4 August 2008
All Different - All Equal
After developing an Action Plan towards a multicultural school, teachers, parents and students of the Elementary School Deryneia A' started putting their plans into practice.
Teachers gathered interactive and inter-cultural exercises and applied them in selected lessons. An international cooking day gave all the pupils the taste of cultural diversity. Parents spent their morning in the school's kitchen to prepare traditional recipes from their home country, while the pupils were learning how to pronounce the cakes and pies, and were looking up the countries on the globe before everyone could enjoy the delicious tastes.
A very clear statement to the entire school community was made through the painting of the schoolyard's wall: "All Different - All Equal", designed and painted by the pupils themselves.
Another highlight was the selection of games from various countries that the pupils began to practice during their sports lessons. Besides the rules of the games the pupils also practiced to say the name and certain phrases required in order to perform the game in the language of the country the game originates.
The school year ended with a multicultural school festival, passing on the message of "All Different - All Equal".
The ideal multicultural School - Students, parents and teachers at Highgate School design the ideal school
Discussions brought many ideas for action at the school to further promote cultural diversity and that would specifically involve the parents as well.
Interactive Workshop at Elementary School in Limassol
It was decided to organise a follow-up workshop so that an action plan can be generated.
27 February 2008
Building a Multicultural School in Deryneia
Fourteen students, five parents and six teachers of the Elementary School Deryneia A’ came together in a two-day interactive workshop and developed their vision for a multicultural school that respects children of all cultures and with all social, cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
During the first phase of the workshop, the group focused on the triggering question: “What are the characteristics of an ideal school that values the characteristics of the new multicultural European
The workshop showed the great interest and enthusiasm of students, parents and teachers to work together for a multicultural school and a multicultural society, in which all citizens and all students can benefit from one another and in which diversity is perceived as richness and not as an obstacle.
A core group of participants gathered on 26 January to design an Action Plan based on the outcomes of the previous workshop sessions. A total of 15 concrete ideas were discussed and tasks were split among the participants. Actions include interactive exercises in the classroom, multicultural games, international cooking classes and a workshop on multiculturalism for the parents’ association.
12 October 2007
Who is involved in the Project?
The project receives funding from the UNDP Action for Cooperation and Trust program.
This project addresses three immediate target groups:
v students of different ages
v parents
v teachers
Furthermore, through a number of additional actions, such as Panel Discussions, a Conference and Information Events it targets the Cypriot society, at large.
Activities of the Project
v Panel discussions and
v Interactive structured democratic dialogue workshops.
The panel discussions aim to create a forum, which will encourage discussion, open debates, and exchange of different views. We envision that these open discussion forums will help create awareness about the problems, familiarize attendees with current European practices and regulations, and lead to better understanding of other people’s perspectives.
In their first phase, the structured dialogue workshops will focus in defining obstacles to a multi-cultural school environment. The second phase will focus on developing a joint vision map for a multi-cultural Cyprus with a special focus on the school environment. In the workshops, teachers, parents and students will work together. In a third phase they will develop an action plan to implement their own specific projects, with the aim to facilitate materializing that vision of a multicultural Cyprus.
The project will conclude with a final conference, in which results of the workshops, as well as the specific activities implemented by the workshop participants will be presented. The conference will be open to the general public with a special focus on NGOs, teachers and educators. Experts will contribute to the conference with their academic and scientific work, and will place the project results in a wider scientific context of societal change.
Expected results of the Project
x A set of specific activities to foster sensitivity for a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic Cyprus, carried out by participants involved in the project.
x Newspaper-publications about the structured workshops, and their outcome as an expression of a new vision shared across Cypriot students, parents, and teachers.
x A scientific publication of the results of the structured-design workshops.
x A series of five booklets about multiculturalism to be disseminated during panel discussions and other events.
x A final symposium combined with a press conference with take-home deliverables about the new vision shared across Cypriot students, parents, and teachers.
x A final project report to be disseminated to NGOs and schools across Cyprus.