Strands
The conference had four subject strands.
1. Moral Education, Values and Citizenship
Within this strand fell issues around moral authority, rights and responsibilities, and democracy in education. Also contained in strand 1 were school approaches to moral and citizenship education, the promotion of children's rights through education, the tensions between local struggles and universal human rights, and the concepts and practice of active citizenship and service.
2. Sustainability, Development and Global Citizenship
This strand encompassed issues in education and sustainable development alongside an examination of the role of school partnerships and linkages in global citizenship education. Also relevant to strand 2 were discussions on linking local, national and global agendas, as well as education and its role in the struggle for human dignity and the impact of citizenship education on peace, development and climate change.
3. Multicultural Education, Diversity and Social Cohesion
Within this strand was discussion of the role of urban schools and issues of diversity in the context of citizenship education. Equally, the multicultural curriculum was discussed, as was the impact of prejudice and discrimination on citizenship and society. Finally, issues around multilingualism and pluralingualism were examined.
4. Patriotism, Cosmopolitanism and Education
The focus of this strand was examination of issues around unity and diversity. This included global interconnectedness and solidarity, textbooks and national narratives and the impact of patriotism. Also under discussion was citizenship and history education and the role of education in developing cosmopolitan citizenship.