For a society to become properly intercultural, every social group must be able to live in conditions of equality and dignity regardless of their culture, lifestyle or origin. Numerous forces – social, economic, political – have to be combined to bring about such a society.


Intercultural learning is one of the main tools we have nowadays to help us take advantage of the opportunities offered by multicultural societies. As more emphasis was given to intercultural competence as an essential competence for young people in the 21st century, both in formal and non-formal education, intercultural learning appears in educational programmes both as an integral approach and as a topic of learning. This is also reflected in the work of the European Youth Centres and their quality standards for educational activities.

As an educational approach, intercultural learning is transversal and supports us in becoming more reflective in our interaction with different people and in being able to navigate the power relations that are associated with different statuses (class, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, etc.), as well as in reorganising what we have learnt in organised educational contexts to navigate our daily lives.

As a topic of learning, this usually entails learning about culture, but also reflecting on one’s own stereotypes and prejudice, racism and discrimination in our societies and developing the knowledge, skills and attitudes that help support the development of intercultural societies as well as thrive in one.

The general purpose of intercultural learning has to be favouring and reinforcing the basis of mutual relationships, between different societies and different majority or minority cultural groups. This implies:

  • seeing that diversity is rooted in equality in dignity and human rights and does not become a justification for marginalisation
  • making an effort to recognise different cultural identities and promoting respect for minorities
  • resolving conflicting interests peacefully.
     

This general aim supposes that intercultural learning must take place within society as a whole. It is impossible to dream of an intercultural society working only with one of the involved parts, that is, only with minority groups or only with majority groups. This does not exclude the fact that work with minority-only groups does not have a specific value. It often allows young people from minority groups to reflect on their own identity and their history, reflect on power relations in society, and support them in their empowerment. However, personal encounters and interaction are essential for giving a practical meaning, for engaging the person, in encountering and challenging their own perceptions and prejudice.
 

A programme for majorities and minorities

In the case of majority groups, their first needs are to start looking beyond accepted norms, to question customary ways of thought – especially negative stereotypes and prejudices – in relation to minority groups. It is necessary for us all to gain an understanding of the role played by power relations in society and, here, their effect on intercultural relationships.

These different needs, logically, have different objectives. In the case of social majority groups, the targets of intercultural learning are:

  • to further an understanding of the reality of an interdependent world and encourage action coherent with that reality
  • to go beyond negative prejudices and ethnic stereotypes
  • to favour a positive evaluation of difference and diversity
  • to search for and highlight similarities
  • to generate positive attitudes and habits of behaviour towards people from other societies and cultures
  • to translate the principles of solidarity and civil courage into action.

In the case of minority groups, the targets of intercultural education include all of the above, in addition to learning to live within mainstream society without losing their own cultural identity.