"Working Document of the International Society for History Didactics
Adopted by the International Meeting

Tutzing, September 15 - 18, 2003

The meeting representing professionals from different countries on four continents expresses the belief that history education should have as its goal the formation of a free individual capable of independent democratic and socially responsible judgement, rather than purposes of overt and covert indoctrination. In order to help implement this goal we call upon the community of history educators and all concerned bodies to promote through international professional cooperation the understanding of world history as an integral part of history education in all forms and on all levels, not only through schools and other educational institutions but also through extramural activities including education through mass media.
The new historical awareness is needed today to understand how the world came to the present state, to bridge the past and present cleavages, to articulate understanding and comprehension for cultural differences, to make the world a safer and better place in which to live."

 

During our conference at Tutzing from 15.-18.9.2003 we decided:

1. Conference in Rabat/Morocco from 22.9. - 25.9.2004
Theme: To cope with history - to cope with the other. History teaching as intercultural dialogue

Preliminary programm:

21.9.2004

arrival


22.9.2004
morning: welcome speeches and introductory lecture (e.g. Moroccan historiography since the independence)
afternoon: ethnocentrisme: to perceive the own
23.9.2004
morning: stereotypes: the perception of the other
afternoon: excursion through Rabat
24.9.2004
the whole day: meetings: experiences and proposals for future
25.9.2004
morning: working teams with Moroccan experts
afternoon: reports of the working teams and summarizing report of the conference


Moroccan history teachers will participate. From there all contributions will be translated into Arabic. So all contributions must be sent in French to the president (please send a diskette and the paper print). Obviously you can give your contribution in one of the three languages of our society.

2. International Congress of Historical Sciences in Sydney/Australia from 3rd to 9th July 2005

Our society will have two sections:

a) Teaching and learning world history - the global challenge
chairman: Luigi Cajani, Rome
b) The view on the other in history teaching (textbooks/teachers)
chairwoman: Elisabeth Erdmann, Erlangen-Nürnberg

Please note for both conferences:
Registrations and the themes of your planned contribution have to be at the president in the middle of March 2004. Otherwise we can't plan the Rabat conference. Concerning Sydney we are obliged to keep the points given by ICHS.