World Congress on Civic Education

Event Date:
05/24/2008 to 05/30/2008

Description:

Sustaining Support for Civic Education

the Focus of 12th World Congress on Civic Education

 

Educators representing more than 65 countries met in Casablanca and Ifrane for the 12th World Congress on Civic Education, entitled “Sustaining Civic Education: Achievements and Challenges.” From 24–30 May 2008 more than 200 participants shared ideas and experiences in securing the sustained commitment of educators, policymakers, and civil society actors to civic education programs around the world.

The Center for Civic Education, a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization based in Calabasas, California that promotes civic education worldwide, hosts an annual World Congress on Civic Education in a country that has shown progress in education for democratic citizenship. This year’s World Congress was co-hosted by the Moroccan Center for Civic Education (MCCE) in collaboration with Morocco’s Higher Council for Education, the Moroccan Ministry of Education, and Al Akhawayn University under the High Patronage of His Majesty Mohammed VI King of Morocco.

Thematic workshops at the World Congress addressed pathways to sustainability, including international collaboration. Other workshops showcased civic education success stories, with a special focus on the achievements and challenges of civic education in Morocco. Relating civic education to human rights, reconciliation, and character education, and utilizing games and digital media in civic education were some of the topics discussed by participants. The opening session saw the signing of a cooperative agreement between the Moroccan Ministry of Education and the Moroccan Center for Civic Education. Also on the first day of the Congress students from schools in the vicinity showcased their public policy proposals.

At a press conference about the World Congress held Thursday, May 29, Richard A. Nuccio, Director of Civitas International Programs at the US-based Center for Civic Education (Center), Elarbi Imad, President of the Moroccan Center for Civic Education (MCCE), and other participants stressed the importance of government-civil society partnerships to the sustainability of civic education.

“Civic education should be more than just the responsibility of governments, and it requires more than merely passing a law or providing funding. It should be a dynamic process in which civil society builds up demand on government for constant improvement of civic education, and in which the government learns to benefit from the closeness of civil society leaders to the tasks of civic education,” said Nuccio.

The growing Civitas international civic education network faces both immediate and long-term challenges to the sustainability of its programs due to changes in funding. A major innovation launched officially at the Congress this year was the restructuring of existing Civitas country partnerships into larger, inter-regional partnerships in which older members will be relied upon to assist newer members in new programs of cross-regional collaboration.

The 12^th World Congress on Civic Education was also unique in that it was the fist time that the Center for Civic Education relied on one of its partners for the fundraising and organizational work of the Congress. “Of course, being used to both the responsibility and authority to run the Congress, it was a new and, in some ways, challenging process for all of us,” said Nuccio. But, according to Nuccio, what ultimately made the Congress a success was the dedication of staff and leaders as well as the patience, good will, and flexibility of participants.

“It has been a great experience for our organization,” remarked MCCE’s Elarbi, “We all learned a great deal about cultural differences, communication, and other things.”

Participants were impressed by the progress that MCCE has made in creating and strengthening civic education at all levels of the Moroccan educational system, noted Nuccio and Alden Craddock of Bowling Green State University (BGSU), who also spoke at the press conference.

“Convening the Congress in Morocco provided an important example that it can happen–that all of a country’s education institutions can work together,” said Craddock, who directs MCCE’s primary US partner, the International Democratic Education Institute at BGSU.

Mirshariff Tillah, president of the Philippine Center for Civic Education and Democracy, emphasized that “the World Congress is important to young organizations because it shows us what is possible.” Rahela Dzidic, Executive Director of Civitas@Bosnia and Herzegovina, reflected on the lessons relevant to others of Civitas International Programs in her country.

The Center for Civic Education’s Civitas International Programs, which are supported by the US Department of Education under the Education for Democracy Act, the US Department of State, and the US Agency for International Development (USAID), represent a commitment to strengthening democracy and mutual understanding throughout the world. Civitas International Programs include partnerships linking US educators with educators and policymakers from more than 65 countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East.

For more information about the Center for Civic Education’s Civitas International Programs, click here. For more information about the World Congress on Civic Education, contact Arlene Benitez, Assistant Director of Civitas International Programs at benitez@civiced.org.

Location:

Casablanca and Ifrane
Morocco

Contact:
Arlene Benitez
benitez@civiced.org

Attending:
By Application or Invitation Only

Downloads:                 

General

• Photographs [LINK]
• Agenda
• Concurrent Sessions
• Mini Plenary Sessions
• Participant by Country
• Thematic Sessions

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