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Intercultural Learning in the 21 st Century. World War I – Volunteers Answer the Call. American Field Service (AFS) Drivers under the leadership of A. Piatt Andrew organised a voluntary ambulance service.
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World War I – Volunteers Answer the Call American Field Service (AFS) Drivers under the leadership of A. Piatt Andrew organised a voluntary ambulance service.
Inter-War Years – Building Friendship and Understanding Through Graduate Student Exchange The AFS Association was established in May 1920 to coordinate reunions and administer the AFS Fellowships for French Universities Programme (graduate students travelled between France and the US) and continued cultivating peaceful ties and international friendship.
World War II – AFS Answers the Call to Service Once Again AFS reactivated as an ambulance corps in 1940. By the end of the war, 2,196 ambulance drivers had carried more than 700,000 wounded combatants from both sides of the war. AFS also evacuated more than 11,000 people from the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in April 1945.
AFS Secondary School Exchange Programmes – Working to Create a More Peaceful World In 1947 AFS invited high school students to live with American families on a scholarship programme. In 1950 American students began going on exchanges to other countries.
1958 AFS Interculture South Africa AFS Interculture South Africa was formed in 1958; hosting many students in South Africa and sending many South Africans to countries all over the world.
John A Cruise from South Africa AFS participants and staff in Garden City, New York. September 22, 1962.
Heather F Hogarth from South Africa A group of AFS participants with John Connally, Governor of Texas (1963-1964)
Americans Abroad participant Robin Simpson at Hyde Park High School in Johannesburg (1965-1966)
South African AFS participant Sylvester Modise at a market in Bolivia (1985)
A group of South African high school students prior to leaving for the US "Whenever I see faces of AFS exchange students in person or in photographs, my heart is touched and my hopes are raised." Reverend Norman C Eddy, AFS World War II Ambulance Driver and Life Trustee
AFS Today and Tomorrow AFS supports an international volunteer movement that engages people as continuous learners, who create positive change in the areas of leadership development, changemaking, and intercultural learning - in their own communities and throughout the world.
So… What is Intercultural Learning? Intercultural challenges and learning moments are inevitable parts of our everyday lives, our classrooms and public spaces. To prepare students to engage effectively across cultural and other differences, we take our participants on a transformative learning journey. Through our programmes and other offerings (e.g. Global Competence Certificate) we help participants: • Learn first-hand about the impact of culture on values and the decisions that they make • Gain the ability to better see themselves through the eyes of others • Challenge assumptions • Broaden their views on cultural stereotypes and global issues • Begin to understand how to shift perspectives effectively, appropriately and authentically
Following the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the 2016 United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum (February 2016) focused on the role of young people in implementing, communicating and realizing the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 targets of the Agenda.
4.7 By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development.
At the Youth Forum, Ambassador Hahn Choong-hee of the Republic of Korea noted that a fundamental action to achieve not only the targets related to this goal (Quality Education), but for all SDGs, is to promote Global Citizenship Education: “through GCE we develop a sense of belonging to a global community, mutual respect, solidarity, tolerance and understanding. (…) This allows us to foster our relationship with others and with the planet”. Ambassador Choong-hee also called attention to the importance of intercultural exchanges as part of non-formal education initiatives to promote GCE.
What International Experiences Are Out There? International secondary schools are booming. There are 8,000 international schools teaching 4.2 million students, which is projected to grow to 15,000 English-medium schools by 2025. The global youth travel industry is worth $200 billion… and higher education and volunteering abroad are biggest growth sectors. 5 million tertiary students are studying outside their home countries today… and that is projected to increase to 8 million by 2025.
How Can We Use Intercultural Learning To Move The SDGs Forward? International Experiences – which are traditionally physical exchanges o Learning about other cultures o Putting one’s own culture into context o Becoming a Global Citizen But what about the majority who don’t travel? Internal Experiences – which address national/local issues o Having pride in one’s own culture o Understanding of and acceptance of other cultures within South Africa o Promotion of ‘One Nation’
Some Examples Class Exchanges (Rural/Urban or between different communities) Camps (bringing together young people from different communities) National Youth Service Corps (Nigeria) comprises of a primary assignment plus community development service
Moving Forward The National Development Plan aims to eliminate poverty and reduce inequality by 2030. According to the plan, South Africa can realise these goals by drawing on the energies of its people, growing an inclusive economy, building capabilities, enhancing the capacity of the state, and promoting leadership and partnerships throughout society. The first two of the six interlinked priorities of the NDP are : • Uniting all South Africans around a common programme to achieve prosperity and equity. • Promoting active citizenry to strengthen development, democracy and accountability.
Moving Forward Intercultural Learning can be a key support to the delivery of these priorities. To do this, intercultural learning opportunities should be more widely available: • More opportunities for structured intercultural learning opportunities (e.g. exchanges – international, internal, virtual) with planned and supported learning schemes. • “Learning to Live Together” or “Global Citizenship” to be a part of the Life Orientation curriculum. • Lessons learned should be used to actively promote active citizenship and social entrepreneurship. To deliver this will require, in the words of the NDP, the promotion of leadership and partnerships throughout society.
Thank You! This presentation can be downloaded from bit.ly/ICL-C21
