Located in the region of Bavaria, the city 
of Munich is one of the main economic 
hubs in Germany. With almost one and 
a half million inhabitants, the capital of 
Bavaria is also a young, dynamic and 
multi-cultural city. 23% of its population is 
foreign born, mainly from Turkey, Croatia, 
Serbia, Montenegro, Greece, Austria, Italy, 
Bosnia Herzegovina and Poland. Children 
under 6 years of age make up 14.4% of the 
immigrant population.
Any day care centre in Munich can have 
up to 30 different nationalities. In the 
face of this rich multi-cultural reality, the 
department of Education of the City Council 
of Munich decided to start up a cross-cultural 
education project in these centres in order 
to put together practical experiences with 
theoretical knowledge based on more than 30 
years of development. 
The pilot phase of the project began in 2001 and 
nowadays has been implemented in 50 day care 
centres, with different socio-cultural realities, 
across the entire municipality. The main goals are 
to create a positive cross-cultural atmosphere, 
promote activities related to cultural diversity, 
and strengthen quality pedagogical proposals 
that increase the educational opportunities of 
all children.
This project involves entities such as the Bavarian 
Institute for Childhood and Education (Institut 
für Frühpädagogik), the German Institute of 
Youth (Deutsches Jugendinstitute), universities, 
the government of the state of Bavaria and the 
city council of Munich.
The day care centres are based on the “pedagogy 
of diversity”, in which children from all parts 
of the world learn to coexist with cultural and 
linguistic diversity, which is one of the most 
important sources of enrichment. Some of 
the materials given to the day care centres to 
approach cultural diversity are the 5-continents 
“cross-cultural kits” containing different 
materials and objects (such as videos, musical 
instruments, traditional clothing, masks, etc.) in 
order to work on aspects (continued on page 2) 
“Day Care Centres in Munich are 
putting into practice the concep-
tualization of cross-cultural educa-
tion after having accumulated more 
than 30 years experience, in order 
to promote tolerance and respect 
among different cultures, creating 
a way of working in education based 
on non-discrimination on the basis 
of origin, language or religion”
experience 
Cross-Cultural Education in Munich 
editorial
Local realities are more and more inter-
connected globally. Indeed, the role of 
international networks of cities is to foster 
this very communication, and reinforce the 
importance of local identities in a globalised 
world. In this context, the International 
Association of Educating Cities (IAEC) is a major 
platform for the exchange of ideas, experiences 
and working methodologies amongst its 
member cities.
In order to better respond to the specifi c 
needs of local governments and work in 
depth on issues that interest them the most in 
connection with its founding Charter, the IAEC 
also drives the formation of territorial networks 
amongst its member cities in the same country 
or region.
There are at this time fi ve territorial networks: 
Brazil (coordinated by Belo Horizonte), Spain 
(Granollers), France (Lyon), Italy (Turin) and 
Portugal (coordinated by a committee of seven 
cities), to which we will soon have to add the 
Mexican network. Moreover, the IAEC has two 
delegations covering various countries: Latin 
America (coordinated by Rosario) and Central 
Europe (Budapest). (continued on page 3)
Playing African drums
 On 28 November, the city of León 
hosted the National Congress of Mexican 
Educating Cities, in which the cities of 
Guadalajara, León, Mendoza, México D.F., 
Playa del Carmen, Puebla, Tlxacala, Victoria 
and Zapopan presented their best practices 
on the theme of “Lifelong Learning”. 
 On 13 and 14 November Budapest 
organised the 8th Central European 
Meeting on the theme of “The Moving 
City”. More than 70 participants exchanged 
experiences and thoughts on the changes 
that their cities are going through. The new 
Action Plan for the region proposes delving 
deeper into the concept of the Educating 
City through a series of mini-conferences, 
workshops, on-line forums, etc.  
 From 22-24 October, Lyon hosted 
the training seminar entitled: “Common 
European Indicators in Public Policy for 
Early Childhood”, for the Early Childhood 
Thematic Network. Addressed to technical 
expert managers and elected offi cials, the 
seminar focused on the importance of the 
use of indicators in the evaluation process 
for public policies in this area.
 Approximately 20 delegates from the 
French Network met on 8 October in 
Rennes to discuss collaborations with the 
main associations in the world of education 
in France. These collaborations are united 
by the objective of bringing positions on 
educational reform closer together.
related to culture, art, religion and the history 
of different continents. Another very popular 
set contains handmade dolls, with different 
cultural backgrounds. 
The staff includes specialists in cross-cultural 
education who advise and provide support to 
the different day care centres, fi fty educators 
who manage the project at the centres 
level and a coordinator-consultant from the 
university.
In order to be able to carry out the project 
the educators receive training and coaching 
in cross-cultural education and receive 
advice through regional working meetings. 
At the same time, during the course of this 
project, a great deal of importance is given 
to the involvement of the families, who act 
as collaborators, in order to improve the 
educational results of their children. To 
do so, intensive work is done with parents 
through dialogue, mediation, advice and 
their involvement in the use of guidance 
materials. Also different training programs 
are addressed to families, such as, for 
example, the “Language Courses”, through 
which parents have the chance to increase 
their knowledge of German at the same day 
care centres that their children attend.
One of the key points of the project is the 
development of language, which is the key 
to education. In order to get best results a 
holistic approach is required. Language is 
supported in all the guidance materials used 
in the educational process of the children 
and combined with other disciplines, such as 
physical exercise or art. Children and family 
literacy are important categories which 
give them many opportunities to come in 
contact with all kinds of books, which are 
also written in their own language. At the 
same time, linguistic diversity of the children 
is included in the classroom activities and 
the educators from other nationalities use 
their language when the guidance materials 
require it. To give the children a good start 
in kindergarten, a small book showing scenes 
of daily life which matter to them was written 
and translated into many different languages. 
Similarly, a “Pre-School German” course, a 
project of the Bavarian government in which 
teachers from day care centres and schools 
collaborate, is helping children to get a better 
start at school.
Only one year after the implementation of 
the project, good results have been noted, as 
shown in the evaluation report submitted in 
2003 to the Department of Day Care Centres 
of Munich. This report includes a high degree 
of satisfaction of the children and families, 
the recognition by German families of 
cultural diversity as an enriching factor for 
their children, and the high marks for the 
support provided to the day care centres 
teachers. During all these years constructive, 
active cooperation has been forged between 
teachers, families and children in all the 
day care centres, which is refl ected in 
their solid reputation. The development of 
the implementation of this project and its 
practical results were incorporated into the 
video entitled “Fortune Cookies”. 
You can fi nd more detailed information about 
this experience at the website www.edcities.org 
presented by: City Council of Munich
contact: Ms. Eleonore Hartl-Grötsch
Director of the Day Care Centre Department
02 Educating Cities
experience
Cross-Cultural Education in Munich 
city networks
e-mail: eleonore.hartl-groetsch@muenchen.de
web: www.muenchen.de/Rathaus/scu/kitas
Handmade dolls
Budapest
Lyon
interview
These groupings of cities permit decentralised 
ways of working and strengthen the paths of 
cooperation between local governments facing 
similar challenges and striving to meet similar 
objectives. Furthermore, these networks have 
become privileged channels of communication 
between their member cities and management 
bodies of the Association.  The activities that 
have been carried out include: congresses, 
training seminars, working groups, and edition 
of bulletins, journals and other publications, etc.
The networks have been gaining importance 
as the Association grows; becoming a key tool 
for achieving the Association’s Action Plan at 
the international level, and in raising the voices 
of local governments to higher national and 
international levels of decision-making.  Being 
aware of the importance of the diversity of 
territorial realities of which the Association 
is comprised; the recent modifi cation of its 
Statutes gives these networks a specifi c 
position in the Executive Committee.
The Secretariat of the IAEC
C/Avinyó 15, 4th fl oor
08002 Barcelona (Spain)
Ph. + 34 93 342 77 20  
Fax. +34 93 342 77 29
E-mail: bidce@bcn.cat
You have had a long career in the military 
and in education, has this background helped 
you in your work as Mayor of Quito?
Undoubtedly. I think that one of the strengths 
of the current municipal situation has been 
the participatory work, in which a pedagogy 
of dialogue has prevailed; that is what we 
have encouraged in schools where we have 
worked (…).  The restoration of the historical 
centre of Quito is one of the best examples 
of this methodology. It permitted relocating 
hundreds of informal vendors in modern 
shopping centres, people who for decades had 
been hawking in public spaces. The didactics of 
making our historical, cultural heritage known 
and the management model for conserving our 
historical centre are very much admired around 
the world.
One of your fi rst projects after winning 
the mayoralty in 2000 was the Quito 21st 
Century Plan.  How has it developed?
The Quito 21st Century Plan was augmented, 
later on, by the Citizen Equinoccio 21 Document, 
tied to the Quito 2025 Strategic Plan, and 
the Quito Bicentenary, Government Plan for 
2005-2009. These plans were conceived with 
a focus on sustainable human development. We 
took up the substantial challenge of boosting 
development and organising the economy, 
society, the city and public and private 
institutions, in order to improve the quality 
of life of the inhabitants of the metropolitan 
district under the principles of sustainability, 
equality and solidarity, in a democratic and 
participatory way.
We have transformed the municipal 
administration into a real local government, 
by moving from being only an institution that 
provided and managed public services and 
infrastructures to being an institutional system 
of government that is a driver, facilitator, 
organiser and regulator of the dynamics of the 
social, economic, territorial, cultural, institutional 
and political development of the District.
Along the economic axis we can point out that 
hundreds of people have obtained employment 
or opened profi table businesses in different 
productive areas. The airport services were 
modernised and the construction of the new 
airport began, which will be ready in 2010. (…).
In terms of social development we have improved 
citizen security through prevention programs, 
public works and facilities and integrated 
emergency services.  Medical coverage was 
extended. The metropolitan education sub-
system was created and its quality and prestige 
is nationally recognised. The “Quito Educa.net” 
project, whose goal is to provide computers 
to all the schools, was organised (…) Through 
the Municipal Board of Trustees Quito has 
been changed into a solidarity-based, inclusive 
community, especially in relation to people 
living in vulnerable or at risk situations. We 
have promoted the construction of 30,000 
dwellings, as a result of which these families 
have improved their living conditions. And 
we have reaffi rmed ourselves at the national 
level as a city of culture that acknowledges its 
diversity, identity and cross-cultural nature (…).
Quito has been a Cultural Heritage City since 
1978.  How has the major urban reorganisation 
of the city impacted its inhabitants?
The process of revitalisation and appreciation 
of the rich heritage of Quito, both tangible and 
intangible, has strengthened the identities 
of its inhabitants. Appropriating its heritage, 
discovering the city’s historical process and 
cultural roots, understanding that culture and 
its products and heritage are the result of social 
action and human construction, gives meaning 
to its existence and future construction.
The processes of cultural development have 
managed to redimension the concept of culture 
as a tremendous opportunity to contribute to 
human development through the strengthening 
of local identities (…). The process has led to 
actions linked to cultural and heritage-based 
wealth in which citizen participation stands 
out along with the proper, orderly use of public 
space as a channel of communication and 
education.
What are the main activities that could be 
used to illustrate Quito’s commitment to the 
Charter of Educating Cities?
I would like to say that our action has led to 
the development of the educating dimension 
in the entire administrative structure of the 
municipality of Quito.  It has been present in 
its different local policies in order to enrich a 
new management model, generating good 
communications of the opportunities that the 
city has to offer, opening up spaces for
responsible participation of the citizenry 
and evaluating the impact, usefulness and 
effectiveness of the same, with the conviction 
that all human, individual or group action 
will always have either an educating or de-
educating value.
In the context of “the right to an educating 
city”, “the commitment of the city” and the 
commitment to providing “integral services for 
people”, we have sought to rebuild the public 
democratic space as a constant dialogue 
between the individual and the community, 
promoting the rights and duties of all the civic 
actants and lifelong learning. This means the 
improvement of the quality of public space 
in which the citizenry can develop fully; the 
concentration and participation in citizen 
plans and projects; the quality of life in the 
neighbourhoods; the re-creation of the concept 
of citizen as a subject of urban policy in 
constant renewal through their participation, 
and a renewed appreciation of the urban 
environment. All of this constitutes for us 
what we have institutionalised as “the city’s 
doctrine”. 
For more information go to: www.edcities.org
Paco Moncayo
Mayor of Quito, Ecuador
03 Educating Cities
editorial
The study of the 2003 National Traffi c 
Accident Prevention Plan and the statistics 
on traffi c accidents in Portugal issued by 
the General Directorate of Traffi c showed 
that the mortality rate in Portugal in 2002 
was almost 50% higher than the European 
average, in particular that of children and 
the elderly over 65.  It was shown, moreover, 
that approximately 91% of pedestrians 
falling victim to accidents were involved 
in misadventures occurring in their own 
municipalities.
In the face of this situation, the City Council 
of Odivelas, a municipality in the greater 
metropolitan area of Lisbon with a population 
of 143,000 inhabitants, set up the BeSafe 
Project that same year. It is an overall 
educating experience that involves traffi c 
safety and accident prevention issues, mobility, 
citizen participation, cross-generational 
solidarity and networking amongst public 
bodies and civil society.
The project began with the objective of 
fostering a change in behaviour that could 
reduce dangerous situations on the public 
thoroughfares; transform public space into 
a safe place for everyone, especially for the 
most vulnerable age groups – children, youth 
and the elderly-, and establish collaboration 
with public and private entities, fostering their 
direct participation.
A major effort is being made on awareness 
and training addressed to students, teachers 
and the community in general through the 
implementation of the BeSafe Project, with the 
main goal of decreasing accidents affecting 
children and youth, making them responsible 
citizens as pedestrians, cyclists and future 
drivers. 
To do this a 3-pronged methodology has 
been developed: with the students –mainly 
in the fourth year of primary school– we 
ensure that the training provided ongoing, 
systematic learning throughout the school 
year, approaching the issues of the child as 
pedestrian, passenger and cyclist.
In the training addressed to the teachers we 
foster their involvement in the organisation 
of training actions, adjusting the contents and 
methodologies to the pedagogical needs of 
the students and their pace of study.
In terms of awareness amongst families, with 
the persons responsible for education and the 
population in general, and in order to strengthen 
joint community action in the promotion of a 
culture of safety, we seek the involvement of 
these different groups through the creation of 
spaces that encourage participation both in the 
evaluation of problem-situation and the search 
for solutions. 
The training actions (theoretical classes, 
practical sessions, seminars, contests, study 
visits, etc.) are being carried out at the schools, 
in the street and at the Traffi c Schools. These 
activities can count on the involvement 
of: the Public Security Police, the National 
Republican Guard, the Portuguese Traffi c 
Accident Prevention and the Association for 
the Promotion of Child Welfare. 
The experience of these years has contributed 
to the progressive decrease of all traffi c 
accident indicators in the municipality and a 
greater sense of responsibility of children and 
the entire community for building a safe traffi c 
environment and a safety-based culture.
In the future we propose diversifying the 
means of communication and the pedagogical 
materials, increasing training time for teachers 
and expanding the area of application of the 
project by making it possible to carry out the 
practical actions in different strategic areas of 
the community.
You can fi nd more detailed information about 
this experience at the website www.edcities.org 
experience 
Traffi c education in Odivelas
1. Last 15 September the fi rst experimental 
bus line was inaugurated in Lomé (Togo). 
This service was interrupted in 1982. The 
route that connects the city centre with 
the western outskirts of the city stops at a 
large number of schools and universities and 
provides mobility at an accessible price. 4 
new lines are expected to open soon. 
2. Through the Ecological School 
Program, the city of Malargüe (Argentina) 
is carrying out a series of environmental 
awareness campaigns in the rural schools 
through didactic activities such as: stories, 
games, puppet shows, painting and re-cycling 
workshops, etc. 
3. The city of Changwon (Korean Republic) 
fosters the integration of female immigrants 
through a project entitled Integral Support 
for Multi-Cultural Families, which includes 
knowledge of the host culture, language 
learning, exchanges between multi-cultural and 
Korean families, etc. 
04 Educating Cities
the voices of the cities
“The traffi c accident rates
are decreasing in the munici-
pality of Odivelas (Portugal) 
thanks to the BeSafe (Ser-
Seguro) project”
presented by: City Council of Odivelas    contact: Ms. Fernanda Franchi,  Deputy Mayor for the Department of Youth 
e-mail: fernanda.franchi@cm-odivelas.pt
did you 
know that...
    The Executive Committee met on 14 and 15 
November in Budapest. The next meeting will be 
held in April 2009 in Guadalajara (Mexico), where 
there will be a follow up of the preparations for 
the 11th Congress and a tour of the facilities.
       21 cities have submitted their experiences on 
the Contemporary Issue: “Lifelong Learning”; 
please read them in the portal of the IAEC. 
     15 cities have their website posted in IAEC’s 
portal that can be viewed from the section “The 
cities inform”. Ask for your website space at: 
bidce@bcn.cat
       23 cities from 8 countries have joined the IAEC 
since the last General Assembly (April 2008). 
Educating in traffi c safety
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