European Identity - Individual, Group and Society - HumanitarianNet

THE EUROPEAN DIMENSION OF EDUCATION 93—Knowing and understanding the present European reality. Areality characterised by its plural society, by trying to hold anddefend some principles (democracy, social justice, humanrights) and some values (such as solidarity, tolerance, respect,interculturalism, or diversity), but full of contradictions.Knowing the European Union and international institutions,and their functions, that have been created. Knowing theircurrent achievements and problems.—Knowing future projections for today’s Europe, which is in aperiod of creation, and comprehending the singularity andtranscendence of historical process living in Europe today.2. Educating citizens about the existing difficulties or obstacles inorder to build that united and peaceful Europe.—Knowing and understanding existing difficulties. Social movementsthat become obstacles, such as excluding nationalisms,unbalanced situations, or social and political exclusion ofparticular groups of population (women, youngsters, thosewho don’t belong to the European community, etc.).—Knowing the necessity of international solidarity and value.Without this, it would be difficult to create a feeling of identitywhich allows a feeling of equality.—Raising public awareness of existent influences in Europeitself and their states of double standards, created in part byglobalization (the difficult reconciliation between promotingpossessive individualism in the accumulation of capital and thesuggestion that citizenry should have public responsibilities).To critically analyse the effects (pros and cons) of globalization.3. Understanding that Europe has to be built on the basis ofinclusion not exclusion. Appreciating the value of inclusion.—Understanding that in that Europe of conflicts, the biggestcultural value could focus on the manner in which differenceswish to be articulated and combined using dialogue andnegotiation as a starting point, from which controversialsubjects could be revealed to build a more just world.—Developing social abilities such as empathy and certainty thathelp facilitate understanding between people.—Understanding diversity in European society to provokeattitudes of respect and appreciation of diversity.