Seminar "Intercultural dialogue in Serbia - a bridge toward inclusive and tolerant communities"

“Intercultural dialogue in Serbia - a bridge to an inclusive and tolerant communiteis“ is an educational program organized in order to overcome discrimination in the multi-ethnic and multi-religious communities. Specifics of communities in Serbia are often not treated properly, which reduces the sense of community for coexistence and leads to instability, social polarization and inciting ethnic hatred. Through seminars and workshops with young members of minority and majority groups and civil society organizations dealing with intercultural dialogue, this program will raise awareness on  importance of intercultural dialogue, sensitize youth representatives of ethnic groups to the intercultural dialogue in line with European cultural models and strengthen their capacity. Students and seminar attendees will write essays and reviews which will be published on the f high school webportal Mingle. Upon completion of seminars and workshops, a summer school will be organized for the most active participants where they will have the opportunity to listen to lectures of relevanthih experts and discuss various issues related to the topic. Participants of this program will acquire necessary knowledge on the possibilities of intercultural dialogue and co-operation in Serbia and will be encouraged to apply the acquired knowledge and skills in their local communities.

The educational program is organized by the Centre for Religious Studies (CIRel) of the Belgrade Open School in cooperation and with support of Konrad Adenauer Fondation (KAS).

The program will address the following topics:

- Importance of inter-ethnic and intercultural dialogue;

- Basics of human and minority rights;

- Access to political and institutional mechanisms for the protection of minority rights;

- European integration as a tool for strengthening minority rights at the local level;

- Establishment of a network of young people interested in intercultural dialogue;

- Culture of Communication - Intercultural Communication.

To ensure the relevance and actuality of knowledge that participants will gain during the program, a combination of lectures and workshops as the methods of work will be used.