Summit between West Chester University, Pennsylvania, USA and Universidad Nacional, Heredia Costa Rica. Global Library Literacy Initiative: An Intercultural Learning Experience

 This document describes the experience of academic cooperation between professionals in the field of library science, both from West Chester University (WCU), and the National University (UNA) of Costa Rica. The event took place at West Chester University during the week May 4th to May 8th, 2009. The objectives of this revolved around the exchange of ideas and interests in the academic and cultural relations between the two universities. In addition, it unveiled several services and procedures in the handling of information and highlighted the importance of promoting the exchange of students from both institutions. Finally, this article highlights the schedule of activities to integrate international and intercultural perspective in various areas related to the teaching-learning process, the contribution of university libraries on student success and techniques of information dissemination.

Instituciones emergentes: perspectivas de la formación universitaria intercultural en el contexto de los movimientos sociales latinoamericanos y el ambiente

Resumen Y pasados varios siglos de exterminios dirigidos bajo el presupuesto de la colonización, en América Latina  se levantan minorías mestizas e indígenas demandando el derecho a la educación universitaria. Este viene siendo un proceso orgánico, paralelo a los esquemas impuestos a nivel gubernamental, que ha dado énfasis únicamente a la educación primaria y en el cual las ciencias de las culturas dominantes son la única posibilidad formal de conocer e interpretar el mundo.

Componentes teóricos para la comprensión de la pedagogía intercultural como práctica docente

Nowadays, a topic that arises in the educational domain as an answer to the demands of an increasingly diverse society which also demands processes of inclusion is, without a doubt, the concept of interculturalism. There are several conceptual approaches that are far from creating a pedagogy of interculturalism, specially when interculturalism is valued as a philosophy, which requires the development of a new teacher who is not only capable of recycling him/herself but who is also aware of the paradigmatic changes that interculturalism demands. The article presents an approach to the theoretical components for the understanding of intercultural pedagogy as an educational practice. It begins with a brief presentation of the current educational system, followed by the interpretation of human rights as a fundamental issue of human diversity, and certain approaches and clarification models for interculturalism in elementary school. Finally, the article briefly discusses some of teacher’s intercultural competencies in the face of such diversity.

Pedagogía intercultural: ¿un eufemismo para tranquilizar conciencias o una alternativa para la transformación?

The present article it entails the revision of some aspects of the Costa Rican pedagogy, especially in the epistemology area, ethics and the policies as fundamental dimensions of education. From there, it also proposes the revision of its intercultural practices in order to determine whether what it is called in the CIDE (UNA) Intercultural Pedagogy it is just another euphemism than comes from outside and above. If we receive it without major analysis in order not to disturb our comfortable being in the world, reality, or as an alternative of transformation of the Costa Rican society.

El régimen jurídico de la educación intercultural en España

ResumenEste artículo define los conceptos de multiculturalismo y de interculturalidad como el marco para la integración de inmigrantes dentro del ordenamiento jurídico español. La interculturalidad es una solución al multiculturalismo (existencia de varias culturas en el mismo territorio). La interculturalidad es entendida como diálogo entre las culturas en pie de igualdad (desde el punto de vista formal) y, por tanto, como un proceso bidireccional. Un instrumento esencial para la consolidación de la integración es la educación intercultural. El análisis de las normas españolas sobre la educación intercultural es el contenido de este trabajo.Palabras clave: interculturalidad, integración de inmigrantes, educación intercultural, España.AbstractThis article defines the multiculturalism and interculturality concepts as the framework for the integration of immigrants within the Spanish regulation. The interculturality is a solution to the multiculturalism (existence of several cultures in the same territory). The interculturality is understood like dialogue between the cultures equally (from the formal point of view), therefore, as a bidirectional process. An essential instrument for the consolidation of the integration is the intercultural education. The analysis of the Spanish laws on the intercultural education is the content of this work.Keywords: Interculturalism, integration of immigrants, intercultural education, Spain.