OSCE/ODIHR, Ireland’s Immigrant Council hold consultations in Dublin to develop educational materials to counter intolerance against Muslims

Representatives of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Immigrant Council of Ireland held consultations with students, Muslim community associations and teachers as part of joint efforts to develop new guidelines for teachers on countering intolerance against Muslims, from 8 to 11 October in Dublin.

"The process of consultations with all stakeholders is of utmost importance in producing sensitive, informed and contextualized resource materials for teachers to use in the classroom to address intolerance against Muslims," said Dermana Seta, ODIHR Adviser on Combating Intolerance and Discrimination against Muslims.

The project builds on ODIHR’s Guidelines for Educators on Countering Intolerance and Discrimination against Muslims, developed in partnership with the Council of Europe and UNESCO, and on the commitments made by OSCE participating States to encourage public and private educational programmes that promote tolerance and non-discrimination. The first round of consultations on the new guidelines took place in Dublin in March.

Kathryn Moore, a teacher of Civic, Social and Political Education and participant in the consultations, said: "As a teacher facing an increasingly diverse student body every year, it is encouraging to see the emergence of this resource."

“The Immigrant Council of Ireland is delighted to co-operate with ODIHR on this important project, which will give teachers the tools to address and prevent intolerance against Muslims in Ireland and beyond,” said Joe O'Brian, the Council’s Integration Outreach Officer.