"A true tradition is not a testimony of an outdated past, it is a living force that animates and informs the present." Far from implying the repetition of what was, tradition assumes the reality of what endures ... A heritage that is received on condition of make it fruitful before transmitting it to the descendants. " Igor Stravinsky, Musical poetics. Paris, 1952 The spirit and the full text of the Convention on the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions (Unesco 2005), are aimed at safeguarding cultural diversity against the homogenization that guides globalization. 2018 was been the European Year of Cultural Heritage, a year of events and activities all around Europe to get people interested and involved in cultural heritage. The basics of this project fit with the general framework and principles of European Union‘s Lisbon Convention and UNESCO's Convention on the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions (20.10.2005); objectives concerning recognition and promotion of cultural diversity, intercultural dialogue and sustainable development. This project is a research into the past of each of the participant countries, through their history, culturel heritage , language and traditions. The ultimate goal of the project is to find out the links between the different cultures that make up the European Union, compare them and draw conclusions about the differences and similarities that enrich and unite us. As a result, the crosscultural differences actually will come together to find common links and this will be the first step for a better understanding between cultures. Our partners represent contrasting social and economic backgrounds, and a diverse collection of communities from across Europe. It must be agreed that heritage, as a result of a social construction, refers to a set of cultural goods that receive a positive assessment by society, whose identity they express, in the sense that it is an element through which the difference with the other social and cultural groups; but it also represents a factor of resistance against the attacks of standardization. Heritage, a kind of social symbolism for the maintenance and transmission of collective memory, is constituted by the representative goods of each society. The basic purpose of the project to contribute to promoting the role of Europe’s cultural heritage as a pivotal component of cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue (conservation, safeguarding, accessibility of cultural heritage, education, promotion of social inclusion and integration). A medium that offers us the possibility of creation and creativity with the active participation of students. If tradition is the inheritance of social time in collective memory, the legacy of the past, it is also due to its renewal in the present; because the tradition, the transmission of the culture between the generations, is built from the contemporaneity. The tradition acquires full meaning when contemporaries revive it and in this way appropriate it. Tradition, in fact, updates and renews the past from the present. Spreading their expert knowledge by performing dramas, fashion shows,folk dancing,rituals,hand crafts,cooking competition maintaining a website, or simply talking about their work, their rehearsals and their visits will arouse curiosity in more students. This will have a positive effect on the learning process in the school, as more students will do their best to become involved in the program. The protection of common cultural heritage aims to ensure the continuity and originality of cultural diversity between different communities and groups inside and outside the country, basing the maintenance of their conditions of existence and encouraging communities to continue practicing and recreating one time all those expressions, representations and uses that constitute their living cultural heritage. Explore personal perspectives about unfamiliar cultures and how different perspectives often lead to creating stereotypes and prejudice about people from different cultures. Highlight participants’ answers to the project and connect them to the larger idea of how cultures have differences and similarities between them. It is especially important to recognize that there are threads of cultural similarities that connect all human beings. In the end, it is intended that all students from different countries, act together, each country being part of the puzzle that would make up a single common work: a varied mosaic but, in the end, unique.
The project was based on the European Union‘s Lisbon Convention and UNESCO's Convention on the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions (20.10.2005); The goal was to promote cultural diversity, intercultural dialogue and sustainable development. This project represented a diverse group of partners both socially and economically. Each country with its unique cultural heritage was made aware of how important the knowledge of how its own past forms its present. This contributes to an understanding of who “we” are compared to, who “they” are. This is crucial not only to keep our unique cultural heritage but also to create a common European identity. The aim of the project was to discover the cultural heritage of each participant country, through their history and language and traditions. We found links between our countries but also differences and it made us aware of how these differences and similarities can connect us and make us feel like united Europeans. Through an understanding of our different cultures grew a shared history. We learned that creative tasks grow not only social inclusion and education, but also create a shared memory. The project tasks, creations and common goals generate a new cultural heritage through dialogue which makes our youth interact on a new level. At the different mobilities, we experienced dramas, folk dancing, rituals, handcrafts, cooking and presentations of history and cultural heritage. We also visited various cultural and historic sites such as churches, mosques, archaeological sites, The EU parliament, a boarding school, and museums. The students presented and talked about their work. Their work consisted of letters, magazine articles, PowerPoints, posters, diaries, travel plans, Christmas Cards, etc. Their interactions made more students curious about the program and about cultural differences. They asked about the different countries and about differences and similarities. They also asked about the program and if they were able to participate in future projects. They were curious if their English skills were enough and if they would stay with a family in another country to learn more about other cultures. To see how everything works in real life makes the students more eager to try it themselves in the future. This curiosity led to more students being involved in the program. The knowledge and understanding of our cultural heritage made each country want to protect our culture and our cultural diversity. The reflection “why are we different from other European countries” made the students appreciate their culture and were more conscious about protecting these ways and values. They took pride in presenting their cultural uniqueness and were curious about the other countries' cultures. They asked questions and showed each other different local songs and dances beyond the project. Some students had prejudiced ideas about their partner countries. It was easy to put countries into stereotypical boxes, and the interaction between the students and teachers revealed that some of it were true, but a lot of it was in fact prejudice. The partners learnt from this project that even though we do things differently, we also have threads of similarities that connect us across country borders. The participants felt that they were indeed a part of the puzzle that made a diverse mosaic. Sentences like: “Oh, it’s the same word in our language” and, “we also have that in our country” connected us. Our project's main theme is focusing directly on the protection of common cultural heritage. Specific objectives of the project: -To protect and promote cultural heritage belonging to the EU civilizations. -To develop a presentation of tales, stories, legends, and bickering which have an important place in the oral tradition of our intangible culture and are included in the list of UNESCO’s world intangible cultural heritage. -To highlight, develop and sustain the multiculturalism and heritage of the EU. -To regenerate the historical identity of the EU build awareness and create a sense of pride in the multicultural heritage of the EU among local people -To create conditions to disseminate tolerance within the framework of our cultural richness and diversity and introduce this wealth; to create awareness that diversity is a part of our national culture. General objectives of the project: -To train individuals, to integrate into the cultural identity of our age at all, approaching with respect and understanding of different cultures, owing and recognizing cultural richness and diversity, seeing culture as an area creating not demanding resources, and believing in the necessity of creating economic and social sustainability. -To advance cooperation with partner countries and international institutions competent in the field of education and culture with respect to the diversity of cultures and to develop synergies to encourage ways of protecting intangible and tangible cultural heritage. -To contribute to implementing the Convention for the Safeguarding of the common Cultural Heritage. The basics of this project fit with the European Union‘s UNESCO‘s Convention on the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions (20.10.2005); objectives concerning recognition and promotion of cultural diversity, intercultural dialogue and sustainable development. -To promote cooperation between EU countries, contribute to the promotion of cultural heritage and at the same time brings the common cultural heritage to the fore. Expected results: -Increasing the awareness of younger generations of EU countries people regarding the importance of safeguarding their common cultural heritage through formal and informal education. -The knowledge society, and information and communication technologies will create opportunities for strengthening the role of cultural heritage in fostering dialogue both within the region and beyond it. -The project’s implementation will also contribute to raising awareness about the importance of safeguarding intangible and tangible cultural heritage in EU countries and will enhance its visibility regionally. -Encouragement of implementations related to dissemination and protection of technical information will lead to reaching the target of UNESCO‘s Convention on the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions. Achievement of the project's objectives: -Our partnership was mainly focused on pupils’ involvement which is why the students were active in all the important phases of the partnership. They participated in the planning and organizing of the activities in each school. According to their interests and competence pupils were given special tasks during the project. -With this project, the pupils and the teachers were able to learn efficiently. Getting to know different cultures and comparing and contrasting them helped the pupils think critically and develop their awareness of cultural and political events. Eventually, a paramount contribution of the project was to have equal respect and awareness among the partners. This, however, was difficult for one of the partners and therefore this partner chose to leave the project. -The students had interactive workshops on the topics with the guidance of their teachers and had multinational experiences to feel and take the responsibility of being humanistic individuals in society. -Brainstorming, online communication, student-centred and interactive methods etc. were used during the workshops. Teachers and students also visited some art- and history museums and saw some examples of humanitarian displays. This procedure was repeated at each meeting. The project photos and other documents were downloaded on the eTwinning platform and the Facebook page -Our project products and related workshops, national and international meetings, seminars, and LTT enabled a great number of pupils and teachers to engage in our project productively and collaboratively. -Our eTwinning and Facebook page made it possible for our pupils to introduce their own precious cultural heritages and they also learned to appreciate a variety of geographies, cultures, and languages. -The project also encouraged European citizenship and a sense of democracy, by means of raising sympathy and empathy among pupils from different countries. Insight into others’ points of view, equality and human rights was promoted in our project. -Pupils created booklets, short movies, exhibitions, presentations, and a Facebook page to support, introduce and disseminate the project.