2005

The draft plan of action for 2005 contains the following elements: (1) further development the project's website with separate pages on "Visions, models and methods for tolerance education", "Country reports and regional overviews" and "News about (in)tolerance education"; plus regional discussion groups on the internet; (2) facilitation of a regional conference for the Middle East/the Muslim world, together with a regional partner; (3) participation in a possible UNESCO project to develop a tolerance education kit focused on the Silk Road; cf. the "Toledo model" concept; (4) further work on a book with "Stories illustrating principles of Tolerance" (cf. Jeremy Gunn's call for stories which is posted on the project's frontpage.) All these elements presuppose that the projects receives the necessary financial support.

2003-2004

The Rabat meeting of the Oslo Coalition Teaching for Tolerance project (May 4th - 6th 2003) has defined some main sub projects that will be undertaken in the coming years with the assistance of the participants of the network and coordinated by an Executive Committee for the overall project in cooperation with the Oslo Coalition secretariat.

1) The 2004 "Madrid Implementation Conference"

Aim: Examine already existing approaches to education for tolerance, non discrimination and freedom of religion or belief and encourage reforms in models and methods that meet with the Madrid aims.

Participants: Experts at different levels (practitioners/teachers, teachers' trainers, researchers, state representatives with competence in this field, representatives of international bodies with commitment to the Madrid aims, representatives of religious and humanist organizations and inter belief networks).

Focus: Regional approaches and challenges to meet with the Madrid aims and thematic work shops on models, teaching material and methods etc.

Time: 02. - 05. Sept. 2004.

Place: Norway (Oslo).

2) The data bases/ Internet site

Aim: Provide an internet "resource bank" on organizations and experts working in the relevant fields (pedagogy, human rights law, social psychology / social science) and an overview over already existing teaching material, methods and models, so that this can be used both by the Project Group and others in the network in the carrying out of the projects and by states, educators and scholars in their work to develop models, methods and material in this field.

Procedure: a) Revising / updating the list over networks and organizations already set up on the Oslo Coalition web page for the Teaching for Tolerance project, b) gathering information about individual experts in the relevant fields (tolerance, freedom of religion or belief, how to combat prejudices /stereotypes, citizenship education, education about religion or belief, inter faith/inter belief dialogue) and making the list of experts available on the Internet site; c) gathering information about interesting models, modules, methods and material and encourage the experts / architects of these to summarize the projects so that they can be presented in the data base as well as in booklets so that those who do not have Internet access can make use of the information (also, this information will be used in the two planned volumes, see sub-projects 3 and 4 under).

3) The volume on models, methods and material

Aim: The volume (book) shall give and overview and discussion of existing models, methods and material in this field(s) in order to encourage educators and states to develop models, methods and material that meet with the needs and conditions of their particular contexts and that can contribute to the fostering of tolerance, non discrimination and freedom of religion or belief.

Focus: The three interrelated foci of the project (education for tolerance; education about freedom of religion or belief, education about religion or belief) shall be reflected.

Procedure: Develop contacts with internationally recognized experts in these fields as well as persons with experience in education at the ground level, to get their contributions for the volume, and publish it with an internationally recognised publisher.

4) The volume on stories about tolerance

Aim: Provide educators and others working in this field with stories on tolerance (both new stories written by students/children and existing stories from different religious, philosophical traditions and from the world literature) and that can be used in the education for fostering tolerance and inspire the production of other teaching material.

Procedure: a) Competitions in different parts of the world to encourage students to write stories of tolerance, b) collecting existing stories, c) publish the volume where the stories are presented with an internationally recognized publisher, all in cooperation with international organizations (like UNESCO / UN and regional structures) and leading world experts in the relevant fields.

5) The training of trainers module

Aim: Develop a module (booklet) for training of trainers courses about tolerance and freedom of religion or belief to be adjusted to and tested out in different national / local contexts (at teachers training collages) and to get a concrete example of what tolerance education might be.

Procedure: a) Development of the module in cooperation with experts in the field of tolerance and human rights education in Norway and test it out in courses for teachers, b) Revise and translate the module and get partners in different countries (via the UNESCO ASP network; OSCE. ISESCO and others) to adjust if to their different contexts and test it out in training of trainer courses, c) make the module available on the Internet; d) include the experiences from this project in the volume on models; methods and material.