Towards the ALF 10 Years
annalindhfoundation.org
The establishment of the ALF
Establishing a Euro-Med Institution for Dialogue
2002. The Euro-Med Foreign Ministers launch a programme for
promoting Dialogue Between Cultures (Valencia).
2003. The Euro-Med Foreign Ministers approve setting up a 'Euro-Med
Foundation' based on a Network of Civil Society Networks (Naples)
2003. A High Level Committee gathered by President Prodi
recommends:





Make education a vehicle for learning about diversity and
knowledge of the Other
Promote mobility, exchanges, expertise, skills and social practices
Make the media a vital instrument of equality and mutual
knowledge
Monitor Intercultural Trends in the Euro-Med Region.
The Foundation must enjoy financial, administrative and
intellectual independence
2004. The Euro-Med Foreign Ministers approve the name of the ALF
and the establishment of its HQ in Alexandria, shared by the
Bibliotheca and the Swedish Institute (Dublin).
2005. Official launch of the Anna Lindh Foundation. (Alexandria, April)
Phase I (2005-2008)
• Triennial Programme and Budget
Phase II (2009-2011)
• Triennial Programme and Budget
Phase III (2012-2014)
• Triennial Programme and Budget
Towards phase IV (2015 onwards)
• Governance, Funding model and Management
ALF handbook on Education
Rationale for Handbook
• Globalisation produces all sorts of
implications for the multicultural,
multilingual, multi-ethnic characters of local
communities in societies at economic,
political, social and cultural level. This multiperspective diversity has placed additional
challenges before the education system and
specifically the education of citizenship.
Concept of Citizenship Education
• The concept of citizenship education relates
to educating people to become “responsible
citizens,” who are capable of contributing to
the development and well-being of the
society in which they live.
Definition of Citizenship Education
• Citizenship Education is interactive and
deeply embedded in specific formal, nonformal and informal contexts and includes
the transmission of knowledge, competences
and attitudes that serve personal fulfilment,
social inclusion and active citizenship.
Purpose and Aim
• A knowledge of other cultures and behaviour
patterns of availability, openness and
dialogue.
• The acceptance and respect of diversity, but
also the recognition of the place of the
proper cultural identity in a perspective of
mutual learning.
Process
• Consultations have been taking place since
2011 with the 3rd and final consultation
convention to be held in Alexandria, Egypt, in
June 2014 with an international group of
educators to test the draft handbook. The
aim is to publish the Handbook in Oct/Nov
2014. The Handbook will be the basis for a
regional training programme to be launched in
2015 by the ALF.
Specific aims
• To develop critical understanding of the underpinning
principles of citizenship education in local & global
contexts;
• to explore contemporary citizenship education and
challenges in diverse contexts, local and global;
• to present a theoretical and conceptual framework
pertaining to citizenship education; • to apply principles of pro-active citizenship education to
practice and pedagogy in a range of educational settings;
• and to enable the users of this Handbook to develop
leadership styles that are informed by intercultural, proactive citizenship-based approaches.
Approaches
• Until recently the dominant way of teaching
citizenship entailed a "thin" knowledge based
pedagogy that exposed students to the
mechanics of government and national focus
approach . The new approach on citizenship
education in many countries can be characterised
by a shift towards "thicker" orientations that
seeks to transmit attitudes, values, skills and
approaches to political participation.
Challenges
• The main challenging question is how formal
and non-formal education can promote
education for pro-active citizenship, civic
engagement and participation in an age of
political alienation. This also includes the
search for effective and successful practices of
encouraging active citizenship and improving
the “broad” school environment.
Key competences
• To enhance the belief among young people that they
have the ability to influence what happens in their
society is a question of know-how and education.
• By offering young people the awareness,
understanding and sensitivity to democratic civic
values, leadership skills, initiative and critical thinking
as well as by providing them with the tools for active
civic and political participation, intercultural citizenship
education may offer in its broad learning agenda
concrete responses to embracing diversity, dealing with
change and building pro-active citizenship.