Interculturalism, Education and Dialogue

Book excerpt: Intercultural dialogue is a concept and discourse that dates back to the 1980s. It is the major means for managing diversity and strengthening democracy within Europe and beyond. It has been adopted by the United Nations, UNESCO and the Council of Europe as the basis for interreligious and interfaith initiatives and has become increasingly associated with a liberal theory of modernity and internationalism that presupposes freedom, democracy, human rights and tolerance. It is now the dominant paradigm for 'cultural policy' and the educational basis for the development of intercultural understanding. Governments have placed their hope in intercultural education as the way to avoid the worst excesses of globalization, especially exclusion and marginalization, and the problems of xenophobia and racism that afflict European societies. Interculturalism, Education and Dialogue is an international collection by renowned scholars who examine the ideological underpinnings of the European model and its global applications. It explores the historical, philosophical and educational dimensions of intercultural dialogue.