[gha] Re: Cultures and Creative Education + Them Harmonious Direction
- From: Leo Semashko <leo.semashko@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: Wadlowz@xxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 15 Jun 2013 15:57:51 +0400
Dear Rene,
Thank you very much for your very valuable article on “Rapprochement of
Cultures and Creative Education” (below), which I was happy to publish on your
personal page: www.peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=272.
For all the undeniable merits of these ideas developed by the UN and UNESCO,
they, unfortunately, have no understanding the center of this rapprochement and
this education. They did not answer the main logical question: what is social
and scientific basis, they are possible? Without answering this question, they
remain an unreal dream and utopia that does not lead us out of "the old slavery
of falsehood" as you evaluated modernity in one of your article. That is
equivalent, in my definition, to "the old slavery in total ignorance of
harmony."
Unfortunately, the UN and UNESCO remain within this old slavery of total
ignorance in harmony, which does not allow them to see, understand, and deeply
aware this center in the global (universal, eternal, natural, divine) harmony.
It is the first scientifically and systematically disclosed in the ABC of
Harmony. We should encourage the UN and UNESCO to study this ABC to start
building a global harmonious education in it. Do you agree with that? Are you
ready to promote the ABC of Harmony? You wrote a great review of this book:
"The ABC of Harmony In a New Axial Age Perspective":
www.peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=506. You are one of its 76 coauthors. Of
course, begs the question: do you want and are willing to promote it in the
United Nations and UNESCO, with which you are familiar? And in your Association
of World Citizens?
Promotion of the ABC of Harmony in these areas will be new and turning step in
the development of Rapprochement of Cultures and Creative Education. So there
is no better rapprochement and better creativity and education than harmony. Do
you agree with that? If you agree, please, proceed in this direction. And if
you do not agree with this, then let us know what you think in the society is
better than harmony? Thank you.
With love, best harmony wishes,
Leo
Dr Leo Semashko:
State Councillor of St. Petersburg,
Philosopher, Sociologist and Peacemaker from Harmony;
Director: Tetrasociology Public Institute, Russia;
Founding President, Global Harmony Association (GHA);
Director, GHA Website "Peace from Harmony": www.peacefromharmony.org
World Interfaith Harmony Project on the ABC of Harmony Base:
www.peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=541;
GHA Program Book, The ABC of Harmony:
www.peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=478;
P/Web page: www.peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=253;
Address: 7/4-42 Ho-Shi-Min Street, St. Petersburg 194356, Russia
Phone: 7 (812) 597-65-71; Skype: leo.semahko
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/leo.semashko?ref=tn_tnmn
----- Original Message -----
From: Wadlowz@xxxxxxx, Wadlowz@xxxxxxx
To: leo.semashko@xxxxxxxxx
Sent: 15 июня 2013 г., 13:54:44
Subject: Cultures and Creative Education
Rapprochement of Cultures and Creative Education
Rene Wadlow*
The United Nations General Assembly has proclaimed the Decade
2013-2022 as the International Decade for the Rapprochement of Cultures
building on the efforts in the UNESCO General Conference which had called for
“the development of a universal global consciousness” based on dialogue and
cooperation in a climate of trust and mutual understanding and for a “new
humanism for the twenty-first century.” The Rapprochement of Cultures is a
positive aspect of the process of globalization.
Globalization is an empirical process of world integration driven by
a variety of economic, cultural, political, and ideological forces as seen in
such areas as market expansion, a global production pattern as well as cultural
homogenisation. In the fields of economics, politics, technology, environment
and health, we see greater collaboration and interdependence. Now,
international conferences, common trade agreements and multinational projects
are striving to find solutions to long-standing difficulties and to promote
development in areas where the problems have become too great to be resolved by
a single State. We are learning, out of necessity, that competition has its
limits. To give one example, many of the issues in trade negotiations which go
on in Geneva where I am an NGO Representative to the United Nations are about
labour standards, environmental policies and human rights (such as products
fabricated by child labour). These are all deeply domestic matters which have
now become part of international affairs.
Has education been changing as quickly as the world economy? How are
we preparing students to meet the demands of the world society? What role are
schools playing in the formation of active world citizens able to make real
contributions to the creation of a more peaceful society? Are we building the
foundations of a New Humanism?
Education is uniquely placed to help deal with the major problems
facing the world society: violent conflict, poverty, the destruction of the
natural environment, and other fundamental issues touching human beings
everywhere. Education provides information, skills and helps to shape values
and attitudes.
It is true that education is not limited to the formal school system.
There are many agents of education: family, media, peers, and associations of
all sorts. Nevertheless, schools play a central role, and people expect
schools to be leaders in the educational process. Unfortunately, there are
times when schools are left alone as the only conscious instrument of
education. Therefore, teachers need to analyse how other agents of society
contribute to the educational process or, more negatively, may hinder the
educational process or promote destructive attitudes and values.
Education has two related aims. One is to help the student to function
in society, be it the local, the national, and the world society. The other
aim is to help in the fullest development of the individual’s physical,
emotional, intellectual, and spiritual capacities.
There are three related ways to help prepare students for a
fast-changing world in which people, ideas, goods and services increasingly
cross State frontiers. These ways are related to:
1) skills,
2) content,
3) values and attitudes.
There is a need to teach those skills needed to be able to function
effectively in the world: skills of goal setting, analysis, problem solving,
research, communication, and conflict-resolution skills. We need to place more
emphasis on communication skills in our schools with an emphasis on personal
expression through language and the arts. Children need opportunities to
acquire skills in writing, speech, drama, music, painting and other arts in
order to find their own voices and expressions.
The second area of importance concerns the content of education with
an emphasis on modern history and geography, ecology, economics, civics, and
the history of science and technology. There is also a need to organize a
curriculum through the use of broad themes such as interdependence, change,
complexity, culture and conflict.
The third area concerns values and attitudes needed for living in a
global society: self-confidence in one’s own capacity, concern and interest in
others, an openness to the cultural contributions of other societies. There
needs to be a willingness to live with complexity, to refuse easy answers or to
shift blame to others. In practice, a good teacher makes a personalized
combination of all these elements.
One must be realistic in evaluating the difficulties of restructuring
educational systems to make them future oriented and open to the world. We all
know the heavy structures of educational systems and the pressures to conform
to the status quo. We must not underestimate the narrow nationalistic
pressures on the teaching of social issues or the political influences on
content and methods.
In order to understand the limits and the possibilities of change,
teachers must be prepared to carry out research on the local community. They
must be able to analyse their specific communities. It is always dangerous to
make wide generalizations on the role of the family, the media, of religion as
if it were always the same in all parts of the country or the same in all
social classes and milieu.
Thus, teachers should be able, with some sociological training, to
carry out studies on the formation of attitudes, values and skills of their
students by looking at the respective role of the family, the content of the
media, and student participation in associations. Such studies can be carried
out in a cooperative way among several teachers so as to be able to go to
greater depth. Teachers could look for information to help answer such
questions as “Are any groups excluded from participating in the community?”
“How can possible marginalisation be counteracted?” “How can one study
environmental and ecological issues locally?” “What is the significance of
different role models such as peers, parents, and educators?” “In what ways
can non-formal and informal learning environments be furthered?”
There are more and more teachers who realise the direction of current
world trends. Migration puts other cultures on one’s door step. Thus, the
importance of creative efforts for the Decade of the Rapprochement of Cultures.
We all need to be encouraged by the advances being made. We can help one
another so that we may develop the culture of peace and active world
citizenship together.
Rene Wadlow, President, Association of World Citizens
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