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Winter
session 2004 of Independent Non-Governmental
Organizations (INGOs) enjoying participatory statuswith the
Council of Europe
Report made by SIETAR France member Claudine
APPEL(appel @ noos.fr)
who represents SIETAR at the CofE.
Date January 29, 2004
Place: Strasbourg
Liaison Committee of Non-Governmental Organisations enjoying participatory
status with the Council of Europe.
Education and Culture Committee
1. Opening of the meeting and adoption of the
agenda
M. Alain MOUCHOUX opens the conference.
2. Participatory status
Independent non-governmental organisations are a vital component of European
society, guaranteeing freedom of expression and association both of which are
fundamental to democracy. Recognising their influence, the Council of Europe
provides international NGOs with the opportunity to acquire participatory status.
January 27th 2004, has been marked
by the transition from the consultative
status to the participatory status.
Ninety NGOs which hold now participatory status with the Council of Europe have
come together in this grouping, which exists to facilitate NGO participation in all
the Council's bodies which deal with issues relating to education and culture in
Europe.
The grouping has adopted a working method in 2002 involving ad hoc committees
corresponding to current Council projects. These committees liaise with all the
grouping's NGOs. There are currently four such committees, covering Formal and
informal education, Education and Media, education in the Universities, Education
for dialogue (intercultural dialogue) , and education and disability.
A regular link with the education departments makes close co- operation possible
between the NGOs, which contribute their expertise, and the Council.
Education issues are so complex that this grouping has links with other NGO
groupings and other Council of Europe directorates (human rights, social
cohesion, North-South, civil society in the new Europe).
NGOs participate at several levels: project groups, major conferences, seminars,
texts and reports, contributing both the experience they have gained in the field
and their ideas.
3. Working Group activities: timetable and finalisation
- Disability: final declaration: Bruno SANDKUHLER
- General declaration on education: Edouard JAGODNIK
- Formal and informal education: Anne-Marie FRANCHI
- Education for dialogue: Frédéric DURET
All those ad hoc committees are preparing final texts for the next meeting in April.
They have been encountering difficulties to gather texts from participants. The
method adopted nevertheless was quite simple: Propositions and questions. Then:
wait for reactions or the ad hoc committee members.
Frédéric DURET mentions that there are many texts , especially in organisations
related with young ness on the topic “intercultural dialogue”
but they are often
not applied. The intercultural dialogue committee asked in 2002 “what is
Intercultural Dialogue for you in your organisation?” The SIETAR relayed this
question in April 2002 and obtained : one answer. On the total Frédéric Duret got
4 answers. He will quit this committee because of new commitments and he will
be relayed by Bastian Kuentzle form the CISV OING (Children’s International
Summer Villages”.
4. Activities and discussion topics to be launched
: 2005 European Year of
Citizenship through Education
Mrs Olafsdottir, responsible at the Council of Europe, of Education in Europe is
organising year 2005 as the European Year of Citizenship through Education . She
mentions that it has been difficult to be supported by the Council of Europe
because the priority is more Human Rights. Besides, except the UNESCO, the
Council of Europe is the only organisation which has been working on citizenship
topic.
It is important to say that Education is largely influencing the learning of
citizenship. This year will be launched at Sophia end of 2004.
OING often ask “What do you want us to do?”
Mrs Olafsdottir prefers that OING
offer initiatives. She also suggests that a new grouping is created on this topic.
The Council of Europe has already made an investigation on Education about
Citizenship in many European schools. This could be a tool bas for work.
She emphasises also on the fact that Education about Citizenship concerns not
only schools but many domains of life.
For more information:
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