Oleg Smirnov, Ukraine

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Strategies for effective intercultural
communication for school children from local
initiatives of NGOs to systemic change
Oleg Smirnov, Ukraine Integration and Development
Center OSI Education Conference, 2005
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Context/Challenges

• uneasy process of adaptation of mainly
  Russian-speaking population of Crimea to new
  Ukrainian reality
• the return of a big amount of the former
  deportees (Crimean Tatars , Armenians,
  Bulgarians, Germans, Greeks) during a short
  period of time about 300 thousand
• the incapability of the state to meet the
  deportees social and cultural needs to the full
  extend - a factor of tension in the region
• the necessity for development of education,
  culture, civic activities of the deportees as
  elements of social equality and prevention of the
  feeling of being discriminated in the
  social-cultural area
• challenges for Muslim population (about 13)
  assimilation OR segregation OR integration
• the need to solve the specific issues obtaining
  of citizenship, protection of civic rights and
  freedoms, establishing educational institutions
  with the native languages of instruction,
  establishing cultural institutions, etc.

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Population/Schools in the Crimea

• Russians 63 -
• 635 schools with the Russian language of
  instruction
• Ukrainians 23 -
• 4 schools with the Ukrainian language of
  instruction
• Crimean Tatars 12 -
• 15 schools with the Crimean Tatar language of
  instruction about 200 classes in the Russian
  schools

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Problems (level of education)

• Intolerance toward the Other seems to be on the
  rise nowadays (cases of xenophobia and religious
  intolerance have been reported).
• The infrastructure of school education is
  ill-prepared for multicultural environment.
• The teacher training system does not prepare
  teachers to deal with diverse classrooms with
  children from diverse ethnic backgrounds and/or
  learning abilities.
• Dominated ideology of ethnocentric
  nation-building (esp. in curriculum and
  textbooks).
•  

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Social and Ethnic Distance (2002)10-11th grades
students
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Main areas of NGOs activities
rebirth of primary and secondary education for
repatriates

• development
• of education
• on native languages

• popularization
• of ethnic cultures
• as a means to set up dialogue
• between them

• promotion
• of the multicultural
• education in Crimea

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The IRF Integration program strategic approach

• Creating a climate of socially and culturally
  "equal opportunities.
• Taking into account state and regional factors.
• Contributing to the maintenance of the peace,
  mutual understanding, and democratic principles
  of societal development in Ukraine.
• Involving the general public in the development
  of the strategy and management of initiatives.
• Supporting numerous local initiatives, resolving
  common global problems by way of local
  transformation.

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Education for repatriates (minorities)

• Development and publication of textbooks and
  teaching manuals for secondary schools, Sunday
  schools and higher educational institutions (88
  publications)
• Technical and informational support of
  educational institutions (schools with the
  Crimean Tatar language of instruction, Sunday
  schools of other ethnic groups)
• Teacher training and retraining
• Promoting dissemination of the native language in
  every-day life (Home Library books, bilingual
  magazines, etc.)
• (25 publications)
• Development of non-traditional childrens
  educational-leisure centers and schools at home

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Popularization of ethnic cultures Dialogue of
cultures

• organizing seminars and scientific conferences
• publishing of core books of outstanding scholars,
  philosophers and writers whose works contribute
  to furthering a dialogue between different ethnic
  groups in the Crimea (32 publications)
• spreading the best samples of Crimean Tatar
  literature through translation and publication in
  Ukrainian and Russian languages (12 publications)

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ethno-cultural centres
2002 -2003
2000 - 2001
Derekoy
?arachol
Kokkoz
Surb-Hach
Kronental
Kermenchik- Akmesjit
Suren
UNION for Rural Green Tourism Development
Kapsihor- Ai-Serez
Tash-Han
Krymkarailar
Yash-Dag
Krymchahlar
Bakhchisaray
Mahuldur
Yavir
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(No Transcript)
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Multicultural education in Crimea

• Series of publications In the Crimean Home.
• Researches and round table discussions of the
  educational policy in the region with special
  attention to multicultural issues.
• Pilot monitoring of programs, textbooks and
  manuals.
• Supplementary materials for existing courses on
  history, language and literature.
• Design of special courses for studying ethnic
  history, traditional cultures of Crimean ethnic
  communities, intercultural management and basics
  of conflict prevention and resolution (school
  mediation).
• Summer schools of peace for schoolchildren,
  students and community leaders.
• Empowering education program spreading in the
  Crimean schools.

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Multicultural/intercultural approach

• Multiculturalism in education is neither
  teaching the native languages to ethnic minority
  children (or even opening of the national
  schools), nor total introduction of the school
  subject multiculturalism.
• It is a perspective revision of the whole
  educational system and methods of teaching.
• What is new in the intercultural approach is the
  priority it gives to interaction, reciprocal
  relations and mutual influence.
• It is characterized by a transition from
  hierarchic systems to networks cultures interact
  and enrich each other within a web of
  interdependence.
• The long-term goal of promoting active tolerance.

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Multicultural approach to education
creation of equal opportunities for children of
ethnic communities
education of mutual cultural understanding and
tolerance among representatives of different
ethnic (linguistic, religious, cultural)
groups
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2004-2005

• independent monitoring of textbooks and manuals
  on issues of ethnic intolerance toward different
  ethnic groups of Ukraine (school level)
• activities for the creation a program for
  kindergartens Crimean wreath (pre-school level)
• the integrative course Culture of Neighborhood
  for all levels of education system
• special course including knowledge of ethnic
  history and conflict resolution for government
  officials and parliament members
• Multicultural Education Center with resource
  library established at the premises of the
  Crimean Ethnographic Museum
• special educational programs and placements for
  students and pupils based on the potential of
  cultural ethno-centers of Crimea
• Stimulation of the state policy transformation

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Stimulation of the state policy
transformation ways of NGOs influence

• Involvement of representatives of the local
  authorities (Ministry of Education) from the
  early stages of any initiative (contacts,
  letters, round tables, personal participation).
• Activities should be based on the results of
  monitoring, research, analysis of a situation.
• Coalition building (the more NGOs involved the
  more any initiative is trusted).
• Raising broader public awareness.
• Special training courses for representatives of
  authorities.
• NGOs demonstrate readiness to be responsible.
• NGOs demonstrate that they can attract additional
  money from different sources.

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Integrative course Culture of Neighborhood
(35 hours per year in primary and secondary
school) Main purpose

• Up-bringing and education of children for
  efficient inter-cultural (inter-confessional,
  inter-language) communication in poly-ethnic
  environment

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Integrated course Culture of Neighborhood
Main principles

• Equality of all religious and ethnic groups
  despite their status, number of population and
  period of living on the territory of the Crimea
• Pluralism of opinions on the issues of
  ethno-genesis and ethnic history
• Rebirth, preservation and development of
  ethno-cultural identity and dialogue of cultures
• Priority of up-bringing tasks
• Creative organization of educational activities
  (unity of the curriculum, extra-curriculum and
  extra-class activities)
• Links with other courses

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Integrated course Culture of Neighborhood
Main principles (continuation)

• Possibilities to modify the course into a subject
  of the invariant part of the curriculum, or a
  special or facultative course depending on the
  availability of teaching hours in the school
  curriculum
• Continuation of the course on all the levels of
  education process from kindergartens through
  schools to institutions of higher learning
• Maximum involvement of students into practical
  activities aimed at getting know the home land
  through participation in every-day life of the
  Crimean autonomy, their town, village, community,
  school
• Involvement of a family and a community as a
  source of information and active participant of
  the education process
• Using no less than one third of the education
  time for practical activities, inter-active
  educational forms (e.g. trainings) and excursions

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Grade Course title Geography Geography Geography History History History
Natural environment Ecology My care My region Me and my neighbors We are the Crimeans
1 Me, my family, and neighbors
2 Place where we live
3 Work, study and rest together
4 We are proud of Crimea
5 Different voices of Crimea
6 Trip to the history of the peninsula
7 Palette of cultures and religions
8 Hospitable peninsula
9 Flourishing in unity
10 By the roads of millenniums
11 Crimean mosaic charming diversity
12 Me and my peninsula today and tomorrow
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Traditional culture Traditional culture Traditional culture Traditional culture Traditional culture
Material culture Handicrafts and traditional arts Spiritual culture Religions Traditional way of living
Language of neighbors Language of neighbors Language of neighbors
History of languages Folklore, national literatures Vocabulary for communication (up to 20 words and phrases each year)
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Axiology (world of values) Axiology (world of values) Axiology (world of values) Conflict analysis and resolution Conflict analysis and resolution Conflict analysis and resolution Practical/research activities Practical/research activities Practical/research activities Practical/research activities
Of my people Of my neighbors We and our future Theory Methodology Practical trainings Methodology Visual watching Included watching Description and research
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Friendship vocabulary - vocabulary of
interaction

• Any class includes children of at least 3 ethnic
  groups.
• Elementary contacts and mutual understanding
  through acquaintance with everyday words and
  phrases (greetings, etiquette, etc).
• The philologists of 26 national cultural
  communities united for its compiling.
• The teacher can choose a language according to
  national content of a class.

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Results

• State support for educational institutions and to
  textbooks and manuals publication.
• Established procedures of curriculum and new
  courses development and approval.
• Stimulation of civic initiatives.
• The shift in the approaches towards activities of
  the "national" NGOs in the Crimea.
• What we expect?
• Cultural focus functions as a preventive approach
  (prevents ethnic conflicts).
• Interventions associated to cultural differences
  involve building cultural competency and respect
  for diversity.

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CONTACTS

• Oleg Smirnov
• osmirnov_at_ip-ua.com
• Integration and Development Center for
• Information and Research
• www.integration.org.ua
• THANK YOU!