Guiding Principles for Project Implementation

Guiding Principles
The guiding principles are composed of a definition of ‘Adult Education’ as it is used in the TUM-project, an explanation on the relevance of tolerance and understanding, and of overall and pedagogical principles:

Definition
In the TUM-project Adult Education is understood as the creation and encouragement of learning processes conducive to the building of constructive relations between Muslim and non-Muslim co-citizens. Adult Education can take place in formal structures of universities, colleges, classes run by various voluntary associations, continuing professional training etc. It can lead to awards, like university degrees, or is certificated or credit learning in one way or another. But such learning processes can also be informal in series of one-off evening classes, or in planned social functions such as celebrations of festivals or other cultural events.

Tolerance and Understanding
Tolerance and Understanding must be the foundations of such learning processes which can only be reached through intercultural learning. We understand intercultural learning to be the preparation for multicultural living together, respect and acceptance of cultural variety and opposition to prejudice, discrimination and racism

Overall principles
In a world of multicultural living together every individual needs to be responsible for seeking continued personal and social development. Adult education can be supportive to such a development by creating

Learning processes that

• are based on respect for human dignity
• are designed in a way to overcome negative stereotyping
• contribute to building intercultural competence for living in a multicultural reality
• give guidance on how to live with a respect for differences
• promote mutual enrichment through cultural encounter
• stimulate curiosity and build up knowledge
• are based on inclusion (sex, age, educational level) participation and empowerment

Pedagogical principles
Experience shows that it is of utmost importance to use adequate pedagogical approaches as for example the following:

• learning with, not learning about Muslims and non-Muslims
• learning as an enjoyable process (i.e. sharing samossas)
• a balance of practical and theoretical approach
• an interdisciplinary approach
• in accordance with the scholarly and theoretical achievements of contemporary academic specialisations like Islamic studies, sociology, ethnology and pedagogy
• interrelationship of general aspects and attention for differences of the group (gender, age, education, region, locality etc.)
• learning to listen to each other in an open environment
• personal encounter
• “learning through experience”
• interactive methods as for ex. theatre of the oppressed
• ‘white highlands’ should not be left out – people who are not confronted with multicultural situations in their everyday lives can be motivated through for ex. An introduction to the arts
• the delivery format has to be appropriate to the needs and to the convenience of the various types participants

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