March 2015

PROJECT "A GLOBAL ETHIC IN SCHOOL": THE SECOND TRAINING OF TEACHERS IN CANTON SARAJEVO

After the workshops done in Tuzla, Sarajevo and Zenica in 2014, the training of teachers has been continued within the project “A Global Ethic in a School: Integrating a Global Ethic into Educational Structures and Processes in Bosnia-Herzegovina”, done with the partnership of The Global Ethic Foundation from Tübingen. Alen Kristic, Monja Suta-Hibert and Ivana Krstanovic – a professional team of TPO Foundation Sarajevo – held the second training of teachers in Sarajevo in Hotel Hollywood on Saturday and Sunday on March 21 and 22, 2015.

This training represents a special form of educational theory with the clear pragmatic courses of action in the real life. The training was attended by 20 teachers, a coordinator on the project “Psychosocial Support in BiH” Mirsada Sokolovic, and an adviser for education of the Educational-Pedagogical Institute of Sarajevo Azemina Bogdanovic. In the second day, Mr. Sci. Sedzida Hadzic gave lecture on the theme “The Dimensions of Learning about a Global Ethic” and looked back on the experience from the previous trainings.

Alen Kristic introduced teachers with the concept of a global ethic, which is developing in several European countries, and whose founder is a Catholic theologian Hans Küng, who claims that there is no survival without a global ethic and requires a coalition of believers and non-believers. A global ethic is common to all world religions and philosophical traditions of humanism, and as such is desirable and possible framework, worldview and content of the interreligious dialogue in BiH. Therefore, an alliance of believers and non-

believers is possible in connection with the building of a better world based on shared values because fundamental ethical values common to the world religions are precisely the values advocated by all the great philosophical traditions of the world humanistic orientation. Nowadays, a global ethic represents a model of saving swerve in the direction of opening to the other – we cannot survive without changing the consciousness of a man/village/community/world.

The idea of a global ethic does not advocate neither syncretism nor the domination of one religion over another, nor creation of a new unique global dimension of religion, but consciously-responsible cooperation of believers of different religions, including non-believers, in terms of building a better world, that emerges and allows deeper roots in their own religious tradition. Furthermore, Kristic pointed out that we need to understand the ethic as a repository of human possibilities to make the world a better place for coexistence because a

global ethic calls for the research of principles/foundations of our religions, just as the demand to research that what is common to all religions, and not what divides us. Kristic gave lectures on the following themes: "A Global Ethic: Rules of the Globalized World", "A Global Ethic - Jewish, Christian, Islamic and Philosophical Foundation", "A Global Ethic in BiH – Contextualization and Application", and "A Global Ethic and Religion Dialogue with Reference to Contemporary Issues".

Monja Suta-Hibert introduced us with lectures on the theme "A Global Ethic as a Pedagogical Project" and worked on the demonstration of double lessons. The first double lesson functions as an introduction to the topic and deals with the basics of world religions and the concept of "a global ethic". Another double lesson focuses on recognized and personal perceptions of values and considers values in the writings of the world's religions. The third double lesson deals with the particular conception of the common ethic, and the participants are introduced to the "Project A Global

Ethic". The fourth double lesson reflects the ethic drawn up in the context of current religious and social issues. Emphasis is placed on the problem set of "Terrorism – Christianity – Islam" and the Bible and the Qur'an. After each double lesson was done, double conclusion and review of all the dimensions of the implementation of the particular double lesson was done. Great teachers were able to present elements of a global ethic in a very didactic and methodical rhythm, in phases and stages of the whole day's work.

The main aim of this project is to introduce teachers of secondary schools to a global ethic and qualify them that they mediate principles and values of a global ethic to their students in a professional and systematic way. The training was organized with the approval of the Ministry of Education, Science and Youth of Canton Sarajevo, and the Educational-

Pedagogical Institute of Canton Sarajevo on the recommendation of the minister Abid Kunic, an assistant of the cantonal minister for preschool, elementary and secondary school. Participants received certificates for the successfull completion of the two-day training – teaching unit "Global Ethic in School".