The Mondialogo School Contest

Go to the contest website.

"Intercultural dialogue forms the basis for mutual understanding, respect and, above all, tolerance. That’s why DaimlerChrysler and UNESCO since October 2003 jointly launched the Mondialogo School Contest to motivate students to explore and appreciate the cultural diversity on our planet.

"The Mondialogo School Contest is the biggest contest between schools in the world where school students between 14 and 18 years of age from around the world get into contact and dialogue with one another. Mondialogo is aimed at giving a platform to students to take an active interest in others and to build bridges towards a harmonious coexistence.

"To do this, we are contacting thousands of schools around the globe, and are inviting teachers and their classes to join. Intercultural dialogue between the students plays a crucial role in the contest. During the project phase, all participants are encouraged to create new bonds and even forge new friendships. Participants shall learn the importance of openness, respect, tolerance and mutual understanding as prerequisites for living together in peace.

"The first Mondialogo School Contest 2003/2004 with approximately 1,500 participating teams and 25,000 students from 126 countries in the world, initiated the dialogue of people and an intensive exchange over borders. The overwhelming resonance and the positive feedback exceeded all expectations.

"For the contest each school will form a partnership with a paired school from another country or from another continent. Together, the students of both schools will specify a project topic that both schools will work parallely. This should involve an in-depth dialogue with one another.

"During the work on the project the teams should go through the following process:

* the conscious discussion with the own culture(s) (I)
* the goal based discussion with the culture(s) of the partner team(s) (YOU)
* the active dialogue with students from other cultures and countries and the development of a common project (WE)

"The results of the two schools that form a partner team are evaluated jointly. Decisive factors in the appraisal are the project results, but particularly the dialogue and the documentation of the project.

"Taking part in the international Mondialogo Symposium in November 2006 in Rome, Italy will thus become one of the highlights of the contest.
This is where two “Ambassadors" from the 25 most committed partner teams together with their teachers will meet the representatives of their partner schools and other participants. During a festive Awards ceremony, three outstanding partner teams will receive a symbolic donation of either EUR 500, EUR 1000 or EUR 1500 to be used for the benefit of their schools.

This years contest is well under way, and the final event of the Mondialogo School Contest 2005/2006 will take place from 4 to 7 November 2006 in Rome, Italy.

Watch the contest website, since we can hope there will be another contest next year.

The Mondialogo School Contest

Go to the contest website.

"Intercultural dialogue forms the basis for mutual understanding, respect and, above all, tolerance. That’s why DaimlerChrysler and UNESCO since October 2003 jointly launched the Mondialogo School Contest to motivate students to explore and appreciate the cultural diversity on our planet.

"The Mondialogo School Contest is the biggest contest between schools in the world where school students between 14 and 18 years of age from around the world get into contact and dialogue with one another. Mondialogo is aimed at giving a platform to students to take an active interest in others and to build bridges towards a harmonious coexistence.

"To do this, we are contacting thousands of schools around the globe, and are inviting teachers and their classes to join. Intercultural dialogue between the students plays a crucial role in the contest. During the project phase, all participants are encouraged to create new bonds and even forge new friendships. Participants shall learn the importance of openness, respect, tolerance and mutual understanding as prerequisites for living together in peace.

"The first Mondialogo School Contest 2003/2004 with approximately 1,500 participating teams and 25,000 students from 126 countries in the world, initiated the dialogue of people and an intensive exchange over borders. The overwhelming resonance and the positive feedback exceeded all expectations.

"For the contest each school will form a partnership with a paired school from another country or from another continent. Together, the students of both schools will specify a project topic that both schools will work parallely. This should involve an in-depth dialogue with one another.

"During the work on the project the teams should go through the following process:

* the conscious discussion with the own culture(s) (I)
* the goal based discussion with the culture(s) of the partner team(s) (YOU)
* the active dialogue with students from other cultures and countries and the development of a common project (WE)

"The results of the two schools that form a partner team are evaluated jointly. Decisive factors in the appraisal are the project results, but particularly the dialogue and the documentation of the project.

"Taking part in the international Mondialogo Symposium in November 2006 in Rome, Italy will thus become one of the highlights of the contest.
This is where two “Ambassadors" from the 25 most committed partner teams together with their teachers will meet the representatives of their partner schools and other participants. During a festive Awards ceremony, three outstanding partner teams will receive a symbolic donation of either EUR 500, EUR 1000 or EUR 1500 to be used for the benefit of their schools.

This years contest is well under way, and the final event of the Mondialogo School Contest 2005/2006 will take place from 4 to 7 November 2006 in Rome, Italy.

Watch the contest website, since we can hope there will be another contest next year.

UNESCO : Acting with and for youth

Since the Youth is a priority for UNESCO, the Organization has dedicated a whole week to it:

Acting with and for Youth
(August 14-18th 2006)

The International Day for Youth, which is dedicated this year to the fight against poverty, was August 12th.

UNESCO : Acting with and for youth

Since the Youth is a priority for UNESCO, the Organization has dedicated a whole week to it:

Acting with and for Youth
(August 14-18th 2006)

The International Day for Youth, which is dedicated this year to the fight against poverty, was August 12th.

"UNESCO Associated Schools: Partners in Intercultural Learning"

Read the full 2004 article by Susan Fountain.

"The world's oldest and largest international network of educational institutions is UNESCO's Associated Schools Project (ASPnet), established in 1953 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The goal of ASPnet is to promote peace and international understanding through education. Since 1953, ASPnet has grown to nearly 7,700 educational institutions in 176 countries, ranging from pre-school to teacher training. To become an Associated School, schools commit to undertake substantive work related to one of four ASPnet priority themes:

* World concerns and the role of the United Nations system
* Human rights, democracy and tolerance
* Intercultural learning
* Environmental concerns and sustainable development

"ASPnet offers teachers, students and parents opportunities for exchange and networking with their counterparts in the United States and around the world who share their concerns for global education and issues of conflict resolution, human rights and sustainability. UNESCO does not have a prescribed curriculum for Associated Schools. Rather, it offers a range of educational projects and materials for teachers to select from and adapt to their own national and state standards, either through the formal curriculum or through extracurricular activities."

Check out:

* the UNESCO ASONet website
* InterConnections21 (which manages the 30 U.S. school network)

"UNESCO Associated Schools: Partners in Intercultural Learning"

Read the full 2004 article by Susan Fountain.

"The world's oldest and largest international network of educational institutions is UNESCO's Associated Schools Project (ASPnet), established in 1953 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The goal of ASPnet is to promote peace and international understanding through education. Since 1953, ASPnet has grown to nearly 7,700 educational institutions in 176 countries, ranging from pre-school to teacher training. To become an Associated School, schools commit to undertake substantive work related to one of four ASPnet priority themes:

* World concerns and the role of the United Nations system
* Human rights, democracy and tolerance
* Intercultural learning
* Environmental concerns and sustainable development

"ASPnet offers teachers, students and parents opportunities for exchange and networking with their counterparts in the United States and around the world who share their concerns for global education and issues of conflict resolution, human rights and sustainability. UNESCO does not have a prescribed curriculum for Associated Schools. Rather, it offers a range of educational projects and materials for teachers to select from and adapt to their own national and state standards, either through the formal curriculum or through extracurricular activities."

Check out:

* the UNESCO ASONet website
* InterConnections21 (which manages the 30 U.S. school network)

"Build The Defences Of Peace In People's Minds"

This message from Pope John Paul II was delivered in 2002, but it remains vivid and relevant today. He said:

The intuitions that prevailed at the foundation of UNESCO more than 50 years ago, stressed the importance of education for peace and solidarity, not losing sight of the fact that "if wars are born in people's minds, it is in the human spirit that the defences of peace must be built" (Constitution of UNESCO, 16 November 1945). Today these intuitions have been fully confirmed. The phenomenon of globalization has become a reality defining economics, politics and culture, bringing with it positive and negative values. They are areas that offer a challenge to our sense of responsibility so that a truly worldwide solidarity can be organized that alone can give our earth a secure future and lasting peace.

"Build The Defences Of Peace In People's Minds"

This message from Pope John Paul II was delivered in 2002, but it remains vivid and relevant today. He said:

The intuitions that prevailed at the foundation of UNESCO more than 50 years ago, stressed the importance of education for peace and solidarity, not losing sight of the fact that "if wars are born in people's minds, it is in the human spirit that the defences of peace must be built" (Constitution of UNESCO, 16 November 1945). Today these intuitions have been fully confirmed. The phenomenon of globalization has become a reality defining economics, politics and culture, bringing with it positive and negative values. They are areas that offer a challenge to our sense of responsibility so that a truly worldwide solidarity can be organized that alone can give our earth a secure future and lasting peace.