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Résonances: Dixième Anniversaire de l'Adoption de la Déclaration Universelle de l'UNESCO sur la Diversité Culturelle Year of publication: 2011 Corporate author: UNESCO This founding text was the first to acknowledge cultural diversity as “the common heritage of humanity”. It is with great pride that UNESCO is commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Declaration. Commemorate – from the Latin cum memorare – means quite literally “to remember together” or “to remember with”. This collection is compiled the voices of all those who have contributed to the heightening of human awareness by throwing into relief the inestimable value of cultural diversity. These excerpts from books, articles and statements by global intellectual and political leaders, artists and Nobel Prize-winners all call for the safeguarding of cultural diversity, which is inseparable from respect for human dignity. Their voices resound in bearing witness to the strength of cultural diversity and to its capacity to enlighten the minds of women and men. We are duty-bound to ensure that it is central to public policies and a resource for development and dialogue among nations. The United Nations was born of the determination of men and women “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war...”. In accordance with that principle, UNESCO was established on a key idea, expressed at the very beginning of its Constitution: “... since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed”. In the world today, globalized, connected and interdependent as never before, this mission is more vital than ever. The rapprochement of peoples and cultures requires a commensurately global awareness. Cultural diversity has always been at the heart of international relations. It is also, increasingly, a feature of the contemporary mixed and plural societies in which we live. In view of this reality, we must formulate appropriate public policies and rethink the mechanisms of social cohesion and civic participation. How can we build common ground on the basis of such diversity? How can we construct genuine moral and intellectual solidarity of humanity? Any new vision of humanism must be grounded itself in the dynamism and diversity of cultural heritage. It is a source of inspiration and knowledge to be shared and a means of broadening our horizons. The goal of the UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity is to provide keys and benchmarks for capitalizing on this wealth. There can be no sustainable governance if cultural diversity is not acknowledged. There can be no economic and social development if specific features of every culture are belittled and ignored. Nuestra diversidad creativa: informe de la comisión mundial de cultura y desarrollo, versión resumida Year of publication: 1996 Corporate author: World Commission on Culture and Development This report is designed to address a diversified audience across the world that ranges from community activists, field workers, artists and scholars to government officials and politicians. We want it to inform the world’s opinion leaders and to guide its policy-makers. We want it to capture the attention of the world’s intellectual and artistic communities, as well as the general public. We aim to have shown them how culture shapes all our thinking, imagining and behaviour. It is the transmission of behaviour as well as a dynamic source for change, creativity, freedom and the awakening of innovative opportunities. For groups and societies, culture is energy, inspiration and empowerment, as well as the knowledge and acknowledgment of diversity: if cultural diversity is ‘behind us, around us and before us”, as Claude L&i-Strauss put it, we must learn how to let it lead not to the clash of cultures, but to their fruitful coexistence and to intercultural harmony. Just as in the tasks of building peace and consolidating democratic values, an indivisible set of goals, so too economic and political rights cannot be realized separately from social and cultural rights. The challenge to humanity is to adopt new ways of thinking, new ways of acting, new ways of organizing itself in society, in short, new ways of living. The challenge is also to promote different paths of development, informed by a recognition of how cultural factors shape the way in which societies conceive their own futures and choose the means to attain these futures. I have for some time been concerned with the “culture of peace”. There is now considerable evidence that neglect of human development has been one of the principal causes of wars and internal armed conflicts, and that these, in turn, retard human development. With government complicity and with the intention of raising export receipts, private businesses continue to sell advanced military technology, nuclear materials and equipment for the production of bacteriological and chemical warfare. The concept of state sovereignty which still prevails today has increasingly come under scrutiny. In the area of peace-keeping, the distinction between external aggression and internal oppression is often unrealistic. The predominant threat to stability are violent conflicts within countries and not between them. There is an urgent need to strengthen international human rights law. Many of the most serious troubles come from within states – either because of ethnic strife or repressive measures by governments. Conditions that lead to tyranny and large-scale violations of human rights at home sooner or later are likely to spill over into a search for enemies abroad. The temptation of repressive states to export internal difficulties is great. Consider the Soviet Union’s invasion of Hungary and Czechoslovakia after it had used domestic oppression and the persistent refusal - for many years - of the previous South African governments to grant independence to Namibia. An ounce of prevention is better than a ton of punishment. Notre diversité créatrice: rapport de la commission mondiale de la culture et du développement, version condensée Year of publication: 1996 Corporate author: World Commission on Culture and Development This report is designed to address a diversified audience across the world that ranges from community activists, field workers, artists and scholars to government officials and politicians. We want it to inform the world’s opinion leaders and to guide its policy-makers. We want it to capture the attention of the world’s intellectual and artistic communities, as well as the general public. We aim to have shown them how culture shapes all our thinking, imagining and behaviour. It is the transmission of behaviour as well as a dynamic source for change, creativity, freedom and the awakening of innovative opportunities. For groups and societies, culture is energy, inspiration and empowerment, as well as the knowledge and acknowledgment of diversity: if cultural diversity is ‘behind us, around us and before us”, as Claude L&i-Strauss put it, we must learn how to let it lead not to the clash of cultures, but to their fruitful coexistence and to intercultural harmony. Just as in the tasks of building peace and consolidating democratic values, an indivisible set of goals, so too economic and political rights cannot be realized separately from social and cultural rights. The challenge to humanity is to adopt new ways of thinking, new ways of acting, new ways of organizing itself in society, in short, new ways of living. The challenge is also to promote different paths of development, informed by a recognition of how cultural factors shape the way in which societies conceive their own futures and choose the means to attain these futures. I have for some time been concerned with the “culture of peace”. There is now considerable evidence that neglect of human development has been one of the principal causes of wars and internal armed conflicts, and that these, in turn, retard human development. With government complicity and with the intention of raising export receipts, private businesses continue to sell advanced military technology, nuclear materials and equipment for the production of bacteriological and chemical warfare. The concept of state sovereignty which still prevails today has increasingly come under scrutiny. In the area of peace-keeping, the distinction between external aggression and internal oppression is often unrealistic. The predominant threat to stability are violent conflicts within countries and not between them. There is an urgent need to strengthen international human rights law. Many of the most serious troubles come from within states – either because of ethnic strife or repressive measures by governments. Conditions that lead to tyranny and large-scale violations of human rights at home sooner or later are likely to spill over into a search for enemies abroad. The temptation of repressive states to export internal difficulties is great. Consider the Soviet Union’s invasion of Hungary and Czechoslovakia after it had used domestic oppression and the persistent refusal - for many years - of the previous South African governments to grant independence to Namibia. An ounce of prevention is better than a ton of punishment. Dialogue: diversité culturelle et mondialisation, l'expérience arabo-japonaise, actes Year of publication: 2005 Corporate author: UNESCO The symposium on “Cultural Diversity and Globalization: the Arab-Japanese Experience, a Cross-Regional Dialogue”, organized on 6 - 7 May 2004 at UNESCO in Paris with the purpose of promoting dialogue and cooperation between the Arab world and Japan, gave its participants an opportunity to lay the groundwork for thinking about the key concepts enshrined in the UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity adopted by the General Conference at its 31st session, on 2 November 2001. Reflections on Progress, Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship Year of publication: 2013 Author: Georges Haddad Corporate author: UNESCO The arguments developed in this concise presentation demonstrate that sustainable development, progress and global citizenship, efficiently embedded in the context of the Knowledge Society, undeniably participate in the development of the New Humanism promoted by the Director-General of UNESCO, and which we all agree to consider essential for the wealth and prosperity of Humanity in an agreeable, peaceful and friendly common environment. Reflexiones Sobre el Progreso, el Desarrollo Sostenible y la Ciudadanía Mundial Year of publication: 2013 Author: Georges Haddad Corporate author: UNESCO Los argumentos desarrollados en esta breve ponencia ponen de manifiesto que el desarrollo sostenible, el progreso y la ciudadanía mundial sólidamente arraigados en la Sociedad del Conocimiento contribuyen indudablemente a construir este Nuevo Humanismo promovido por la Directora General de la UNESCO, y que todos coincidimos en considerar esencial para la riqueza y la prosperidad de la Humanidad, en un entorno común grato, pacífico y cordial. Educación en pro de la 'ciudadanía mundial': marco para el debate Year of publication: 2013 Author: Sobhi Tawil Corporate author: UNESCO The notion of ‘global citizenship’ has recently gained prominence in international development discourse with the recently-adopted United Nations Secretary-General’s Global Education First Initiative (2012). Among the three priority areas outlined in this global initiative, the third aims to ‘foster global citizenship’. Education must fully assume its central role in helping people to forge more just, peaceful, tolerant and inclusive societies. It must give people the understanding, skills and values they need to cooperate in resolving the interconnected challenges of the 21st century. The notion of ‘global citizenship’, however, remains very broad, if not contested, and consequently difficult to operationalize in education. There are two possible reasons for this. Firstly, it is unclear whether the very notion of ‘global citizenship’ is a metaphor, a contradiction of terms, or an oxymoron (Davies, 2006). What does ‘global citizenship’ possibly imply both from a legal perspective, as well as from that of collective identity, sense of belonging, and civic engagement? Secondly, when applied to education, the notion of ‘global citizenship’ implies a certain degree of confusion. Is ‘global citizenship education’ (or ‘education for global citizenship’) merely an expression of a fundamental purpose of education systems? Does it also refer to a broad area of teaching and learning? If so, what are the contours of this domain? How does it relate to other often overlapping areas of learning associated with civic and political socialization? Education for 'global citizenship': a framework for discussion Year of publication: 2013 Author: Sobhi Tawil Corporate author: UNESCO The notion of ‘global citizenship’ has recently gained prominence in international development discourse with the recently-adopted United Nations Secretary-General’s Global Education First Initiative (2012). Among the three priority areas outlined in this global initiative, the third aims to ‘foster global citizenship’. Education must fully assume its central role in helping people to forge more just, peaceful, tolerant and inclusive societies. It must give people the understanding, skills and values they need to cooperate in resolving the interconnected challenges of the 21st century. The notion of ‘global citizenship’, however, remains very broad, if not contested, and consequently difficult to operationalize in education. There are two possible reasons for this. Firstly, it is unclear whether the very notion of ‘global citizenship’ is a metaphor, a contradiction of terms, or an oxymoron (Davies, 2006). What does ‘global citizenship’ possibly imply both from a legal perspective, as well as from that of collective identity, sense of belonging, and civic engagement? Secondly, when applied to education, the notion of ‘global citizenship’ implies a certain degree of confusion. Is ‘global citizenship education’ (or ‘education for global citizenship’) merely an expression of a fundamental purpose of education systems? Does it also refer to a broad area of teaching and learning? If so, what are the contours of this domain? How does it relate to other often overlapping areas of learning associated with civic and political socialization? Education for 'global citizenship': a framework for discussion Year of publication: 2013 Author: Sobhi Tawil Corporate author: UNESCO La notion de ‘citoyenneté mondiale’ a récemment pris de l'importance dans le discours du développement international avec la Première Initiative Éducation Modiale adoptée récemment du Secrétaire Général de l’ONU(2012). Parmi les trois domaines prioritaires énoncés dans cette initiative mondiale, la troisième vise à ‘favorsier citoyenneté mondiale'. L'éducation doit assumer pleinement son rôle central en aidant les gens à forger plus justes, des sociétés pacifiques, tolérantes et inclusives. Il faut donner aux gens la compréhension, les compétences et les valeurs dont ils ont besoin de coopérer pour résoudre les défis interdépendants du 21ème siècle. La notion de ‘citoyenneté mondiale’, cependant, reste très large, sinon contestée, et par conséquent difficile à appliquer dans l'éducation. Il y a deux raisons possibles pour cela. Tout d'abord, il est difficile de savoir si la notion même de ‘citoyenneté mondiale’ est une métaphore, une contradiction dans les termes, ou un oxymore (Davies, 2006). Qu'est-ce que la ‘citoyenneté mondiale’ implique peut-être à la fois d'un point de vue juridique, ainsi que de celle de l'identité collective, le sentiment d'appartenance et l'engagement civique? Deuxièmement, lorsqu'il est appliqué à l'éducation, la notion de ‘citoyenneté mondiale’ implique un certain degré de confusion. Est-ce que 'éducation à la citoyenneté mondiale’(ou ‘éducation pour la citoyenneté mondiale’) est seulement une expression d'un objectif fondamental des systèmes éducatifs? Est-ce qu'il se réfère également à un large domaine de l'enseignement et l'apprentissage? Si oui, quels sont les contours de ce domaine? Comment est-elle liée à d'autres domaines qui se recoupent souvent de l'apprentissage associés à la socialisation civique et politique? Education for All (EFA) in Latin America and the Caribbean: Assessment of Progress and Post-2015 Challenges, 30-31 October 2014, Lima, Peru: Lima Statement Year of publication: 2014 Corporate author: UNESCO The Ministers of Education of Latin America and the Carribean (LAC), high-level government officials, UN agencies, representatives of civil society organizations and development partners, gathered at th meeting on "Education for All (EFA) in Latin America and the Carribean: Assessment of progress and post-2015 challenges", in Lima, Peru, from 30 to 31 October 2014. Having deliberated on progress towards EFA in the region, the Muscat Agreement adopted at the Global EFA Meeting (GEM) in Muscat, Oman, 12-14 May 2014, and the outcome document of the UN General Assembly Open Working Group for Sustainable Development Goals, and having examined the unfinished EFA tasks in the region, as well as the challenges and priorities that will configure the post-2015 education agenda for the region, the Lima Statement was adopted.