Pathway Through Religions Erasmus Project

Project Title

Pathway Through Religions

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for school education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Ethics, religion and philosophy (incl. Inter-religious dialogue); Inclusion – equity; Migrants’ issues

Project Summary

RATIONALE
The Pathway through Religions project rationale is deeply rooted in the latest, dramatic, evolution of the migration fluxes toward Europe.
The current situation caused by the rapid changes in migratory fluxes and by the crisis of refugees is indeed one of the most challenging the European systems were ever asked to face.
One of the aspects that will be affected by this phenomenon is the composition of the religious beliefs within the European population and as a consequence also within school communities.
TARGET GROUPS and RELATED NEEDS
The project identifies the following target groups and related needs:
– Secondary school teachers of humanistic subjects (e.g. history, philosophy, literature, history of art, geography etc.) need to improve their capacity to deal effectively with increased diversity of learners results from multireligious classes, through interdisciplinary and innovative teaching methodologies to promote the mutual knowledge and understanding of religions and their historical, social, economic and cultural role within the different communities.
– Secondary school students need to further develop their social, civic and intercultural competences and prevent discriminating behaviors, through a more aware understanding of the history of religions, according to a transnational and multidisciplinary approach.
AIM
The project general aim is to foster the role of school education for the enhancement of social inclusion, through a peer to peer transnational knowledge sharing experience for a mutual understanding of religious habits and beliefs and through a critical analysis of the role played by the main monotheistic religions in history of mankind.
RESULTS
– Impact on the capacity of secondary school teachers of humanistic issues to deal with complex classroom realities resulting from migration and refugees phenomenon and
the related diversification of groups of learners, by making available innovative and transferable teaching methods, materials and tools for the promotion among students mutual understanding of the different religions according to a multidisciplinary approach.
– Promote among secondary school students of a more aware comprehension of the different religions. Through a multidisciplinary and peer to peer knowledge sharing with students of other countries the project will foster among learners a better understanding of the religion impact on local communities and habits and through mutual knowledge the project will enhance pupils social, civic and intercultural competences and promote their active role in the integration of migrant/asylum seekers/refugees students.
– Promote among students of different confessions, the capacity of a critical analysis and understanding of the role played by religions in the history of mankind, highlighting according to an historical perspective, the events in which religions and religious authorities played a negative role, leading to persecutions, massacres and wars and those in which religions and religious authorities choices fostered peace and integration.

In order to achieve these results the project developed 3 Intellectual Outputs and involved the stakeholders, which are secondary school teachers and students, in their testing:
– A Guide addressed to secondary teachers in order to deal with complex classroom realities, resulting from migrations and refugees phenomenon. The Guide focuses on the use of multidisciplinary, innovative and learner centred approaches to the study and understanding of the influence of religions in the history of mankind and how to exploit a better understanding of the different religions to promote and improve social, civic, intercultural competences of students and the mutual intercultural dialogue among them.
– An Interactive web based Didactical mapping of Religious sites as places (e.g. pilgrims’ routes, ghettos, hostels for pilgrims etc.), sites of worship (churches, synagogues, mosques) and/or artistic masterpieces (e.g. paintings, statues etc.) that are significant from a religious point of view. The places/sites of workship/masterpieces represent the history of religions and the roles they have played in the context of their local area, from a multidisciplinary point of view: historical, cultural, sociological, economical etc. The contents take the form of teaching materials to be used by teachers with their students.
– An on-line training course on Religious traditions for the sharing of religious traditions in order to promote, through mutual understanding, a better integration among students with different religious beliefs and backgrounds within their classes. The collection will outline the everyday life traditions and habits linked to the different religions and confessions, addressing issues as ceremonies (e.g. Mass, Shabbat, Salat etc.), celebrations (e.g. Christmas, Hannukah, Muharran etc.), dietary rules (Kosher food, Halal food, Ramadan etc.).

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 299746 Eur

Project Coordinator

CIPAT & Country: IT

Project Partners

• BUCA ISILAY SAYGIN GUZEL SANATLAR LISESI
• Ufficio Scolastico Regionale per la Toscana
• RESEAU NATIONAL D’ENSEIGNEMENT SUPERIEUR PROFESSIONNEL PRIVE
• Sirinyer Anadolu Lisesi
• ISTITUTO ISTRUZIONE SUPERIORE RITA LEVI-MONTALCINI
• CAMBRIDGESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
• FOUNDATION FOR DEVELOPMENT OF THE CULTURAL BPOCS