« »

24 April 2007 15:46

Second Human Rebirth, Revival, and Development International Humanitarian Forum Starts Its Work

April 24, 2007, the Second Human Rebirth, Revival, and Development International Humanitarian Forum began.

The forum opened with the Upbringing of the Future: Values, Goals, and Technologies scholarly conference. Head of the Supervisory Board of the Ukraine 3000 International Charitable Fund Kateryna Yushchenko, Minister for Education and Science of Ukraine Stanislav Nikolayenko, Minister for Education and Science of the Autonomous Republic of the Crimea Valery Lavrov, President of the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine Vasyl Kremin,  Director of the Philosophy Institute of the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine Myroslav Popovych, Intel Charity and Education Director for EMEA Martina Roth, and professor for media law with the Heidelberg University (Germany) Karl Wilhelm Paul took part in the conference.

Addressing the audience, Mrs. Yushchenko outlined the Forum’s preconditions, its goal and mission.

Mrs. Kateryna spoke in more detail the contemporary situation in education and seeking ways to upgrading it to a new quality level. “In the last decades, renowned contemporary pedagogues have worked out models and methods worthy to be used in the future, adapting them to the new requirements. It is extremely important that we preserve, modernize, and continue the best traditions in pedagogical science,” she said. “In the contemporary world, knowledge has become the most important economic resource, while the developed countries make progress due to their intellectual capital and technologies transfer. This makes education a strategic priority for the state development. Together we’ll do everything possible to let our children grow up in a world providing them with all possibilities for full-fledged personal development,” Mrs. Yushchenko emphasized.

Among other speakers were President of the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine Vasyl Kremin (paper titled “High-Quality Education within the Context of Contemporary Civilization-wise Changes”), Vice President of the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine Vasyl Madzihon (“Designing the Educational Environment of the Future”), Rector of the National Drahomanov Pedagogical University Viktor Andrushchenko (“Spiritual Essence of Education”), Intel Charity and Education Director for EMEA Martina Roth (“European and Global Experience in Reforming the Education under Knowledge Economy”), professor for media law with the Heidelberg University (Germany) Karl Wilhelm Paul (“Blessings and Curses of Mass Media in Education and Science”), et. al.

In course of her speech, Intel Charity and Education Director for EMEA Martina Roth handed over to Mrs. Yushchenko a Honorary Diploma for the Ukraine 3000 International Charitable Fund from the Intel Corporation to recognize the Fund’s considerable contribution into the development and renewal of education in Ukraine.

After the conference, three panels started their simultaneous work: Theoretical and Methodical Issues in Cultivating Spirituality and Human Revival, Search for Ways to Renew the Essence of Education and Upbringing, and Introducing Innovative Educational Values in Modern Educational Institutions and Public Alliances.

The first day of the Forum will end with a plenary session.

The Second Human Rebirth, Revival, and Development International Humanitarian Forum will take place April 23 to 27, 2007, at the Artek International Children’s Center. The Forum’s exclusive sponsor is the EDAPS Consortium, partners – PROUN, UNESCO, and UNICEF, technical support by Intel and AlterNet.

On April 25-27, presentations, master class, pedagogical workshops, and round tables will be held. Besides, the Forum participants will work on the Education of the Future Manifesto, the central event of the conference. The Education of the Future Manifesto is goaled at defining the strategy for education renewal through a transition from education as a system for impairing knowledge to education as composite upbringing. Signing the Manifesto is scheduled for April 27 (at the Educational Summit).

The Second International Human Rebirth, Revival, and Development Humanitarian Forum is another link in a chain of public initiatives started and implemented by the Ukraine 3000 International Charitable Fund in its Tomorrow area.

In April 2006, the First International Human Rebirth, Revival, and Development Humanitarian Forum was held, dedicated to natural disaster. The Forum, timed to coincide with the twentieth anniversary of Chernobyl, resulted in signing the Manifesto of Human Responsibility, outlining a plan for strategic initiatives that will allow the humanity to prevent manmade disasters.