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Organization: ARISTOTLE UNIVERSITY OF THESSALONIKI
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Postal address of organization/institution

ARISTOTLE UNIVERSITY OF THESSALONIKI – GREECE
UNESCO Chair on Education for Human Rights, Democracy and Peace and Institute of Education for Peace (Greek NGO)

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
UNESCO Chair, P.O. Box 48
Thessaloniki 541 24 – GREECE

E-mail address of organization/institution

dipeace@psy.auth.gr

Website address of organization/institution

http://www.unesco.auth.gr

Telephone of organization/institution

+30 2310 995311
+30 2310 997361

PRIORITIES: All of the organization's domains of culture of peace activity

EDUCATION FOR PEACE
HUMAN RIGHTS
WOMEN'S EQUALITY

TOP PRIORITY: The organization's most important culture of peace activity

EDUCATION FOR PEACE

PARTNERSHIPS AND NETWORKS: What partnerships and networks does your organization participate in, thus strengthening the global movement for a culture of peace?

The UNESCO Chair/A.U.Th. co-operates with (a) the global Network of the 92 UNESCO Chairs focusing on Education for Human Rights and Peace, and the Culture of Peace, (b) the 41 Universities in all member-states of the European Union which co-organize the European Master’s Degree in Human Rights and Democratisation, (c) a great number of academics from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (A.U.Th.) and other Greek Universities, from many scientific fields such as Psychology, Law, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Medicine, etc., who participate in the academic programme of the UNESCO Chair/A.U.Th. on Education for a Culture of Peace and non-violence, (d) teachers from European countries in the context of the European Union Programme "Young European Solidarity - YES", (e) national and international IGO’s and NGO’s such as the Greek Commission of UNICEF, U.N. International Centre, l’Organisation Mondiale pour l’Éducation Préscolaire, Doctors of the World, etc., (f) National Institutions, NGO’s and Scientific Societies, such as the Greek Ombudsman for Children’s Rights, the Hellenic Migration Policy Institute, the Refugees’ Reception Centre of Thessaloniki, the Greek SOS Villages, the Greek Scientific Society, etc.

ACTIONS: What activities have been undertaken by your organization to promote a culture of peace and nonviolence during the ten years of the Decade? If you already made a report in 2005, your information from 2005 will be included in the 2010 report.

During the second half of the "Decade" (2006-2010) the UNESCO Chair of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (A.U.Th.) has undertaken the following actions for the promotion of the Culture of Peace.

I. ACADEMIC PROGRAMME at A.U.Th.

The UNESCO Chair continues to organize courses on Education for a Culture of Human Rights, Peace and Non-Violence, as follows:

A. Undergraduate level

Interfaculty Interdisciplinary Programme on Education for Human Rights and Peace, towards a Culture of Peace (title: "Contemporary World Problems and the Scientists’ Responsibility" – Academic responsible: Professor Emeritus Dimitra Papadopoulou). The Programme is dedicated in all academic semesters since 2001 to the "Decade 2001-2010".
The UNESCO Chair offers the above Programme to undergraduate students of all Schools of A.U.Th.
During the period 2006-2010 more than 50 Professors of A.U.Th. and other Greek Universities, as well as one official of UNICEF and representatives of Greek NGO’s have taught in the Programme.
The academics came from many Schools such as Psychology, Law, Physics, Medicine, Philosophy, Pedagogy, Theology, etc. They gave lectures on subjects such as:
UNESCO – Programmes of Education for Human Rights and Peace ● UNESCO – Culture of Peace and Non-Violence ● Human Rights. Basic concepts and developments ● Child Labour and Children’s Rights ● Theorists of non-violence: Thoreau, Tolstoy, Gandhi, Martin Luther King ● Environment, quality of life and human rights ● Education for Human Rights and Peace ● Health: consumer good or a human right? ● Children’s rights: violations and protection. International Conventions and actions in the field ● Music and human rights. Actions, interactions, perspectives ● Peaceful uses of Nuclear Physics ● Peace Research and Forms of Non-Violence ● Religions and the message of Peace ● Multicultural society and school: the need of intercultural education, etc.
(Please, see Attachment)
(www.unesco.auth.gr)

B. Post-graduate level

European Master’s Degree in Human Rights and Democratisation
This Programme is being organised by 41 Universities from all member-states of the European Union and co-ordinated by the European Inter-University Centre for Human Rights and Democratization, (EIUC, Italy). The UNESCO Chair/A.U.Th. has been participating in the Programme since 1998 as the national coordinating University.
During the period 2006-2010, 22 Professor from 10 Schools of A.U.Th. (such as Psychology, Law, Philosophy, Pedagogy, English Literature, etc.) taught in this Interdisciplinary Programme which is dedicated to the Culture of Peace. The courses refer to topics such as:
UNESCO and the Culture of Human Rights and Peace ● Civic Participation and Social Change in Deprived Communities ● Defending the rights of people with mental health problems ● Multiculturalism and Intercultural Education ● Human Rights Education ● Immigration and Human Rights: International and National Issues ● Values and Social Representations of Citizenship in young people ● State Responsibility for Violations of Human Rights ● International Child Abduction and Human Rights, etc.
(Please, see: www.unesco.auth.org, www.emahumanrights.org, www.eiuc.org)


II. MEETINGS, CONFERENCES, CULTURAL EVENTS

During the second half of the "Decade", the UNESCO Chair/A.U.Th. organized the following events dedicated to the Culture of Peace and Non-Violence:
1. "UNESCO – 60 years of contribution to education, science and culture", Conference dedicated to UNESCO, 19/05/2006, A.U.Th.
2. "1997-2007 – Ten years of the UNESCO Chair. Towards a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence", Conference, 23/04/2007, A.U.Th.
3. "The dynamics of Human Rights", Interdisciplinary Round Table, 27/02/2008, A.U.Th. Four Professors of A.U.Th. from the Schools of Physics, Ecology, Law and Psychology approached the subject from their own scientific perspective.
4. "Children’s rights: violations and protection. International Conventions and actions in the field", Round Table, 04/04/2008, Thessaloniki, in collaboration with the National Greek Committee of UNICEF.
Some of the lectures were as follows: ● 60 years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – A Global Celebration ● Trafficking: the nightmare in modern societies ● Children’s Ombudsman and Minors’ Rights ● Children’s Rights in Practice (possibilities and difficulties). The practice of the SOS Village, etc.
5. "European Student Meeting towards a Culture of Peace", 13/06/2008, A.U.Th. Seventy (70) students (14–17 years old) and twenty five (25) teachers from seventeen (17) European countries took part in the Meeting. This Student Meeting was organized within the framework of the European Union Programme EUROTEENS (Young European Solidarity - YES).
Some of the lectures were as follows: ● UNESCO Chair and the Culture of Human Rights and Peace ● Intercultural education as a challenge for Europe ● The role of the School of Modern Greek Language for a Culture of Peace, etc.
The UNESCO Chair distributed to all participants the UDHR, the Manifesto 2000 of UNESCO on the Culture of Peace, “The Right to Peace” by Federico Mayor, etc.
6. "Immigrants in Greece: Realities and Perspectives", Conference, 18/12/2008, A.U.Th. The Conference was dedicated to the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948-2008) and the European Year (2008) of Intercultural Dialogue.
Some of the lectures were as follows: ● 2008 – European Year of Intercultural Dialogue ● Immigrants: rights and obligations in Greece and Europe ● Migration and the challenge of intercultural education, etc.
7. Concert by the Macedonian Saxophone Quartet, dedicated to the 60 years of UNESCO, 19/05/2006, A.U.Th.,
8. Exhibition of UNESCO posters, entitled "60 Posters – 60 Years", dedicated to the 60 years of UNESCO, 19/05/2006, A.U.Th.
9. Exhibition of Children’s Paintings, entitled "Children write an draw their rights", 23-29/04/2007, A.U.Th.
10. Concert dedicated to the Culture of Peace and Non-Violence, performed by the A.U.Th. Symphony Orchestra, for the 10 years of the UNESCO Chair, 02/05/2007, A.U.Th.


Beginning of 2007 - The UNESCO Chair working on its 10th Anniversary (1997-2007)

PROGRESS: Has your organization seen progress toward a culture of peace and nonviolence in your domain of action and in your constituency during the second half of the Decade?

Yes, as follows: (a) increase in the number of students who attend the courses of the UNESCO Chair on the Culture of Peace, (b) increase in the academic courses in A.U.Th. and other Greek Universities on subjects relevant to the Culture of Peace (i.e. intercultural education, gender equality and human rights, etc.), (c) in 2007, the University of Thessaloniki, following a proposal by the UNESCO Chair and the decision of the Rector’s Council, dedicated all events of the Students’ Festival (concerts, sport activities, drama performances, dance, etc.) to the Culture of Peace and non-violence, etc.

OBSTACLES: Has your organization faced any obstacles to implementing the culture of peace and nonviolence? If so, what were they?

We consider as the main obstacle the fact that the Ministry of Education in Greece has still not included Culture of Peace in its official educational policy and actions, although we have been implementing many activities towards a Culture of Peace, together with teachers from all three levels of education, for the past eighteen (18) years.
However, the UNESCO Chair has been offered strong support by the academic community of the University of Thessaloniki and other Greek Universities.

PLANS: What new engagements are planned by your organization in the short, medium and long term to promote a culture of peace and nonviolence?

The UNESCO Chair will continue (a) its academic activities towards a Culture of Peace (undergraduate and postgraduate level) to sensitize the academic community, (b) the organization of conferences and cultural events to sensitize the public opinion.

GLOBAL MOVEMENT: How do you think the culture of peace and nonviolence could be strengthened and supported at the world level??

The role of Media in the creation of a powerful global movement would be decisive. In the era of modern technologies, journalists and media makers should take interest in the Culture of Peace and realize their responsibility towards the sensitization of the public opinion.
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Organization: ARISTOTLE UNIVERSITY OF THESSALONIKI

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