Round Table: The Contribution of Adult Education in the Context of Christian-Muslim Interaction and Mutual Understanding in Bulgaria

15.04.2003, Sofia *

Participants:

1. Ms. Zvetelina Torniova - KNSB, NILE project
2. Dr. Hristo Hristov - National Institute of Education
3. Dr. Simeon Evstatiev - Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski"; Center for Oriental languages and cultures
4. Dr. Plamen Makariev - Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski"; "Minerva" Foundation
5. Mrs. Ljudmila Dragoeva - "Interethnic Initiative for Civil Rights" Foundation
6. Mrs. Emilia Mateina - "Ethnoreporter" magazine
7. Mrs. Elena Gjurova - "Ethnoreporter" magazine
8. Mr. Rumen Vulchev - Peace Education Department - UNESCO; "Open education" Center
9. Mr. Koray Ertas - Turkish Embassy -Bulgaria (Third Secretary)
10. Mr. Husein Chitak - Vice Rector of the High Islamic Institute, Sofia
11. Mr. Birali Mumun - Regional Mufti Pleven municipality
12. Dr. Mihail Ivanov - Secretary of the National Council on Ethnical Issues at the Council of Ministries
13. Ms. Emilia Ilieva - Federation of Societies for Spread of Knowledge, project coordinator

Minutes:

Ms Emilia Ilieva who presented briefly the project ideas and aims and described the main points in the agenda of the meeting led off the round table. This was followed by the presentation of the participants.

The first part of the round table consisted of discussion about the existing experience, initiatives and "good practices" in Bulgaria in the field of intercultural and inter-religious education. Ms Tzvetelina Torniova who presented the activities of KNSB in the context of adult education and intercultural learning opened the debate. She presented in brief several projects developed with the participation of the Women Structure, the Youth Forum, the International unit and the "Education and Qualification" unit of KNSB. The first of the presented projects was "Encouragement of the Life Long Learning for Emigrants and Refugees". More information about this project may be found on the official web-site of KNSB: www.knsb-bg.org and on the project web-site: www.pace-project.info. Another presented activity was the Children's Ethno Festival "Let's Keep the Children" held every year on 1st of June in Haskovo. From 2003 this festival will become a Balkan one. Part of the traditional KNSB seminars are the "Balkan Games" organized by the "Labor Sport Federation of KNSB and held every spring in Albena. Ms Torniova expressed her observations that the intercultural dialogue is more effective when it is held in the context of informal communication and is based on interactive approach (for example: art, sport etc.)

After Zvetelina Torniova's contribution Dr. Plamen Makariev presented some of the activities of the Philosophy Faculty's academic staff at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski". He also described the main challenges of the intercultural communication and education. In 1995 as part of the Philosophy Faculty an MA program in "Intercultural Studies" was created. It emphasizes the interethnic relations as cultural formations, capable of cooperation in a constructive way only if identification and solving of the existing problems is presented. The main program aim is to be peculiar microcosms of the existing ethnic groups in Bulgaria. This was achieved by including not only Bulgarian students but also representatives of the Turkish and Roma minorities in Bulgaria. In order to achieve this goal cooperation with the Center for Minority Studies and Intercultural Relations (IMIR) was established. The Center offered scholarships for the MA students from the above mentioned minorities groups. The MA program is still active but after changes in the priorities of IRMI as well as of the Turkish and Roma students, only Bulgarian students take part in it. The team of the MA program together with "Minerva" Foundation (part of PHARE Program) implements another project related to the intercultural dialogue with target group: teachers and media professionals. (the content of the project was not clarified!)

According to Mr. Makariev (specialist in the field of intercultural communication) the main problem consists in the inequality of the parties concerned in the intercultural dialogue: for the Bulgarian side the formation of an entity at "high cultural level" is possible and for the Turkish and Roma minorities the formation of such level including at the same time free expression of personal identity is quite difficult.

Mrs. Ljudmila Dragoeva presented 3 programs of "Interethnic Initiative for Civil Rights" Foundation. First of these programs began in 1997 and consists of the creation and implementation in the school program of 11+6 booklets-supplements of the history, Bulgarian language and music textbooks for the students from 1st to 11th grade. The program includes 35 schools with mixed classes. The main aim of the project is to spread more information for the Roma people and to find out:

1. how the Bulgarian children react to this information
2. how this information is accepted in entirely Roma environment
3. how and whether this type of initiatives lead to a change in the Roma-Bulgarian relations
4. how the teachers accept this kind of education

The results of the program illustrate high level of prejudiced thinking among the Bulgarian children and the teachers themselves. This leads to the idea of elaboration of training- programs that aim at overcoming of those prejudices among the teachers.

The second presented program: "Development of intercultural experience" consists of two parts: elaboration of educational material and of educational program. The duration of the project is 2 years and involves more than 200 teachers from 1st to 4th grade. The leading point during the elaboration of this program is the creation of new methodology for work in multicultural environment. Children's handbook and à book with the fests and customs of the five ethnic groups in Bulgaria were also created. According to Mrs. Dragoeva one of the main problems that appeared while working out the educational program was the high traditional level of the teacher's methodology: the teacher is the only leading person during the lesson and there is no room for real dialogue among the children themselves.

Mrs. Dragoeva mentioned the project "Human rights education" as one of the most successful ones. This project has been developed in two directions: encouragement of the dialogue and formation of a higher level of education in the area of human rights. The project has started two years ago and includes 5 regions and resource groups of teachers working already with qualified programs at regional level.

According to Mrs. Dragoeva one of the main problems in the field of intercultural education is the fact that usually the target group of the projects is Roma people, instead of including in it Bulgarian Muslims as well. Another shortcoming of this type of education is the lack of theoretical background for the programs developed.

According to Mr. Huseyn Citak, Vice Rector of the High Islamic Institute in Sofia the intercultural education would be effective only if it is based on education without "one to the other" attitude. As an example and an illustration of this principle he mentioned the course on "History of religions" (introduced in the program of the High Islamic Institute since August 2002 and developed together with Sofia University). This course aims at making the future Islam teachers familiar with the other religions and helping them to create tolerant understanding among themselves. Mr. Citak showed as vital for the successful intercultural and inter-religious education the equal position of all the religions and their "cleaning" from ethnic and national ideologies. Mr. Citak's concrete suggestion and example of this was the practice of the Sunday schools where the children are dealing with the different religions.

To the attention of the participants in the discussion Mr. Roumen Vulchev presented a project for the creation of Intercultural Cooperation Commissions which will help for the solving of local problems. The project has started 7 years ago and several positive results have been achieved since then:

• overcoming of the differences and problems solving
• achievement of a high level of awareness related to the existing problems
• development of various educational programs
• involvement of some of the members of the Commission in the public life playing the role of political leaders and important public figures
• establishment of NGOs

Mr. Vulchev expressed his opinion that education is the sphere in which the intercultural cooperation must be developed. This is true especially for the adult education. According to him up until now there is no conception, no strategy and no educational materials existing in the field of adult education in Bulgaria. The adult education is not a state policy as it should be but it is a priority mainly to the NGOs' activities. Even among them there is no established exchange of information and practices. According to Mr. Vulchev the main problems in the field of adult education are the lack of official qualification system for the teachers and the inconsistency in the financial support of the different projects. In most of the cases the implemented activities are developed only according to the needs of the sponsors and not to the needs of the communities.

A discussion started among the participants in the round table about the range of the target groups of the adult education projects. Mr. Mihail Ivanov suggested to include in these target groups not only teachers but also doctors, policemen and social workers because they are important for the encouragement of the intercultural dialogue and they might put immediately into practice the acquired knowledge.

In this relation Mrs. Dragoeva presented a project that has been realized for the last 3 years in the municipality of Gurmen. This project includes teachers, policemen and municipal officers from the 3 ethnic groups. The project aims are:

1. Active the local potential of the citizens in the region;
2. Achieve greater understanding of the mutual needs;
3. Create a sense of mutual support and unity.

According to Mr. Vulchev the above mentioned target groups are among the most important for the adult education. In his opinion this education could be successful only if it is informal. As an example of an informal education the school boards were mentioned. They are a good alternative for the development of the adult and intercultural education.

During the second part of the Round table the discussions were focused on the summary of the existing problems in the field of the adult education. Some methods and strategies for stimulation of tolerance in this type of education were described. The following suggestions concerning the implementation of the project and the elaboration of working manual were made:

• The project must focus on the intercultural education as a whole and not only on its inter-religious aspect
• The Ministry of Education and Science and the Religious Commission should be involved in the project. Constant exchange of information and transparency must be provided.
• Target group of the project should be the school boards and the local key-positioned figures
• The handbook should be elaborated according to the academic and theoretical investigations and methods.
• The handbook should be "easy", attractive and based on the principles of interactive education
• The handbook should include "case stories"
• The materials in the handbook should be divided into several basic themes (for example: tolerance, understanding, human rights, local community, customs, and religion).
• The people living in regions with mixed population should select those themes.
• During the elaboration of the handbook the existing positive communication among the different communities should not be ignored.
• In the education process a special emphasis should be placed upon the existing" good" in the traditions. Overcoming of the negative must be demanded.
• The project would be most successful if it has three stages:
  1. Training of trainers in Sofia
  2. Implementation and testing of the acquired knowledge in selected in advance regions
  3. Another gathering of the trainers and evaluation of the results.

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