From November 30 to December 5 this year, 14 civil society representatives from both banks of Nistru river and of Ukraine conducted a study visit to Stockholm, Sweden. The purpose of the visit was to familiarize with the Swedish best practices in promoting tolerance and intercultural education. and was organized within the “Support to Confidence Building Measures”, financed by the European Union co-funded and implemented by UNDP.

The director of a primary school in Stockholm presented an original optional curriculum for promoting intercultural dialogue and tolerance, supported by the NGO “Order of Tea Soon” for all general education classes, including kindergarten (comprising children from 6 to 15 years). It is implemented in multicultural regions of Sweden, where children speak more than 25 languages at home. Their common values: respect, peace, responsibility, joy at school, psychological security helps them feel good together, starting with the simplest compliance rules: In our school we respect each other, love your neighbour as yourself etc.

A special impression in the program gave us a visit at ALTA primary school in a town close to the capital. Healthy children, active, many hyperactive, for us, most typical Nordic blond, very colourful, diverse and open dress on interactions and dialogue had very free behaviour. We attended a lesson in class II, with the theme: Tolerance-Intolerance, held the key method of group projects, children were divided into two groups. They were shown what tolerance and intolerance means, the activity being guided by the base teacher and by a support teacher who work part time -practical classroom lessons, but also extended afternoon program. We noticed a very friendly learning environment, children totally unfettered. Teachers recognized that in small classes they don t focus on cognitive acquisitions and Swedish school procurement generally is not one of the first in the world,  but  for them is a priority individual creative development of each child,  freedom and comfort of children.

The initiated partnership compels us to learn from each other and each one became too best. Nearby effort to promote dialogue and spiritual union of the two sides of Nistru river, despite the tense political situation, we hope to end with practical sensitive successes. However, peace is possible through the efforts of everyone worldwide. Projects of peaceful settlement of conflicts stimulate knowledge of our cultures and appreciation of diversity, not only in the education system, but also political and social.

Activity occurred within the project “Intercultural Education on the both sides of Nistru river”, implemented by Educational Center PRO DIDACTICA, in partnership with the Centre for Educational Innovation and Social Programs from Transnistria, Swedish Institute of Peace and Arbitration and the Center for Integration and Development of Ukraine , project aims to improve intercultural dialogue and promoting cultural diversity at local and regional level through effective cooperation between governments and civil society. Key activities of the project included the development and publishing of experimental materials for a new optional subject in kindergarten and first grade “Culture of Good Neighbourhood”; teacher training course, monitoring and evaluating the educational experiment , disseminating and to propose the optional discipline  in the list recommended by the Ministry of Education for compulsory education, including multi-ethnic areas. Closure Conference of the project will take place in February 2015, and the monitoring experiment will last until the end of the school year.

For more details, please contact:
Viorica Goraş-Postica,  project coordinator
Tel. 0225425 56; 069366848, www.prodidactica.md