to be based on the reality of these fundamental values. Unfortunately, we do not live in a utopia in Europe. Instead, the reality of daily life in many countries is often messy, unequal and violent. This means thinking about where are the limits of these fundamentals in terms of what is acceptable; what is not acceptable in society; the minimums below which society cannot go; and how and by whom these minimums are decided in society. It entails meeting the challenge of balancing philosophy and reality, of recognising the ‘tension points’ of these fundamentals and of educating people about these tensions and how to deal with them. · EDC concerns process – it is about creating and valuing ‘active citizenship journeys’ where the process of travel is as important as reaching the end of the journey. EDC is not just what you learn about democratic culture along way but also about how and where you learn it. This means carefully balancing the development not just of knowledge and understanding but also of skills and dispositions. You cannot learn about citizenship and democracy in isolation but must have ‘real opportunities’ to put that learning into practice and, as a result, to negotiate the limits of that practice. There is a great danger that EDC learning can dissolve into tokenism, particularly for young people and a need, therefore, for all institutions in society, particularly schools and colleges, to ensure that they provide real-life, meaningful democratic and participatory learning experiences. · EDC involves overcoming the challenges of definition, ownership and motivation – effective EDC can only be developed if people understand the principles and values which underpin EDC, own the learning process and have the motivation to put it into practice on a daily basis. Overcoming these challenges takes time, resilience and patience. It is important to take into account the impact of culture, history, tradition and context on EDC definitions and ownership. EDC is a complex area that involves a variety of contested terms and concepts. It is likely, therefore, that the ‘echo of EDC will be different in every country during the 2005 Council of Europe Year’. However, it is vital to be a ‘citizenship in the heart’ so that promoting and championing active citizenship, democracy and human rights becomes part of your everyday practices. The issue of motivation is crucial to this. Developing EDC in schools, with headteachers, staff, young people and local communities is not always a straightforward issue of time and money. Of equal importance is motivation: having the necessary belief and drive. There is a need during the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ to focus on triggers and levers which motivate people to become interested and involved in EDC and to make it an active part of their daily lives. · EDC is about people – it is crucial to put and see real people at the heart of everything we do during the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ and beyond and to remember the ‘need to respect citizens before you can begin to empower them’. We should not be blinded by the words of policies, statutes and curriculum frameworks which promote EDC, however well they are framed, but recognise that it is people who bring them to life, who have to own them and believe in them. If we are to succeed with education for democratic citizenship and the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ we need to use our hearts and minds and help to put the passion back into the terms and processes of EDC. This is the only way to build real, long-lasting partnerships with and between people at different levels of our communities and societies which support and treasure citizenship and democracy. 3.2.2 Presenting the instruments prepared by the Council of Europe in the EDC Pack
· The EDC Pack is useful – the various tools and documents that comprise the EDC Pack can be used with a range of audiences including policy-makers, teacher trainers, headteachers, teachers and other practitioners, students and stakeholders to promote EDC; · Accessibility of the Pack – there is a need for the Council of Europe to consider providing assistance for member states to translate the main tools and documents into their language. Such translations, as have been achieved with the COMPASS manual and some of the T-Kits already, increase the potential to use the EDC Pack more widely. The Council and member states should also consider providing a clear introduction to the EDC Pack which sets out its aims, contents and provides suggestions as to how the various tools and documents can be used. It would be helpful if the Pack could be accessed via the EDC website; · Distribution and trialling of the Pack – participants wanted clearer guidelines about how the Pack should be distributed. If the intention was for the Pack to be ‘developmental’ and to be trialled in member states during the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ then there was also a need for firmer instructions as to how and when this trialling should take place;
· New and additional elements for the EDC Pack – participants were already thinking about how the Pack could be enhanced during the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ by other elements. This would help to ensure that it represented a compendium of the best practices and ‘know how’ concerning EDC and set a benchmark for education for democratic citizenship and human rights education which could be shared with member states as well as organisations and countries beyond Europe. These new elements included the potential for a tool on student assessment and achievement in EDC, a database of contacts and organisations with EDC expertise, a document on the role of NGOs and voluntary organisations in promoting EDC and a web-based booklet of exemplars of effective EDC practice which brought EDC to life through ‘real’ case studies. 3.2.3 Exchanging information and expertise about plans for implementation of the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’
· Communication and dialogue – participants concluded that effective communication and dialogue at a range of levels within and beyond member states is crucial to the success of the 2005 European Year of Citizenship through Education. Establishing clear strategies for effective communication and dialogue must be at the heart of member state and Council of Europe efforts during the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’; · Documentation – despite the power of the recommendations from the Council of Europe concerning EDC and the quality of the supporting documentation and resources, there was still a long way to go in many member states, as well as with other European and international institutions, in bringing these recommendations and supporting documentation to the attention of policy-makers, stakeholders and practitioners. This was an issue that needed to be recognised and addressed during the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’; · Implementation - the working groups that discussed implementation plans for the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ were realistic enough to couch those plans within the context of the many challenges that remained to be overcome if those plans were to be successful in practice. These implementation challenges were as much to do with the context and structures of education and civil and political society in member states as they were to do with the nature, processes and practices of EDC; · Lines of communication – given a central aim of the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ is to develop partnerships involving networks and communities of educators it will be important to ensure that clear lines of communication are established between these different networks and communities. These lines should ensure both top-down and bottom-up communication. Participants questioned who the ‘key players’ were in terms of EDC at local, national, European and international levels and how they could best be networked and supported. They suggested, among other things, an acceptance of the need for: clearer lines of communication between the Council of Europe and ministries of education in member states; the establishment of co-ordinating or steering groups for the Year in member states; the recognition of the crucial role of the network of EDC national co-ordinators as a link between the Council of Europe and member states, and between different networks within member states. The EDC national co-ordinators network was the ‘jewel in the crown’ of networks for the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ and beyond; · Resources – despite the best laid plans it had to be recognised that the resources in support of the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ were finite at all levels. There was only so much time, people and funds available and these were often in competition, particularly at member state level, with other pressing priorities for action. It was important therefore to make the most economical use of these finite resources and to look for opportunities during the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ where the same action or activity could meet a number of priorities. 3.2.4 Discussing inter-institutional co-operation in the framework of the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’
· Knowledge and understanding – the need for organisations and institutions to have up-to-date knowledge and understanding of their own priorities and actions and how these relate to the priorities and actions of other organisations, and to make this information available to member states. At present, such knowledge and understanding is lacking and too much is left to individuals and member states to attempt to construct this bigger picture. It was time someone drew a clear map of the links between the actions and activities of organisations such as the Council of Europe, EU/EC, UNESCO, UN, OECD and IEA concerning EDC and HRE; · Synergy or competition? – it was often unclear whether organisations, particularly European and international institutions, were working in partnership or in competition in areas such as EDC. For example, were priorities set out for education for democratic citizenship the same as those for human rights or sustainable development or global citizenship, or were there both fundamental and subtle differences in emphases between them? Participants requested greater clarity on such questions particularly as these priorities were often deemed to be in competition for action and resources at member state and local level. Was this a deliberate or unintended policy of organisations?; · Lines of funding – there were a myriad of potential funding streams available from European and international institutions, which was welcome. However, less welcome was the confusion of differing processes, timescales and selection criteria for access to such funding within and across such organisations. There were pleas from participants for the process of funding to be made clearer, quicker and targeted more at supporting the development of effective policies and practices on the ground. This may mean, in reality, funding a range of partners in member states, including NGOs, rather than always working through formal government and political institutions; · Lines of communication – it was not always clear what the lines of communication and command were in different European and international organisations and, in particular, who had responsibility for EDC and HRE. It was also unclear how different European and international organisations communicated with policy-makers, practitioners and stakeholders at member state level. Participants requested that the Council of Europe investigate the drawing up of an overarching calendar of events relating to EDC during the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ and beyond. This would include events organised by other European and international organisations alongside those planned by the Council of Europe. Such a calendar could then be made available for member states to fill in their planned activities and action. Processed in this way the calendar would make planning more effective and encourage increased collaboration and partnerships at all levels; · European dimension – several contributors to the Launching Conference spoke in terms of EDC and the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ helping to reinforce a distinctive European dimension in this area and strengthen the notion of ‘European citizenship’ and European standards and practices in EDC. However, participants questioned whether this distinctive ‘European citizenship’ was achievable or desirable in the short to medium term. Instead they preferred to talk of the development and strengthening of citizenship and democratic culture within the context of Europe and European countries. Indeed, the wording of the final communiqué from the Launching Conference speaks of ‘the fundamental role of EDC/HRE in developing citizenship in Europe’. Participants recognised that while the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ would have a strong focus on Europe many of the values, processes and practices underpinning EDC and HRE were universal. It would be important to stress this universality if the outcomes of the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ were to be shared successfully with countries and organisations beyond Europe; · Future priorities and sustainability – there was support for inter-institutional co-operation and networking between the Council of Europe and other European and international institutions. This was viewed as crucial to the sustainability of the existing work on EDC and to activities and actions taken during the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ and to the sharing of the ‘know how’ developed in Europe more widely. However, participants requested that the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ include active consideration of the development of a clear strategy for sustaining and strengthening EDC beyond 2005 as part of its outcomes. This strategy should be led by the Council of Europe, in partnership with member states, and involve discussions with other institutions and organisations. Such a strategy would assist co-operation, synergy and communication The conclusions reached at the Launching Conference suggest a number of points for action (i.e. which look to ensure that these conclusions are followed up and acted upon). These points for action can be broken down into three interrelated groups. First, there are short-term specific actions relating to the planning and conduct of the European Year of Citizenship through Education in 2005. Second, there are medium term considerations, following immediately on from the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’, in 2006, and third there are longer term goals beyond 2006. These points for action grow out of the support and belief of participants in the crucial role that education for democratic citizenship and human rights education plays in safeguarding the long-term well-being and stability of democratic culture in societies in Europe and across the world. It is no coincidence that many of these short, medium and long term points for action are also contained in the Plan of Action for the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ which participants endorsed alongside the Communique at the end of the Launching Conference (See Appendix IV). Indeed, it is recommended that you study the details of this Plan of Action as it contains actions that are seen as instrumental to the success of the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’. The points of action are listed briefly in terms of short, medium and long term actions. 3.3.1 Short-term points for action (in the run up to and conduct of the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’)
· Make the Communique and Plan of Action agreed in Sofia, along with this final report, widely available to all the ‘key players’ involved in the ‘2005 European Year of Citizenship through Education’; · Ensure ‘key players’ implement the Plan of Action through a planned programme, as it is instrumental to the success of the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ at member state, Council of Europe and wider European and international levels; · Set up effective co-ordination mechanisms for the planning and conduct of actions and activities during the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’. This includes national co-ordination/steering groups at member state level and continued support for the EDC national co-ordinators network at Council of Europe level; · Establish clear lines of communication between all the partners and networks who are involved in the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’. Central to communication is the role of the Council of Europe’s EDC website and this will need to be regularly updated. It would also be helpful if the Council of Europe drew up an overarching calendar of EDC/HRE events and activities throughout the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ beginning with Council of Europe activities and those of other European and international institutions. This would prove valuable to member states. Inter-institutional seminars would also encourage greater collaboration and synergy; · Ensure that the EDC Pack is made widely available and is accessible to a range of audiences in member states. This includes the need to agree on an appropriate dissemination and trialling strategy for the Pack at Council of Europe and member state levels; · Think carefully about the rhythm of actions and activities during the course of the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ so that momentum is established and maintained through a carefully planned programme. The Plan of Action agreed at the Launching Conference is helpful in this respect. It suggests three interrelated phases during the 12 month period § Launching events (January to March 2005)
August 2005) § Implementation of the EDC Pack (April to December 2005) · Focus on the identification and pooling of expertise and ‘know-how’ about the processes and practices of EDC and HRE, including the collection of ‘best practice’ at member state and Council of Europe levels. Think about ways of diffusing this expertise and ‘know-how’ so that it builds capacity at all levels. This may mean focusing on particular areas and aspects of EDC such as teacher training, policy-making and implementation, NGOs, quality assurance, higher education or youth participation; · Build in evaluation and feedback processes and mechanisms in order to collect evidence about the degree of success of the actions and activities that take place throughout the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ at all levels. · Consider how best to feedback and make use of the outcomes of the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ at member state and Council of Europe levels. 3.3.2 Medium term points for action (in 2006 following the end of the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’
· One idea put forward by the Greek delegation to encourage continuity and maintain momentum was for the designation of an official ‘Citizenship Day’ each year. This would act as a focus and catalyst for events and actions within and across member states. It would be the same every year and be celebrated at local, national, European and potentially international levels in time. It was felt that this proposal should be given careful consideration by the Council of Europe and its member states; · Pull together the lessons learnt and disseminate these outcomes as widely as possibly so that they continue to influence processes and practices in this area; · Focus on reviewing, revising and extending the EDC Pack based on the results of the period of development and trialling conducted during the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’. This includes ensuring that the documents and tools in the revised EDC Pack seek to encourage the development of frameworks and mechanisms for EDC and HRE that sustain themselves; · Consider how best to collect, benchmark and diffuse ‘know-how’ and best practice in EDC and HRE, above and beyond the EDC Pack, accumulated during 2005 through existing networks and partnerships at member state, Council of Europe and wider pan-European and international levels. The Council of Europe website should have a central role in this process with strong links to the websites of other networks and organisations; · Build up pools of ‘experts’, who have up-to-date and relevant experience and expertise in particular aspects of EDC and HRE, and who can be included in a database. This database can be made available to all European countries as well as those in other parts of the world. These expert pools can help to maintain, develop and grow a strong European platform in this area and ensure that EDC remains reactive and responsive to new, emerging challenges in Europe and the world such as violence, conflict and terrorism. · Maintain and expand the network of EDC national co-ordinators as a central pool of experts, but with links to pools of experts in particular aspects such as teacher training, participation and governance, quality assurance, and research and evaluation. These pools of experts can help to capacity build for EDC and HRE at many different levels within and across countries; · Encourage increasing dialogue and co-operation between the Council of Europe and its member states and other European and international organisations. This dialogue should be a two-way process but with a particular focus on how the learning and expertise accumulated during the EDC project and the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ can be presented and made available to these organisations in order to influence their immediate actions and medium and longer term planning. 3.3.3 Long term points for action (from 2006 and beyond)
· education for democratic citizenship (EDC) and human rights education (HRE) become a permanent, sustainable, long-term, strategic goal for the Council of Europe and its member states, in active partnership with other European and international organisations. Strengthening, capacity building and sustainability are at the heart of the EDC project and the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ and must remain so beyond 2005. Achieving this long term goal would mean, among other things: · Developing sustainable frameworks and mechanisms that make EDC part of everyday practices and processes at all levels of society. Frameworks would include those for policy and implementation so as to ensure that there was not an ‘implementation gap’ between the rhetoric of policy and the realities of practice. Mechanisms would involve people, documents and networks with a recognition of the key role of policy development and training in maintaining and sustaining such mechanisms. The idea of a globally celebrated ‘Citizenship Day’ may prove an important catalyst to the development and sustainability of these frameworks and mechanisms; · Ensuring that EDC is part of mainstream policy in education as well as in civil and political society. This entails ensuring that EDC is flexible and responsive enough to make a positive contribution to meeting new challenges to citizenship and democracy as they arise. It should also be able to withstand changes in government, policies and priorities. Existing and future challenges include responding to acts of terrorism and violence; humanitarian crises; disasters and acts of nature; environment and ecological change; changes in the nature of civil and political society; issues concerning diversity, equality and equity in society, among others. It is vital that EDC is kept at the forefront of policy decision-making and on-going educational and curriculum reviews; · Seeking to reach a point in the future where there would not be a need for another ‘Year’ to focus on EDC because it was accepted that every year, indeed every day, was an opportunity to focus on strengthening and sustaining EDC and its policies, practices and processes of citizenship and democracies in communities and societies across the world. This long-term goal for EDC was seen as vital in continuing to motivate, encourage and inspire people and organisations to play an active part in the 2005 European Year of Citizenship through Education and beyond. Participants left the Sofia Launching Conference buoyed by the spirit of enthusiasm and endeavour already evident in the plans for the 2005 European Year of Citizenship through Education at many levels. The Sofia event provided an excellent official launch for the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’. However, participants were also imbued with a sense of realism and an acceptance that though much had been achieved by the EDC project to date, and that the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ would be a success, there was still a considerable way to go and many challenges to be faced if the goal, aims and objectives of EDC were to be realised. In the end the success of the EDC project, the ‘2005 Council of Europe Year’ and whatever follows in 2006 and beyond will be dependent not on one-off launching events but on the sum of the individual and collective action of people, networks and organisations. At the root of the proceedings and outcomes of the Launching Conference was the question that faces all of us, as individuals and citizens, namely ‘what will my contribution be to EDC during 2005 and beyond?’. This is an important question which goes to the heart of the practice, processes and universal values which underpin EDC. Reaching an answer demands that we continually reflect on the assumptions and prejudices which underpin our thoughts and actions. This is an extremely painful process but, given the pace of change in modern society, one that is also necessary and ultimately rewarding. If we are to truly engage in learning and living democracy, as the slogan for the 2005 European Year of Citizenship through Education encourages us to do, then we must continually reflect on what learning and living democracy means to us and our daily actions in the communities and societies to which we belong. It is not enough to engage in this process at one-off events such as the Launching Conference, though it can provide a stimulus to thought and action. This process of reflection, review and action is at the heart of effective EDC policy and practice. It is vital that this process takes place regularly if education for democratic citizenship is to succeed in strengthening and sustaining citizenship and democracy and rise to the overarching new challenge, as identified by Professor Kerry Kennedy, of: ‘how to prepare young people for democracy in contexts
This challenge provides a welcome realisation that we are still very much at the start of the journey of ‘Learning and Living Democracy’ rather than at the end. However, reflecting on the question ‘what will my contribution be to EDC and the 2005 European Year of Citizenship through Education? is a useful starting-point. The Sofia Launching Conference has proved an excellent way to kick start the 2005 European Year of Citizenship through Education. What happens from here is very much up to you, your actions and how well you work in partnership with others. Hopefully you will rise to the challenge. APPENDIX I PROGRAMME Saturday, 11 December 2004 19:00 Concert offered by the Bulgarian authorities Sunday, 12 December 2004 12:00-20:00 Registration of participants (continued on Monday from 8:30-9:30) 15:00-18:00 Sightseeing tour of Sofia (upon individual request) and visit of the National Historical Museum 19:30 Dinner offered by the Bulgarian authorities at the Princess Hotel Monday, 13 December 2004 08:30-09:30 Registration of participants Opening session “Learning and Living Democracy” Chair of plenary session: Mr Igor DAMIANOV,
09:30-09:45 Welcome address by Mr Igor DAMIANOV 09:45-10:00 Opening speech by Ms Maud de BOER-BUQUICCHIO, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe 10:00-10:20 “Learning and Living Democracy” – keynote speech on citizenship and democracy in present Europe by Ms Vedrana SPAJIC-VRKAŠ 10:20-11:00 Coffee break 11:00-11:15 Results of the Ministerial Conference commemorating the 50th anniversary of the signature of the European Cultural Convention, Wroclaw, 9-10 December 2004 by Mr Jerzy WIATR, former Minister of National Education and Sport of Poland, General Rapporteur at Wroclaw 11:15-11:40 Statement by the Representative of the Committee of Ministers, Mr Yuri STERK, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Bulgaria to the Council of Europe Statements by: - Ms Milena MILOTINOVA, Member of the Committee on Culture, Science and Education of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly
11:40-12:00 “Democratic Participation” by Mr Alain MOUCHOUX, Head of the grouping “Education and Culture”, INGOs enjoying participatory status with the Council of Europe, and Mr Dietrich BAENZIGER (National Youth Council of Switzerland) 12:00-12:30 Discussion 12:30-14:00 Lunch 14:00-15:00 Plenary session: “From Policy to Practice in Democracy Learning” Chair: Ms Reinhild OTTE (Germany) Presentation of instruments prepared by the Council of Europe on education for citizenship and human rights: a) EDC Pack (30-40 min): Mr David KERR (United Kingdom); Ms Maria-Helena SALEMA (Portugal)
15:00-17:30 Working Groups on three different themes:
WG 1.1
WG 1.2
WG 1.3
16:15-16:30 Coffee break 19:30 Reception offered by the Bulgarian authorities at the Archeological Museum Tuesday, 14 December 2004 Activities foreseen in member states during the
09:30-10:45 Working Groups
WG 2.1
United Kingdom, Bulgaria
WG 2.2
Russian Federation, Italy
WG 2.3
Greece, Serbia and Montenegro, Malta
10:45-11:00 Coffee break 11:00-12:30 Working groups continued 12:30-14:00 Lunch 14:00 Concluding plenary session Chair of plenary session: Mr Anatoli ERMOLIN (Russian Federation) 14:00-15:30 “Inter-institutional co-operation during the European Year of Citizenship through Education”. Round table discussion with a panel of representatives of international organisations: UNHCHR, UNESCO, European Commission, OSCE, International Committee of the Red Cross, Open Society Institute Introduction: Ms Reinhild OTTE (Germany) Moderator: Mr Oliver WAGNER (Germany) 15:30-16:00 Coffee break 16:00-16:30 Conclusions of the Conference by the General Rapporteur, Mr David KERR (United Kingdom) 16:30-17:00 Adoption of the Declaration and the Action Plan for the European Year of Citizenship through Education. Introductory presentation by Mr Krzysztof OSTROWSKI (Poland), Chair of the Ad hoc committee of experts for the European Year of Citizenship through Education (CAHCIT) 17:00-17:15 Closing remarks by Mr Gabriele MAZZA (Director of School, Out-of- School and Higher Education, Council of Europe) 19:30 Reception offered by the Council of Europe Wednesday, 15 December 2004 Departure of the participants APPENDIX II LIST OF PARTICIPANTS ALBANIA / ALBANIE
ANDORRA / ANDORRE
ARMENIA / ARMENIE
AUSTRIA / AUTRICHE
Ms Sigrid STEININGER, Ministry of Education, Science and Culture
Ms Sabine MANDL, Mag. a, Service Centre for Civic Education, Hessgasse 1, 1010 VIENNA AZERBAIJAN / AZERBAÏDJAN
BELARUS
BELGIUM / BELGIQUE
French community / Communauté française
Mme Delphine CALONNE, Ministère de la Communauté française, 9-13 rue Belliard,
Mme Fanny CONSTANT, Attachée-Représentante de Madame Marie ARENA, Ministre-Présidente de la Communauté française de Belgique, chargée de l’enseignement obligatoire et de Promotion sociale, 15-17 Place Surlet de Chokier, 1000 BRUXELLES BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA / BOSNIE-HERZEGOVINE
Ms Zinata BOGUNIĆ, Principal of School, Primary School “Chgngich Vila 1” Sarajevo, Osnova Škola “Čengić Vila 1”, Dr Fetaha Bećirbegovića 2, 71000 SARAJEVO BULGARIA / BULGARIE
Professor Dr Kamen VELEV, Deputy Minister of Education and Science
Mr Petko DRAGANOV, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
Professor Assen DURMISHEV, President
Ms Tatiana KALKANOVA
Ms Lubov DRAGANOVA, CAHCIT Member, Director “European Integration and Bilateral Cooperation”
Ms Evgeniya KOSTADINOVA, Director “Policy in General Education”
Mr Emil TZENKOV, Director, Information Centre of the Council of Europe in Sofia
Assoc. Professor ZAHARI ZAHARIEV, Ph.D., Secretary of Science
Ms Sevda GAIDAROVA, Director “Public Relations and Protocol”
Dr Daniela KOLAROVA, Sofia University "St.Kl.Ohridski",
Ms Elena GYUROVA, Programme coordinator, Inter Ethnic Initiative for Human Rights Foundation,
CROATIA / CROATIE
Ms Nada JAKIR, Head of Department, Directorate for International Co-operation
CYPRUS / CHYPRE
CZECH REPUBLIC / REPUBLIQUE TCHEQUE
DENMARK / DANEMARK
ESTONIA / ESTONIE
FINLAND / FINLANDE
FRANCE
M. François GORGET, Chef du Bureau des institutions multilatérales et de la francophonie, Direction des relations internationales et de la coopération
GEORGIA / GEORGIE
GERMANY / ALLEMAGNE
Mr Alexander LEICHT, Deutsche UNESCO-Kommission, Sekretariat VN-Dekade "Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung", Langwartweg 72, D-53129 BONN Mr Thomas KRÜGER, President, Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung
Prof Dr Gerhard HIMMELMANN, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Institut für Sozialwissenschaften, Fachgebiet Politische Wissenschaft und Politische Bildung,
GREECE / GRÈCE
Mr Dimitris N. CHRYSSOCHOU, Associate Professor of International Organisation,
HOLY SEE / SAINT-SIÈGE
HUNGARY / HONGRIE
Ms Katalin ZOLTAN, Eurydice coordinator, Ministry of Education, Szalay utca 10-14,
ICELAND / ISLANDE
IRELAND / IRLANDE
Mr Conor HARRISON, Curriculum Development Unit, Sundrive Road, Crumlin, DUBLIN 22 ITALY / ITALIE
Mr Antonio de GASPERIS, Chef du Bureau IV, Ministero della Pubblica istruzione, Direzione Generale Relazioni Internazionali, Viale trastevere 76/A, I-00153 ROMA Ms Francesca BROTTO, International Relations General Directorate (DG Affari Internazionali), Ministry of Education and Research, Viale Trastevere, 00153 ROME Ms Speranzina FERRARO, Principal of Secondary School and Staff Member of Directorate General for Students, Ministry of Education, Ippolito Nievo street, N° 35, 00153 ROME LATVIA / LETTONIE
LIECHTENSTEIN
LITHUANIA / LITUANIE
Mr Ricardas TOTORAITIS, Head, Adult Education Unit, Ministry of Education and Science,
Ms Irena ZALESKIENE, Director, Regional Centre for Civic Education,
LUXEMBOURG
MALTA / MALTE
MOLDOVA
Mme Ana GONTA, Coordinatrice spécialisée, Ministère de l’Education, 1, Piata Marii Adunari Nationale, CHISINAU MONACO
NETHERLANDS / PAYS BAS
Mr Hans BROSSE, Drs (M.SC), Raadhuisstraat 5, NL-1121 XC LANDSMEER Ms Kirsten STAMM, European Platform for Dutch Education
NORWAY / NORVEGE
Mr John Christian CHRISTIANSEN, Adviser, Norwegian Board of Education
POLAND / POLOGNE
Professor Jerzy WIATR, former Minister of National Education and Sport, Chairman of the Council of European Education, Ministry of National Education and Sport, Aleja Szucha 25
Mr Krzysztof OSTROWSKI, Ph. D., Chair of the CAHCIT and Member of the Steering Committee of Higher Education and Research (CDESR), Secretary of the Board for European Education, Ministry of National Education, Al Szucha 25, PL – 00-918 WARSZAWA Ms Katarzyna ZAKROCZYMSKA, National In-Service Teacher Training Centre, International Co-operation Section, Al. Ujazdowskie 28 PORTUGAL
Ms Maria Helena SALEMA, CAHCIT Member, Associate Professor of the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, Campo Grande, Edificio C6, Piso1, P-1749-016 LISBOA Ms Isabel GRACA, GAERI, Ministry of Education, Av. 5 Outubro, 107-6, 1069-018 LISBOA ROMANIA / ROUMANIE
Mme Veronica FUSELOVA, Ministère de l’Education et de la recherche,
M. Corneliu IONEL, Councellor, Embassy of Romania, 4, Mihai Eminescu Avenue, 1111 SOFIA Ms Dointa Ana GADEI, Ph.D, Producer, Permanent Education Department, Human Rights Sociology,
Ms Irina-Mihaela PATRULIUS, Chercheur, Institut roumain pour les droits de l’Homme, Piata Charles de Gaulle N°3, Sector 1, BUCAREST Mr Robert MUSTATA, Chercheur, Institut roumain pour les droits de l’Homme, Piata Charles de Gaulle N°3, Sector 1, BUCAREST RUSSIAN FEDERATION / FEDERATION DE RUSSIE
Ms Tatiana BOLOTINA, CAHCIT Member, Director of the Centre for Civic Education, Russian Academy for Upgrading Professional, Standards and Retraining of Educators
Ms Marina SHKROBOVA, Assistant of State Duma Deputy, Vice-President of the Association “For Civic Education”, Okhotnyi ryad, Building 1, 121069 MOSCOW SAN MARINO / SAINT-MARIN
SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO / SERBIE-MONTÉNÉGRO
Ms Gordana MILJEVIC, Senior Adviser, Ministry of Education and Sports, Nemanjina 22-24/III/07,
Ms Vidosava KASCELAN, Ministry of Education, Novaka Miloseva 36, 81 000 PODGORICA Professor Dr Bojka DJUKANOVIC, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Montenegro,
SLOVAK REPUBLIC / REPUBLIQUE SLOVAQUE
Mr Ján MORONG, Ministry of Education, Stromová 1
SLOVENIA / SLOVÉNIE
Mr Mitja SARDOC, CAHCIT Member, Educational Research Institute, Gerbiceva 62
SPAIN / ESPAGNE
Ms Rosario SÁNCHEZ, Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia, Secretaria General de Educación, Gabinete Técnico, c/Alcalá n° 34, 28011 MADRID SWEDEN / SUÈDE
SWITZERLAND / SUISSE
“THE FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA” / « L’EX-RÉPUBLIQUE YOUGOSLAVE DE MACÉDOINE »
TURKEY / TURQUIE
UKRAINE
UNITED KINGDOM / ROYAUME-UNI
Mr David KERR, General Rapporteur, CAHCIT Member, Principal Research Fellow, National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), The Mere, Upton Park, GB-SLOUGH SL1 2DQ COUNCIL OF EUROPE / CONSEIL DE L’EUROPE Committee of Ministers / Comité des Ministres
Parliamentary Assembly / Assemblée parlementaire
Ms Darinka STANTCHEVA, Bulgarian Member of the Social, Health and Family Affairs Committee and the Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly
Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe / Congrès des Pouvoirs Locaux et Régionaux du Conseil de l’Europe
Joint Council on Youth Questions / Conseil mixte sur les questions de jeunesse
Mr Oliver WAGNER, CAHCIT Member, Pappelallee 56, D-10437 BERLIN, Germany Steering Committee for Higher Education and Research (CDESR) / Comité Directeur de l’Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche (CDESR)
Ms Věra ŠŤASTNÁ, Chair of the Steering Committee for Higher Education and Research (CDESR), Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, Karmelitská 7, 118 12 PRAHA 1 Professor Virgílio MEIRA SOARES, CAHCIT Member, Former Rector of the University of Lisbon, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciencias da Universidade de Lisboa, R. Ernesto Vasconcelos, P-1600 LISBOA
Advisory Council on Youth / Conseil consultatif pour la Jeunesse National Youth Council of Switzerland SAJV / CSAJ
Int. Movement of Catholic Agricultural & Rural Youth MIJARC
National Assembly of Youth Organisations of the Republic of Azerbaijan NAYORA
Liaison Committee of international NGOs enjoying participatory status with the Council of Europe / Commission de Liaison des Organisations internationales non-gouvernementales dotées du statut participatif au Conseil de l'Europe
* * * EUROPEAN COMMISSION / COMMISSION EUROPEENNE
* * * INTERNATIONAL GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS / ORGANISATIONS GOUVERNMENTALES INTERNATIONALES UNESCO
OECD
UNOHCHR OSCE
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
UNMIK
* * * British Council
Mr Michael BUTTERWORTH, British Council, 10 Spring Gardens, GB – LONDON SW1A 2BN Ms Leah DAVCHEVA, British Council, 7 Krakra str., 1504 SOFIA, Bulgaria Ms Yana DOCHEVA, British Council, 7 Krakra str., 1504 SOFIA, Bulgaria Goethe Institute
KulturKontakt
Ms Eva JAMBOR, KulturKontakt Education Project Office Sofia, Rosova Dolina 1, SOFIA Open Society Institute
Ms Neda KRISTANOVA, OSI, Education Policies Programme Director,
Mr Trendafil MERETEV, Head of the Board, Bulgarian National Debate Association, 15 Konstantin Fotinov, Str, PLOVIDV 4000, Bulgaria Ms Iulia MOLDOVAN, Executive Director, National High School Debate League,
Mr Noel SELEGZI, Programme Director of Debate Program, OSI, 400 West 59th Street,
INTERNATIONAL NON GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS (INGO) / ORGANISATIONS INTERNATIONALES NON GOUVERNEMENTALES (OING) The Alliance of Universities for Democracy (AUDEM)
American Council on Education
Comité Européen d’action Spécialisé en faveur de l’Enfant et de sa Famille dans leur Milieu de Vie (Euro cef) / European Committee for Home-based Priority Action for the Child and the Family
CIDREE
European Federation of Schools / Fédération Européenne des Ecoles
European Schoolnet
EYF (European Youth Forum) / ESIB (the National Unions of Students in Europe)
The National Unions of Students in Europe (ESIB)
Association for Community Colleges
European Association of Teachers
COUNCIL OF EUROPE EXPERTS
Ms Vedrana SPAJIC-VRKAŠ, Keynote speaker, Ph. D. (Professor, Educational Anthropology and Intercultural Education), University of Zagreb, Faculty of Philosophy
Experts/Organisations invited by KulturKontakt / Experts/Organisations invitées par KulturKontakt
Ms Zineta BOGUNIC, Principal, Primary School, Osnovna skola “Cengic Vila I”
Mme Veronica FUSELOVA, Ministère de l’Education et de la recherche,
Mr Shqipe GASHI, Curriculum developer, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology in Kosovo, Eximkos Building, Mother Teresa Street, PRISHTINA Mme Ana GONTA, Ministère de l’Education, 1, Piata Marii Adunari Nationale, bir, 438, CHISINAU, Moldova Ms Vidosava KASCELAN, Ministry of Education, Novaka Miloseva 36, 81 000 PODGORICA,
Ms Gordana MILJEVIC, Senior Adviser, Department for Coordination of Donation in Education
Ms Nikoleta POLJAK, Program Director, Center for Peace, Non-violence and Human Rights-OSIJEK, Zupanijska 7, 31 000 OSIJEK, Croatia Mme Zora RISTESKA-STAMENIKOVIČ, Teacher in Secondary Education, DSU « Vlado Tasevski » Skopje Macedonia, ul Tajmiška br 24, SKOPJE 1000
Ms Amira ŠEHIĆ, Principal, Primary School Suljo Čilić Jablanica, J.U.O.Š., Suljo Čilić, Bokulja BB,
Ms Olga SUKHOMLYNSKA, Professor, Dr of Pedagogy, Presidium of the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine, 52 A Artema St., 04053 KYIV, Ukraine SECRETARIAT OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE / SECRETARIAT GENERAL DU CONSEIL DE L'EUROPE Ms Maud de BOER-BUQUICCHIO, Deputy Secretary General/Secrétaire Générale Adjointe Private Office of the Secretary General/Cabinet du Secrétaire Général
DIRECTORATE GENERAL IV – EDUCATION, CULTURE AND HERITAGE, YOUTH AND SPORT Directorate of School, Out-of-school, and Higher Education / Direction de l’Education et de l’Enseignement Supérieur
Ms Ólöf ÓLAFSDÓTTIR, Head of Department of School and Out-of-School Education,
Division on Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights Education / Division de l’Education à la citoyenneté démocratique et aux droits de l’homme
Ms Yulia PERERVA, Administrator Mme Odile BRUYELLE, Administrative Assistant Ms Heather COURANT, Assistant Mme Sylvie MULLER, Assistant Directorate of Youth and Sport / Direction de la jeunesse et du sport
North South Centre / Centre Nord-Sud
Press Service/Service de Presse
M. Alban BODINEAU (photographer/photographe) SECRETARIAT OF THE BULGARIAN MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE / SECRETARIAT DU MINISTERE BULGARE DE L’EDUCATION ET DE LA SCIENCE Ms Rossitza VELINOVA Ms Stefanka HRISTOSKOVA-GUENOVA Ms Genoveva JETCHEVA Ms Margarita PENEVA Ms Dina PANAYOTOVA Ms Irina KULEVA Ms Krassimira TODOROVA Ms Milen BOTEV INTERPRETERS / INTERPRETES
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