The Unifying Aspects of Cultures

SECTION:

Section: Intercultural Education

Donald Rothenberg (Vienna)
Face Your Heart: Transpersonal Aspects of Teaching/Working in Multi-Cultural Settings

The Mission Statement of Vienna Bilingual Schooling (European School Network)
states: "There will be a commitment to a holistic view of bilingual education with special emphasis on the personal development of life skills for an effective meaningful participation in and contribution to a modern multi-cultural and multi-ethnic society." The need to inculcate a cross cultural acceptance of one another in educational settings can be accomplished with a certain broad frame of reference and life experience steeped in proactivity, creativity and innovation, flexibility and humility. Nationalism, fundamentalist religions, weapons of mass destruction and a global capitalism, which is often centered around greed and ethnocentrism, are what we are all facing.

The presenter's background is in Transpersonal Psychology (PhD)., Education (MA)and the Creative Arts, in a variety of multicultural settings. The education of minority groups has been grounded within media arts, environmental education and conflict managing in America, while in Europe, teaching and working within a multi-cultural program, Vienna Bilingual Schooling.

What can a Teacher/Educator model for his/her students that contains practices of a transpersonal and holistic nature? The direct teaching of and about cultures, differences as well as inclusion, will be explored. What are the transpersonal and holistic realms beyond only words? We will cover what constitutes an integrative approach to living. Hands on ideas and activities for self actualizing ones own life and for students will be described. The inclusion of the teaching of self esteem, conflict resolution, stress reduction and tolerance, will be described. Participants and observers will be encouraged to have an interactive dialogue after the presentation.

THE UNIFYING ASPECTS OF CULTURES