The representation of the International organization on migration (IOM) in Ukraine presented on April, 7th, the first for years of independence manual “A man in a multicultural society”, directed on counteraction of xenophobia and called to spread idea of cultural variety. The textbook is intended for teachers and students of high educational institutions of Ukraine, and its edition is carried out with financial support of the Fund of strategic programs of the government of Great Britain.

As it was marked during the presentation, it is teamwork of a group of authors into which entered teachers of several leading universities of Ukraine, in particular, the Kiev National University of T.Shevchenko, the Kiev-Mohyla Academy, the National Pedagogical University of M.Dragomanov, the National Medical University of A.Bogomolets, the National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences, etc.

The expert of the project, managing laboratory of social education of the Institute of Pedagogic of the NAPS Elena Pometun noticed that the training course “A man in a multicultural society” is not obligatory for studying - the decision on it will accept an academic council of each educational institution. After the termination of the press of the grant, it will be offered to all high schools, and copies will arrive in university libraries, “but we cannot recommend to someone apply such course, this is the business of a high school”, she noted.

Thus the expert paid attention that in 2000 year tolerance level in Ukraine was one of the highest on the post-Soviet territory, but nowadays in the country is observed the steady tendency to its reduction that is also confirmed by sociological researches.

Pometun noticed that when nowadays we speak about problems of a multicultural society we recollect an issue of language, the Crimean problem and that “we do not see that in the leading high schools of Ukraine where study foreign students, there are already displays of intolerant behavior, and sometimes direct demonstration of xenophobia and racism.”Unfortunately, there is no direct reaction to it of teaching and educational process neither at school, nor at high school”, she ascertained.

In this connection authors of the grant tried to put problem issues in that kind in what they exist in modern multicultural space of Ukraine, “at least to draw to it attention of young men”, E.Pometun noted.

The training course consists of several sections, calculated for 54 hours and is destined for students of 3-4 courses of high educational institutions of mainly humanitarian direction; however its separate sections at will of teachers can be included into other humanitarian courses.

By “Public space”

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