Educating Communities for the Development of Intercultural Competence

Abstract

The main purpose of the educational and training system, especially in today’s increasingly complex and multicultural context, is to promote the development of intercultural competence, the possession of which is arguably essential for the conscious exercise of world citizenship. To achieve this, we cannot refer merely to a single technical-professional group of teachers, educators or trainers, but must instead extend responsibility to all categories without exception: parents, instructors, facilitators, etc. The reason must be sought in the construct of intercultural competence itself, which emphasises the active role of the individual to mobilise and orchestrate their resources by acting on material and social reality (Pellerey, 2004); therefore, in order to be appropriately monitored and assessed, it is necessary to adopt the use of various stakeholders. This article is written as a critical appraisal of the concept of intercultural competence and especially some key issues in the appraisal process, which should be addressed through consultation with the educating community sector.