Briefing for educators and supervisors on the “5 Steps To Tolerance” Programme

On the 5th September at 15:00, the Tolerance Centre are holding a briefing meeting for curators and specialists in the education and child-development spheres, devoted to the “5 Steps to Tolerance” Programme.  This programme has been implemented by the Centre in collaboration with the Centre for Military, Patriotic and Civil Education since the 2013-14 academic year, and has already given a good account of itself at 35 Moscow colleges.  In the programme, students have developed a multitude of social activism projects, the best of which have been selected via competition procedures for awards and recommended for realisation the following academic year, as well as entered into the municipal contest organised by the Moscow city affiliate of the all-Russian social organisation “Russian Youth Union” (MGO RSM).

For the 2014-15 academic year, we plan to open applications for a two-tier programme, devoted respectively to tolerance and social planning (tier one), and youth leadership and taking an active civil position (tier two).

The briefing will cover the conditions for participation for college students in the programme, which is supported by funding from the Moscow City Government, as well as detailing its aims and objectives.  We take the opportunity to remind readers that student participation in the programme is, as ever, FREE OF CHARGE.

The aims of the programme’s first tier are:

• The amassing and distribution of knowledge about tolerance and the means in which it is manifested in different life situations. 
• The fostering of respect for the traditions and culture of people of other ethnicities. 
• The building of inter-cultural competence among students. 
• The cultivation of social responsibility and an active civil stance among students. 
• To influence the creation of systems to reinforce and spread the values of tolerance within educational institutions. 
• To foster in the student collective a conducive psychological atmosphere and prevent the emergence of mutual disrespect or aggression.
• To form and nurture an active position on issues of civil society. 
• The aims of the programme’s second tier are:
• The strengthening of a sense of social responsibility and the active civil stance of students. 
• The reinforcing of the institution of positive youth leadership, creating the preconditions for a stable student infrastructure. 
• Strengthening the systems reinforcing and broadcasting the values of tolerance. 
• Increasing student engagement in socially-beneficial community activities.