A different story

This year recurs the 60th anniversary of the European Cultural Convention of the Council of Europe, signed December 19 1954 in Paris, aimed at “promoting among the citizens of all members of the Council and those of other European States adhering to the Convention, the study of languages, history, civilization of other and civilization common to them all”. At a time when many European countries are scaling down or threatening to cut the teaching of European history, the CoE regards it as the “shared cultural heritage” of the Old continent, and on the occasion of the Day of Europe (May 9) it launched the first interactive e-book titled “Shared histories for a Europe without dividing lines” http://shared-histories.coe.int). Borders as places for encounter. The publication is the result of the inter-governmental project bearing the same name launched by the CoE in 2010, based on the belief that the teaching and the learning of history are at the same time a great challenge and a primary commitment since ignorance, said the Director General of Democracy of the Council of Europe, Snezana Samardzic-Markovic, “makes people vulnerable to manipulation, while knowledge and understanding of history promote open-mindedness along with the ability to develop individual opinions”, the exercise “of rights and responsibilities on the part of citizens”. The e-book develops four major “themes”: the impact of the industrial revolution, the development of education, human rights as reflected in the history of art, Europe and the world. In the background the belief that borders, rather than being a place for divisions, represent an opportunity for the encounter of identities and cultures. No to the “nationalisation” of history. “Shared histories can help stop the misuse, appropriation and nationalisation of history, by giving pupils and students both the knowledge and analytical tools they need to see through manipulation”. In our multicultural societies the “competences for intercultural dialogue and understanding taught through shared histories are vital” to “unite populations, peace building and reconciliation”, to promote “tolerance and understanding” before serious migration phenomena. Thus the e-book is specifically addressed to teachers in the framework of a Pan-European project of training and teaching approach for the acquisition of permanent skills, concluded Samardzic-Markovic. “This type of education plays a crucial role in building and maintaining Europe’s democratic culture”. Education of young people should be achieved in partnership with families, the community, with the contribution of significant witnesses “who have gone through the experiences of conflict and reconciliation, and who have stories to tell”. Four major themes. The first “chapter”, dedicated to the industrial revolution, addresses, inter alia, themes such as urbanization, internal migrations, new industrial cities, social inequalities, telecommunications. Access to education, gender equality, social segregation, permanent formation, evolution of pedagogy, influence of religion, are some of the themes contained in the “chapter” on the development of education. “Human life, along with the tensions and conflicts it has been a victim of have affected a variety of fields such as art and literature”, states the chapter dedicated to Human Rights reflected in the History of Art, which addresses themes such the relationship between emotions and visual arts, Jewish-Christian relations, the contribution of architecture in anti-exclusion and anti-discrimination strategies. Finally, the “chapter” on Europe and the rest of the world”. One of the topics is: “Europe should find the way to reconcile universal values, brought to light by globalization alongside with individual values linked to roots that cannot be severed”. A set of questions prompt further reflection: “What are values? Where do they stem from? How important are they?” What changes them?” The document also highlights the economic, social and cultural differences separating the various Countries in the continent, along with an “African perspective” on Europe.