Progress report to UNESCO 2010

Thessaloniki 02/02/2011

No Ref: 269

Monsieur Georges HADDAD,

Directeur

Division de l’ Enseignement Superieur

UNESCO – Chaires UNESCO

7, place Fontenoy 75352 Paris 07 SP.

France

For Information: Permanent Greek Delegation to UNESCO ,Paris

Madam Aikaterini Tzitzikosta, Athens

Programme Unitwin / Chaires UNESCO

Report of Activities

Period of Activities: academic year 2009-2010

Title of UNESCO Chair de Politique Interculturelle pour une citoyennete active et solidaire

Institution/Country: University of Macedonia – Thessaloniki – Greece

Report written by Professor P. Naskou-Perraki, UNESCO Chair Holder – Director of the activities

I. Address and Conduct

a) Paroula Naskou-Perraki

Professor of International Law and International Organizations

Department of International and European Studies

University of Macedonia, Office 421, Tower K

P.O. Box 1591, 156 Egnatia Str. Thessaloniki, 54006 Greece

Tel. 00302310891499

Fax. 00302310891439

E-mail: perraki@uom.gr

b) Kalliopi Chainoglou

Dr. (PhD in International Law)

Elected Lecturer in International and European Institutions

Department of International and European Studies

University of Macedonia, Office 421, Tower K

P.O. Box 1591, 156 Egnatia Str. Thessaloniki, 54006 Greece

Tel. 00302310891491

Fax. 00302130891439

E-mail: kchainoglou@gmail.com

Other Persons to conduct

c) Zafeiris Tsiftzis

Candidate LLM in Public International Law

e-mail: zafiris.tsiftzis@gmail.com

II. Available Resources

Human Resources

Number of posts

One Professor – Full time

One Lecturer – Full time

Number of Persons invited

1)Ms. Stenou, Director of the Division of Cultural Policies and Intercultural Dialogue

2) Ms. Tzitzikosta, President of the Greek National Commission of UNESCO

3)Ms. Paliadieli, Member of the European Parliament

4) Representatives of the Direction of Secondary Education in Thessaloniki

5) Representative and Museum expert from Brussels

6) Representatives of the Associated Schools with UNESCO in Thessaloniki

7) Representatives of the Intercultural School of Pylaia in Thessaloniki

Number of administrative persons

One person

Other persons participating in the activities of the Chair

Internship: 50 persons

Undergraduate and postgraduate students of our University and Aristotle University

III. Activities

The ‘Chair UNESCO de Politique Interculturelle pour la Citoyennete active at solidaire’ has been very active during 2009-2010.

1. Academic activities

Education (leading to certification)

Various courses are taught at the University which aim in human rights education and the promotion of cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue as a means to gain an active/democratic citizenship.

At the Department of International and European Studies, the courses of “International Protection of Human Rights” and “Cultural Diplomacy” are taught. At the Department of Educational and Social Policy the course of “Introduction to Intercultural Education” is taught.

Also, Seminars are offered twice a year on Human Rights and Intercultural Dialogue, with emphasis on intercultural policies, which are adopted by various international organizations, i.e. UNESCO, the Council of Europe, the European Union.

Training (short term) /Research

Training and research at the UNESCHO Chair are materializing through internship at UNESCO Chair.

The main purpose of offering an internship to undergraduate and postgraduate students at the UNESCO Chair is for the students to familiarize themselves with the purposes and the programmes of UNESCO at global and regional level. Under the supervision of Professor Perraki the students are encouraged to study the international instruments under which the protection of human rights is guaranteed. Emphasis is put in the right to education. The tasks of internees include the translation and critical analysis of the jurisprudence of various international organizations, the collection and assessment of political initiatives adopted by various international organization as well as the assessment of the implementation of these initiatives at national level, especially with regard to intercultural policy, the promotion of cultural diversity in various sectors, inter alia the sector of education. The number of internees reaches approximately 50 undergraduate and postgraduate students.

The internees at the UNESCO Chair are divided into five working groups. The tasks of each Working Group are the following:

The First Working Group, known as the “Journalists’ Team”, works throughout the academic year in order to collect any information on the activities of UNESCO. The Journalists’ team translates into Greek the collected information which is then edited and published either in print or on the website of the UNESCO Chair (http://afroditi.uom.gr/chaireunesco/). The work of the Journalists’ team is purely informative.

The Second Working Group, aims in conducting research on the right of education as it has been interpreted in the international jurisprudence (i.e. UN Committees, etc) and the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights. The members of this Group studies and translates the caselaw into Greek

The Third Working Group aims in the collection of data and information on the activities of museums in Northern Greece as agents of intercultural policy. The task is to assess the role of museums in the promotion of Greek civilization in Greece and abroad as well as the contribution of museums in intercultural policy and education. Through the UNESCO Chair a cyber-network of museums has been established. The websites of the museums and their programmes, accompanied by a short introduction, are uploaded on the website of the UNESCO Chair.

The Fourth Working Group conducts research by visiting intercultural schools in Thessaloniki and aims in assessing the role of intercultural schools in the realization of the purposes of UNESCO and the promotion of cultural diversity. The internees conduct an interactive research while they get to “interview” pupils and teachers of intercultural schools.

The Fifth Working Group conducts research on the implementation of the right to education and intercultural education in the countries of Southeastern Europe. The internees collected and assessed the reports of member states of the Council of Europe, European Union and the reports of the European State parties to the UN international human rights instruments. The task of the internees is to evaluate the political and legislative framework of the implementation of the right to education and intercultural education in Southeastern European countries. An executive report with regard to the implementation of the right to education has been drafted for each Southerneastern European country and is uploaded on the website of the UNESCO Chair.

2. Conferences/ Meetings

6 March 2010, Professor P. Naskou-Perraki, was invited at a symposium on “Women then and now: Diverse approaches to the life of the second gender” whereby she spoke about the “International Protection of Women’s Rights”.

8 March 2010, Professor P. Naskou-Perraki, who has published extensively on the protection of women’s rights, was invited to deliver a speech on “Why we should still celebrate Women’s Day” at the event which was organized by Pan-thessalonikean Movement of Citizens “Alkyoni” at the Center of History in Thessaloniki. The event was organised to celebrate Women’s Day and attracted the public’s interest.

21 April 2010, Professor P. Naskou-Perraki was invited to lecture on “The rights of the Child” at the Interdisciplinary Educational Programme on Human Rights and Peace which is organized by the UNESCO Chair of the Aristotle University

27 April 2010, Ms. Aikaterini Stenou, Director of Cultural Policies and Intercultural Dialogue, was invited by UNESCO Chair to deliver a speech on “The new international cultural order”. The event was attended by Ms. Tzitzikosta and the representatives of associated Schools with UNESCO in Thessaloniki. Ms. Stenou’s expertise in cultural policies and intercultural dialogue stimulated a vibrant discussion between her and the attendees. Ms. Stenou, accompanied by the President of the Greek National Commission of UNESCO, Ms. Tzitzikosta, and Professor P. Naskou-Perraki visited one of the intercultural schools in Thessaloniki and had the pleasure of discussing with the teachers and pupils therein.

28 April 2010, Dr. Kalliopi Chainoglou, assistant to UNESCO Chair, was invited by the Second Highschool of Neapoli in Thesaloniki to introduce pupils to the purposes and programmes of UNESCO on the protection of human rights and specifically, the right to education. A fruitful dialogue followed between Dr Chainoglou and the pupils who were enthusiastic about the significant role of UNESCO in our lives.

25 June 2010, UNESCO Chair in cooperation with the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner of Refugees organized an event at the Archaeological Museum in Thessaloniki on the day of the World Day of Refugees. At this event pupils who participated in the Panhellenic Contest of School Creativity 2009 on Refugees were awarded. The event was attended by many representatives of the civil society and had a celebratory note.

9-11 September 2010, Professor P. Naskou-Perraki as the Director of the UNESCO Chair, represented the Chair in the International Forum for Women which was organized in Athens by the Greek National Commission of UNESCO and the UNESCO Center for Women and Peace in the Balkans of Thessaloniki. The forum was on “Equal Rights and Opportunities for Women: A Basic development goal beyond 2010”. The forum took place in view of the United Nations Summit which took place in New York on 20 September 2010.

9-10 October 2010, Professor P. Naskou-Perraki, who is one of the academics in Greece to work on and promote the rights of persons with disabilities, was invited to speak on the “UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities” at the 2-day conference “People with disabilities and how they are protected by the international human rights instruments”, organized by the local association of disable people in Drama.

18-19 October 2010, the UNESCO Venice Office in cooperation with the Greek National Commission of UNESCO, the Museum of Byzantine Culture of Thessaloniki, the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki, the International Council of Museums and the UNESCO Chair organized, within the context of the Year of Reapproachment of Civilizations, an international conference in Thessaloniki under the title “National History Museums in South-East Europe: Leaning History, Building Shared Activities”. The UNESCO Chair was represented at the conference by the Director of the Chair, Professor P. Naskou-Perraki whose contribution was significantly appreciated as she emphasized the need to establish a partnership between the historical museums and the institutions of higher education in order to better facilitate the purposes of intercultural policy. Her contribution will be published on the proceedings of the Conference.

9 November 2010, the UNESCO Chair in cooperation with the Direction of Secondary Education of Thessaloniki organised an event on “Human Rights in High-school”. The aim of this event was to inform the stakeholders on the work of UNESCO and the protection of human rights. This successful event cemented the establishment of cooperation between UNESCO Chair and the Direction of Secondary Education in Thessaloniki.

27 November 2010, the UNESCO Chair in cooperation with the two UNESCO Chairs of the Aristotle University and the UNESCO Youth Club of Thessaloniki organized an event on the “Activities of UNESCO Chairs in Thessaloniki”. The event was honoured by the presence of Ms. Tzitzikosta who addressed the audience. This event, which attracted many students and people who are interested in promoting the goals of UNESCO, signaled the establishment of the co-operation between the three UNESCO Chairs.

28 November 2010, Professor P. Naskou-Perraki was invited to deliver a speech on “The decision of the Permanent Court of International Justice with regard to education of the Greek minority in Albania during the 1940s”at presentation of the book by Ms. Eleftheria Manta on “The education of the Greek minority during the 1940s”.

11 December 2010, in celebration of the World Day of Human Rights/Rights of the Child and the Year of the Reapproachment of Civilisations, the UNESCO Chair organized an event on “Intercultural Communication”. In this event, UNESCO Chair invited the pupils of the Intercultural School of Pylaia in Thessaloniki to sing Christmas carols in various languages. The event was particularly colourful and had a festive character as pupils of the Intercultural School of Pylaia enjoyed singing carols and songs in their mother tongues while students of the University of Macedonia and members of the academic personnel enjoyed this interactive and intercultural experience. Also, fairy tales with elements of their cultures that have been written by the pupils of the Intercultural Schools were presented to the audience. The event presented a significant momentum of intercultural dialogue.

27 January 2011, UNESCO Chair invited a member of the European Parliament, Professor Ch. Paliadeli, to deliver a lecture to postgraduate students, on the “Report on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a European Union action for the European Heritage Label”. Professor Paliadeli has conducted significant work on the modification of the European Heritage label in order to further promote the idea of a common European identity and emphasise the educational value and dimension of the sites which are awarded this label.

3. Interuniversity Exchanges/ Partnerships

Ø Undergraduate and postgraduate students of other Universities, i.e. Aristotle University, are welcomed every year as internees at UNESCO Chair.

Ø Cooperation with the two UNESCO Chairs of Aristotle University.

Ø Cooperation with the UNESCO Youth Club of Thessaloniki.

4. Publication and multimedia materials

The UNESCO Chair has established since 2008 “Publications of UNESCO Chair”. The following books were published in 2010:

1) Antonia Zervaki, “The concept of world cultural and natural heritage: The contribution of UNESCO”, PUBLICATIONS OF UNESCO Chair, Ant. N. Sakkoulas, Athens, 2010 [in Greek]

2) Leaflet on the “Activities of UNESCO Chair” [in Greek, soon to be translated in English and French]

5. Others

IV. Outcomes

The outcomes of the work of the UNESCO Chair have been to promote the protection of human rights, with emphasis on the right to education, and the promotion of human rights education, intercultural policy, intercultural dialogue and intercultural education at all levels of our society (academic, civil, etc.) The UNESCO Chairholder has worked hard to establish a network between the UNESCO Chair and the museums in Thessaloniki and to cooperate with the Municipality of Thessaloniki and the Direction of Secondary Education in order to promote the goals of UNESCO. The outcomes include a remarkable contribution to research, publications, raising awareness and distribution of information concerning the protection of human rights and cultural diversity in order to achieve an active citizenship, in other words, a democratic citizenship.

The UNESCO Chair progressively appeals to more and more students every year who wish to be involved in various aspects of the work of the Chair as internees. At the same time, the UNESCO Chairholder, as a respected academic, is invited to numerous events and conferences to lecture on human rights and the promotion of intercultural dialogue, and has contributed significantly to nurturing and establishing networks and links across academic disciplines as well as other social, public policy and civil society areas.

V. Forthcoming activities

The UNESCO Chair is collecting international instruments and information concerning intercultural policies and intercultural dialogue within the context of international and regional organizations. Furthermore, the UNESCO Chair is co-operating with the Municipality of Thessaloniki and other stakeholders to promote the goals of UNESCO. A number of events will be organized on the World Days that celebrate human rights of vulnerable groups, i.e. children, women, people with disabilities, refugees, immigrants, etc.

Also, a number of books are in preparation:

1) Professor P. Naskou-Perraki and a group of young academics under her wise supervision are preparing a book on the right to education. The purpose of this book is to present how the right to education is implemented at global, regional and national level, especially with regard to vulnerable groups, i.e. immigrants, refugees, repatriated Greeks, and Roma.

2) UNESCO Book of “Questions and answers on Human Rights” [translated in Greek by the internees at UNESCO Chair], awaiting for permission by UNESCO in order to proceed with the publication

VI. Development prospects

The UNESCO Chair has already established co-operation with the other two UNESCO Chairs of the Aristotle University.

The UNESCO Chair is in co-operation with groups of volunteers from the civil society and will embark on the organization of events in order to celebrate the Year of Volunteering 2011 and promote cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue.

The promotion of human rights and the need for intercultural dialogue is necessary to the achievement of the goals of UNESCO. It may seem endless but it is the most rewarding and effective process. The commitment of the UNESCO Chair in studying, analyzing, distributing information and raising awareness on intercultural policy for a democratic citizenship (a concept that describes best the term “active citizenship”) contributes to the goals of the UNESCO. The UNESCO Chair recognizes that raising awareness on human rights education is a means to implementing successfully intercultural policies. For this reason, the UNESCO Chair aims in broadening the existing networks that have been established under the auspices of the UNESCO Chair and will continue to work towards promoting human rights for a democratic citizenship by reaching out to policy-makers, professionals (i.e. educators, teachers, lawyers, etc.) and civil society.

P. Naskou-Perraki

Professor

UNESCO Chairholder-Director

Annexes Sources of financial and material contributions

Annex 1

Host Institution/Financial Contribution/Material Resources/Venue: University of Macedonia

Partner university/ institution

Governmental body

Other public institution

UNESCO

Other UN Agencies

IGOs

NGOs

Industry

Other private sources

Annex 2

Target groups

Target group

Male √

Female√

Undergraduate students √

Graduate students √

Postgraduate students √

Academics√

Public administrators √

Employees from industry or other private organizations (please, specify)

Teachers from primary education √

Teachers from secondary education √

Teachers from technical and vocational education √

Teachers from adult education

Others groups (Please specify): NGOs, Youth Groups, Representatives of Civil Society √

Geographical Coverage

National