Democratic and Inclusive Education of Teachers in Europe

GERFEC was created in 1979 in France. The acronym GERFEC (Groupement Européen pour la Recherche et la Formation des Enseignants Chrétiéns, Croyants et de toutes Convictions) is in French as GERFEC started in France. Gradually English was introduced along with French as one of the two official languages. In the Council of Europe all documents issued are presented in these languages. GERFEC as an European NGO ought to follow this procedure. In our meetings we translate simultaneously according to the needs of participants present. Most European teachers work in multicultural classrooms where pupils from many different countries, ethnicities, religions, and convictions meet. Language is a key to understanding other people and cultures. GERFEC offers a safe place for an authentic intercultural and interconvictional dialogue to take place. According to our experiences over the years, these learning procedures inspire new personal and professional development. In this book authentic experiences are presented in the two languages, English and French to mirror how both languages are used in the work of GERFEC.