European-Muslim Cultural Dialogue
The CrossCulture internships address young people, already in employment, or just starting their careers, working on a volunteer basis for Non-Governmental Organisations and Institutions, or in the media, and offers them an opportunity to develop their professional and intercultural competence, thus extending both the participating cultures' ability and willingness to engage in dialogue.
The courses are intended for participants from Muslim countries and Germany.
The objective
Through the internships young people can gain (at two levels) important experience within the context of their work: they obtain an overview of structures and potential contacts in the partner country which may prove useful for future cooperation, once the participants have returned to their home countries.
This will enhance networking opportunities between organisations and institutions in Germany and in the Muslim world.
Practical work in an organisation/institution in the partner country will also give the participants an awareness of the cultural characteristics and behavioural patterns of that country. Reintegrating returning participants into their original organisations/institutions will allow their insights to filter through.
The participants' experience and ideas of dialogue and understanding will affect their institutions'/organisations' work and thereby also be communicated to the public in their home countries.
The target groups and focus areas
• Knowledge society and education
• Judicial dialogue and human rights
• The media
• Youth exchange
• Political education
The target groups are young professionals and volunteer workers in different areas of Civil Society and people able to act as multipliers in institutions/organisations and the media that are relevant for reform processes.
In accordance with the results of the Arab Human Development Reports 2002, 2003 and 2004 Arab participants will primarily represent organisations/institutions playing an important role in education and in the establishment of knowledge societies in the Arab/Muslim world in general.
Moreover, multipliers from institutions and organisations active in other fields important for reform should be approached as well, primarily from areas such as judicial dialogue and human rights, the media, youth exchange and political education.
On the German side we target people active in the relevant partner organisations as well as young people working full-time or as volunteers in organisations and institutions where intercultural experience constitutes a prerequisite for success at work.
The internship structure
An internship will last for up to three months. The Stuttgart Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations will organize the application process, the provision of detailed information on the participation criteria and modalities in the Muslim world, supported by the German Embassies abroad. In Germany, the Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations will itself be responsible.
Would-be participants in the CrossCulture internship programme are required to know German or English.
Travel expenditure and accommodation costs for participants will be paid from the project funds.
The internships will be accompanied by framework events, individual visits and opportunities for meetings.
The CrossCulture Internships are special because they can to a large extent be customised as regards both content and organisation, according to the wishes and requirements of the participants.
The Programme is a new, flexible instrument based on established structures and intending to further develop exchange and to bring the partners closer together.
For further information and the application forms please contact the project leader Dr. Katharina Kilian-Yasin (kilian@ifa.de).
The ifa-Forum Dialogue and Understanding is a project within the framework of the "European-Muslim Cultural Dialogue" organized by the Germany's Federal Foreign Office.
Application deadline is 15 December 2005.
Responsible for the ifa Forum Dialogue and Understanding:
Barbara Kuhnert
Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen
Charlottenplatz 17
70173 Stuttgart
Germany
Tel.: +49 711 22 25 - 143
Fax: +49 711 22 25 - 195
For further information on the Forum Dialogue and Understanding, click here.