GERFEC was established in 1979 to help young people and their teachers to understand other European people, and to encourage openness to global solidarity. It provides a framework for meetings between European teachers or teacher trainers. Teachers have a role to play as mediators, as sources of knowledge, as guides, as informers and as cultural mediators.

To achieve this, GERFEC organises training courses on educational issues in Europe from the perspective of education for peace, respect for human rights, interreligious and interconvictional dialogue and education for democratic citizenship.

The issues covered fall within the scope of the White Paper: how can we live together in mutual esteem when we do not share the same culture, the same history, the same convictions or the same worldview? How can we recognise the dignity of differences and build peace between us and around us, in a diverse society that has become our world?

Within the Conference of INGOs at the Council of Europe, Gerfec participates in the work of the committees for inter-religious and inter- convictional dialogue.

Participatory status in 2013

Geographical representation: Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, United Kingdom

Accreditations: UNESCO – CCIC

Main focus of activity:

• Research into intercultural and interconvictional education
• Teacher training
• Interconvictional and interreligious dialogue
• Education for non-violence and the fight against hate speech
• The organisation of international seminars in the field of education
• Empathetic communication