Building Bridges Across Cultures Through Education by Rogelio Dela Cruz (April, 2004)

Our times have witness violent conflicts within and between nations resulting in wars. The phenomenon of war seems to be a continuing activity of human society. As far back as ancient of Greece, historians have tried to discover the causes of wars. Michael Howard of Oxford University finds human psychology not very different from what it was in the day of the Greek historian Thucydides (400 B.C) when Sparta waged war out of fear of Athenian power. Through the centuries, Many explanations of war have been offered: ignorance, immaturity, survival of the fittest, and pathological aberration. Nonetheless, Howard still holds that state go to war for specific ends- that war is a product of human reason. In war, Howard sees the power of a particular state, with all its political and cultural overtones. He believes that with modern technology, the scope of war has changed, but not its goals. At the same time he argues that some things have changed. The stakes are higher, given the nuclear capacity to devase. Revulsion to war, though not universal, is far more widespread. So he concludes that war will continue to be an instrument to policy, so long as nations think that fighting can achieve more than remaining at peace. The Middle East war seems to support this contention. And this event had, in fact, turned out to be of global; proportions with obvious international implications.

On the other hand, we see in our times an ardent aspiration for true lasting peace. Concerned groups try to overcome fear, topple distrust, foster solidarity and brotherhood, promote knowledge of and respect for cultural values. The spirit of peace and the will to preserve peace are being untiringly pursued and consolidated. The need to build the defenses of peace in minds of men and women is discussed often and variedly. In this vital task, one of the emerging ideas is the possibility of faithful dialogues between cultures. In this connection, education is seen as having an important role in building bridge across cultures. Education is seen as a catalyst for cultural dialogue, and not simply for the critical assimilation of a particular culture as had been prevalent. Education for cultural dialogue is made more relevant by the fact that most societies nowadays are multicultural in nature.

OBJECTIVES OF AN EDUCATION FOR CULTURAL DIALOGUE
Education for the dialogue of cultures aims to:

Promote the idea that cultural as well as ethic differences are positive elements.


Familiarize each cultural group with the cultural traits of the other groups since all cultures are as valid and as relevant as one’s own.


Provide different cultural aspects to students to help them become interested in other cultures such as the music, literature, and way of living of other people.


Form listening attitudes as well as intellectual, social and emotional skills which will help students settle down adequately and be well integrated in a multicultural society, as will certainly be that of the future.


Develop in the students a growing awareness of global interdependence, the need for international understanding and cooperation as well as positive attitudes towards peace, justice and human rights.


THE CENTRALITY OF MAN
Education must have a solid basis, a foundation for its entire endeavor. Since historical times, human groups have searched for this basis and have found it to be man as a person and as a member of society.

The world today seems prepared to accept the centrality of man in goals to be search for and built. The outlook on man as a supreme value and ultimate goals for himself and for others has come to be called humanistic. Humanism is sometimes understood as an alternative to religion. This is the case when a definition is made such as this: Humanism is any system of thought or action which is concerned with merely human interests (as distinguish from divine) with those of the human race in general (as distinguish from individual). However, it is possible to rework the same definition thus: Humanism is any system of thought or action which is concerned with human interests both individual and collective. The term humanism, though a variable one, has a strong appeal to the sensibility of our times. When we speak of humanism, we do not limit it to a humanism whose roots are found in the European Renaissance. We take it in the boarder sense of its stress on what tends to render man more truly human, to unfold those qualities in him which are in accord with his human nature and is open to the Transcendent.

Vatican II in its conciliar documents has spoken of the birth of a new humanism that is linked with scientific progress as well.

When formulating its aims, mapping out its objectives, programs and methodologies, education centers all and bases all on the concept of the human person.