Education for Democracy( European Perspective )

Dr. Reinhild Otte, Council of Europe

International Seminar on Education for Democracy

21-22 May 2012,Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Council of Europe (CoE )

• 47 member states, oldest European organization ( 1949)

• 3 priorities: - human rights -democracy -rule of lawHeadquarters: Strasbourg/ France

„Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights

Education (EDC/HRE )“-CoE „Flagship Project„ started in 1997-It is: „ designed to help young people and

adults to play an active part in democratic life by equipping them with the knowledge,skills and understanding and by developing their attitudes and behaviour to empower them to exercise and defend their democratic rights and responsibilities „ ( see Charter )

EDC/HRE main elements

• LLL project• Broad,multifaceted,holistic

approach• Formal,non-formal,informal

learning• Inter-sectorial• Inter-institutional

EDC/HRE Project: Phases

• 1997-2000: Conceptual• 2001-2004: Networks and Policy• 2005: European Year of Citizenship

through Education• 2006-2009: „ Learning and Living

Democracy for all „• 2010-2014:“Learning Democracy

and Human Rights in school and out-of-school throughout life „

EDC/HRE: Political Support and International Context

• 1997 Strasbourg: 2nd Summit of CoE• 2002 RecommendationCMRec(2002)12 • 2007 Istanbul: Standing Conference of

European Ministers of Education• 2010 CMRec(2010)7 CoE Charter EDC/HRE

• UN World Programme for Human Rights Education(2005-09/2010-14)

UN Declaration for Human Rights Education and Training ( 2011 )

EDC/HRE: Main Outcomes• Reference texts,political framework,

wealth of high quality material • 2005:“European Year of Citizenship

through Education „• EDC Coordinators´ network• Rec.CM/Rec(2010)7:“ CoE Charter on

Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights „ (11 May 2010)

CoE Charter on EDC/ HRE

• Content:“ aims to codify best practice in EDC/HRE and to disseminate it around Europe and beyond „

1.General provisions,incl.scope and definitions 2.Objectives and Principles 3.Policies 4.Evaluation and Cooperation

• Explanatory Memorandum

Recent Developments

• Promoting the Charter (translation,implementation, questionnaire for governments, EDC/HRE Conference Strasbourg, Nov.2012)

• Putting materials into practice (dissemination,piloting)

• Promoting partnerships and networking: (bilateral,regional,multilateral cooperation, „International Contact Group on Citizenship and

Human Rights Education „

International Context (I)

• UN OHCHR:- World Programme for Human Rights

Education, 1st phase ( 2005-2009) , 2nd phase ( 2010-2014 ) , CoE = European Regional Partner

- UN Declaration for Human Rights Education and Training ( Dec. 2011)

International Context ( II )

• UNESCO• OSCE/ODIHRclose partners(together with OHCHR)inEDC/HRE -jointly organized Regional Conference on

Human Rights Education (2007 )-Compendium of Good Practice in HRE(2009) -Guidelines addressing Islamophobia

through Education (2011)-International Contact Group (2012 )

Experiences

• Strategic partnership• Cooperation formal education /

civil society• Participation of practitioners• Ownership• Regional cooperation• Dissemination and visibility

Discussion/ Reflection

• Similarities and diversities Education for Democracy

• What can we learn from each other?

• Which experiences are transferable?

• Where and how could cooperation be useful?

• www.coe.int/edc• http://www.exploringhumanrights.c

oe.int

•Thank you very much