Intercultural dialogue is a concept and discourse that dates back to the 1980s. It is the major
means for managing diversity and strengthening democracy within Europe and beyond. It has been
adopted by the United Nations UNESCO and the Council of Europe as the basis for interreligious
and interfaith initiatives and has become increasingly associated with a liberal theory of
modernity and internationalism that presupposes freedom democracy human rights and tolerance.
It is now the dominant paradigm for 'cultural policy' and the educational basis for the
development of intercultural understanding. Governments have placed their hope in intercultural
education as the way to avoid the worst excesses of globalization especially exclusion and
marginalization and the problems of xenophobia and racism that afflict European societies.
Interculturalism Education and Dialogue is an international collection by renowned scholars
who examine the ideological underpinnings of the European model and its global applications. It
explores the historical philosophical and educational dimensions of intercultural dialogue.
