Symposium "Interculturality: a practice experienced by a European elite?" Within the scope of the Interactive Workshop of Europe – a two stage training for methods of Intercultural Learning – a symposium will take place on Saturday, June 6th, 2009 in Hohensolms, Germany. Experts in the fields of science and practice will be invited in order to discuss and exchange concepts, ideas and experiences relating to the question “Interculturalism – a practice experienced by a European elite?” with approximately 50 participants.

After a common introduction, the morning program will focus on interculturalism between cultures/societies by discussing and assessing the examples of European youth encounters. In doing so, one small group will examine a presented study, which was only recently published (2008), titled “Quality, professionality, and competence in non-formal education and training in the context of European youth work”. The other small group will discuss equality of opportunities and access barriers in European youth encounters, and therefore the “question of elites”.

The afternoon program will focus on interculturalism in European societies, thus encounters within cultures/societies. In one small group, invited speakers from the participating countries will analyse the meaning and understanding of interculturalism in these particular societies. The other small group will engage in differing approaches to intercultural management and human resource development in Europe. Thereby, the transferability of methods in intercultural youth work to intercultural vocational training and vice versa will be raised as a question.

The subject of experienced interculturalism in the exchange of theory and praxis will hence attain new attention within the academic sphere. Furthermore, the practical experience of methods in Intercultural Learning of the basic module will therewith be completed through scientific reflection.

Participants

The symposium is open to everyone and will be promoted in the enivronment of Hohensolms.

Programme

11h15 coffee break

Always the same ones? How European youth encounters can become more attractive to a broader spectrum
Together with the invited speaker the questions of access barriers and possible improvement of equality of opportunities in European youth encounters will be discussed.
speaker: Judith Dubiski, JiVE

Interculturality – Experienced professional praxis in Europe
Which self-conception and approaches of interculturality dominate in current management and human resource development? Which potentiality and constraints are linked to an increasingly europeanized field of work and activity?
speaker: Walter Jahn, itim Culture & Management Consultancy

Round Table: The meaning of interculturality in European societies
Together with Mari Steindl (Austria), Ioanna Zacharaki (Germany), Giulia Massobrio (Italy) the importance and (self-) conception of interculturalism in these particular societies will be discussed.