Training on the social, pedagogical and psychological support of students from among refugees, forcibly displaced persons and foreign citizens for pedagogical workers of vocational training institutions became one in a row of the activities organized on the eve of World Refugee Day. The training is designed in two phases, the second part will be held in the autumn of 2018. The first stage of the event took place on May 28-29, 2018 and was organized by the Republican Institute of Vocational Training in cooperation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Non-Governmental Association for Scientific Research, Information and Educational Programmes “Evolutio” on the basis of the Industrial and Pedagogical College of Minsk.
30 specialists of the vocational training system of the Republic of Belarus took part in the training.
The event began with welcoming words from UNHCR officials and organizers.
Maryna Melnik, UNHCR Programmatic Assistant of the UNHCR Office in the Republic of Belarus, spoke about the UNHCR global strategy, introduced the main aspects of the problems of forced migration in the world and in Belarus and provided statistics.
Liubou Kravets, INA “Evolutio” Public Information Assistant, highlighted in her presentation the international aspects of multiculturalism and multicultural education. She spoke about the evolution of the multiculturalism policy, singled out the main models, gave examples. Also in his speech, L. Kravets gave examples of the implementation of multicultural education into educational institutions on the example of the American model.
Valentina Gorbatyuk, Head of the Department of Methodical Support of Social, Educational and Psychological Activities of the RIVT, held a training session “Introduction” and a practical training “Peculiarities of socialization of foreign citizens in the Republic of Belarus”, during which participants got acquainted with each other, became more united, and in a good mood continued working.
Svetlana Zhabko, Deputy Director for Educational Work of the Industrial and Pedagogical College, held a practical lesson “Peculiarities of the organization of training and advanced training of foreign citizens in vocational training institutions of the Republic of Belarus”.
Svetlana Butrim, Deputy Head of the Center for Scientific and Methodological Support of the Educational Work of RIVT, conducted a practical lesson “Belarus is a country of peace and national accord”, during which the participants of the seminar actively worked in groups. They were given the task to come up with forms of events to represent Belarus for aliens arriving to Belarus. Tolerance and integration are a two-way directed action. To get acquainted and accept traditions and customs of other cultures, it is necessary to know and understand traditions and characteristics of one’s own country well, to be able to respect and encourage them.
On the second day of the seminar Svetlana Butrim conducted a training session “Constructive Communication” aimed at people’s interaction, where the interlocutors are able to hear and understand each other’s opinions getting something useful and valuable for themselves.
Ekaterina Novitskaya, Organization and Methodological Support Assistant of the INA “Evolutio”, further in her presentation, highlighted the problems of using terms and false stereotypes in relation to refugees and migrants in modern society. She also talked about the main aspects of intercultural communication, as well as about national peculiarities on the examples of Japan, Turkmenistan and Germany. Having illustrated the peculiarities of cultures and traditions of these states, she also spoke about the characteristics for these countries etiquette and behavior in society.
In her speech, which concluded the first part of the training, Valentina Gorbatyuk once again disclosed the actual aspects of social and pedagogical support and psychological assistance to students from among refugees, forcibly displaced persons and foreign citizens, held a reflection, summed up the results of the seminar.
The participants of the seminar expressed their warmest words to the organizers, as well as wishes for the second part of the training, which will be held in the autumn of 2018. On behalf on the organizers we will also try to make the continuation of the training productive, useful from a practical point of view and, of course, inspiring.