The general aim of the School is to have our participants able to influence the policy making process through solid, evidence based, high quality policy analysis thereby working on improving the democratic culture in the country. Democratic laws and institutions can only function effectively when they are based on a culture of democracy. Our students are future leaders of Makedonija. As such they need to have skills and knowledge to enhance the policy making process and work on improving democratic culture. In the first semester of 2022 we will base our work on the Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture (RFCDC). The purpose of this Framework is to support member states in developing open, tolerant and diverse societies through their education. It is built on principles that are common to our democratic societies. In general, the Framework specifies the tools and critical understanding that learners at all levels of education should acquire in order to feel a sense of belonging and make their own positive contributions to the democratic societies in which we live. In doing so it offers education systems (formal and informal) a common focus for their action while respecting a diversity of pedagogical approaches. Education systems and schools need to prepare young people to become active, participative and responsible individuals, they should be equipped with the values, attitudes, skills, knowledge and critical understanding that will enable them to make responsible decisions about their future. This involves ensuring that students should know and understand the challenges they are faced with and the consequences of their decisions, what they are able to do and what they should refrain from doing. In order to do all this, they need not only to have knowledge, but also the relevant competences – and the aim of the Framework is to define what those competences are.
List of Topics covered during first semester
1. Introduction to the training and of the participants, understanding the expectations of the participants, establishing the rules of the game, the working hours and the etiquette in the classroom.
2. Introduction to Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture
3. Introduction to democratic culture
4. Democratic values and attitudes as well as practices of citizens
5. Importance of human rights, democracy and the rule of law
6. Knowledge and critical understanding in the areas of politics, law, human rights
7. Knowledge and critical understanding in the areas of culture, cultures, religions, history
8. Knowledge and critical understanding in the areas of media, economies, the environment and sustainability.
9. Defining ‘culture’
10. Cultural participation and cultural practices as context-dependent and variable
11. Multicultural societies
12. Multiculturalism
13. Liberal multiculturalism and interculturalism
14. Intercultural situations and intercultural dialogue
15. Developing intercultural competence
16. Radicalisation, violent extremism and terrorism.
17. Recognising disinformation, fake news and hate speech in broadcast, print and online news media
18. Recognising and dealing with extremist and terrorist propaganda
19. Preconditions for radicalization and enabling conditions that can help to facilitate the transition into violent extremism and terrorism
20. How resilience to radicalisation can be built (points from the RFCDC)
