Recommendation CM/Rec(2008)12

on the dimension of religions and non-religious convictions within intercultural education: from principles to implementation

Educational policies

Presentation by César BIRZEA

Recommendation CM/Rec(2008)12 is a reference framework for implementing the model introduced by the White Paper, which is about dealing with the challenge of “living together” and taking account of social aspects.  Although it refers specifically to school and the findings of the CDED project “The new challenge to intercultural education: religious diversity and dialogue in Europe”, the Recommendation implies a lifelong approach to education. 

Focusing mainly on school, Rec(2008)12 suggests some practical measures for dealing with the issue of religions and non-religious convictions at school:  

·       promote a model of schooling that is inclusive, open to all and free from discrimination; the kind of school that sees diversity of belief not as a problem but rather as part of the solution;

·       introduce new teaching methods and approaches, such as co-operative learning, the phenomenological approach, multiperspectivity, the dialogical approach or the contextual approach (see the “Reference book” for further details);

·       develop intercultural competences as a key part of the in-service training of teaching staff (e.g. the "Pestalozzi" programme).

In terms of educational policies, the Recommendation is both innovative and pragmatic.  It calls for religious diversity and non-religious beliefs to be treated as components of intercultural dialogue, as defined by the White Paper.  This contribution may be summarised in the form of five key messages:   

1. Moral, civic and religious convictions are a vital factor in social cohesion, civic participation and democratic citizenship.  Comparative studies and European surveys (e.g. EVS, ESVS, Eurobarometer) show that young people have little interest in social issues and/or are disinclined to get involved in the democratic process.  Likewise, research and public opinion indicate there are problems in terms of commitment to values, and the acquisition and development of these values through curricula (unlike in the case of the quest for knowledge).    

2. The core values of the Council of Europe (respect for human rights, pluralism and the rule of law) are valid reference points, universally accepted in Europe, and the experience and institutional system developed by the Council of Europe should be the starting point for any attempt to develop values education (including activities to clarify values).

3. World views and moral, civic and religious values are transmitted gradually, within a social fabric of which school forms an integral part.  It involves individual stories, shared experiences and a gradual understanding of the world.  Educating people about beliefs requires more than simply formal didactic transmission.  In this personal development process, convictions are not entirely predefined by one’s family or community. 

4. Religion and non-religious convictions are a dimension of intercultural education, in the sense that they are important factors in affiliation and identification, in the same way as other sources of identity such as language, history and cultural heritage.  In this sense, religious, humanist, philosophical and moral convictions are a cultural phenomenon, a separate aspect of culture and social activity.  This approach allows a common basis for intercultural dialogue to be found, one that transcends the usual divisions between theories and doctrines.

5. Rec(2008)12 is aimed at a range of actors and educational institutions.  These include school, of course, but also NGOs, families, cultural institutions, youth centres, the media and other “spaces for intercultural dialogue” (as referred to in Chapter 4 of the White Paper).  Religious communities are invited to participate in this process, notably as parties to the “institutional partnerships” recommended by the Prague Forum (November 2007) and envisaged by the forthcoming Council of Europe Standing Conference of Ministers of Education (Ljubljana, May 2010).