OAS Inter-American Program on Education for Democratic Values and Practices
Presented by: Romina Giselle Kasman, External Education Consultant, Organization of the American States
Presented at: Sustainable Regional Education Efforts for Safer More Inclusive Communities Working Group, Heredia, Costa Rica
Date of Session: November 9 – 10, 2010
Session Description: The Organization of American States (OAS) is an international organization which provides an umbrella for regional political dialogue that can then be transformed into strategic cooperation in a variety of areas, including conflict resolution education. Education, while a right in the Americas, still faces challenges in terms of improving quality, efficiency and equity. Citizenship education is a critical component in the democratization process. The OAS has played an important role in building a democratic and peace culture in the Americas through its Inter-American Program on Education for Democratic Values and Practices which was adopted at the Ministers of Education meeting in Trinidad and Tobago in 2005 and ratified by the OAS at its General Assembly meetings in 2006, 2008, 2009, and 2010. The program is a hemispheric alliance of private and public sector representatives with the long term goal to promote and strengthen the creation of a culture of democracy through education.