This symposium was co-organized by OIDEL and UNESCO and took place on the campus of the University of Paris I Panthéon Sorbonne. The event was introduced by Ms. Christine Neau-Ledu, President of the University, Mr. Gwng Chol Chang, Chief of the Section for Educational Policies of UNESCO, and Ignasi Grau, Director of OIDEL. Ms. Neau-Ledu welcomed everyone to Sorbonne University and invited the speakers to reflect on the link between identity and coexistence. Mr. Chang thanked OIDEL for organizing this symposium and welcomed all speakers. Mr. Grau emphasized that identity allows us to find answers to existential problems of a moral nature, belonging, and solidarity. If we do not reflect on how education becomes a tool for belonging and if we denigrate those that exist, the new generations will look for these references on the internet and at the margins of society.

The first round table “Identity and education: what are we talking about and what is the link between the two?” was moderated by mathematician and former Sorbonne president, Mr. Georges Haddad moderated this panel. The speakers were Mr. Gwng Chol Chang, Chief of the Education Policy Section at UNESCO, Mr. Kishore Singh, former UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education, Mr. Enrico Letta, former Italian Prime Minister and Mr. Giuseppe Tognon, Professor at LUMSA and former Minister of Higher Education in Italy.

Mr. Chang emphasized that quality education is education that is responsive to the needs and dispositions of the child. As stated in article 5 of the UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity, “all  persons  are  entitled  to  quality education  and  training  that  fully  respect  their  cultural identity”. Without diversity in education, this goal cannot be achieved.

Mr. Singh spoke about the crisis of humanity and values and its impact on educational policies. A reflection on identity in education requires a reflection on values.

Mr. Letta reflected on key notions for a holistic consideration of identity as a flexible and changing reality. Thus education must necessarily take into account coexistence, polarization, the role of the teacher, and the characteristics of the learner. Furthermore, in the current world, we have to take into consideration social networks and the digital space.

Mr. Tognon concluded the first panel by reflecting on the role of knowledge and ignorance in the construction of identity.

The second panel was entitled “Clues to think about identity in education in a plural world?”.  Claire de Lavernette, OIDEL representative to the Council of Europe, moderated this panel. The speakers were Conrad Hugues, director of Ecolint, the first international school in history, Arja Krauchenberg, former president of the European Parents Association, and Pierre Marsollier, delegate general for political relations at the General Secretariat of French Catholic Education.

Mr. Hugues emphasized how diversity and interculturality are experienced naturally at Ecolint and he proposed listening to students as a cornerstone of this success.

Mme. Krauchenberg pointed to the paradox of using the plural in discussions about identities, diversities, and pluralisms, while we refer to education in the singular. She also emphasized the importance of adapting education to the needs of the child and the central role of the family and parents as the interlocutors of these needs.

Mr. Marsollier noted the importance of distinguishing between student identity and school identity. In this sense, the approach to identity must go beyond neutrality.

In his closing speech, OIDEL director Ignasi Grau referred to the former director of OIDEL, Alfred Fernández, who had a great passion for the topic discussed at the symposium. Grau thanked all the speakers for their contributions and concluded by recalling Alfred’s quote, which presides over the OIDEL offices: “A denial of education is a denial of humanity”.

You can download the e-book with the content of these sessions here.