Abstract
Aligned with efforts of the United Nations Education, Science and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Dance and the Child international (daCi) recognizes the right of every child and young person to dance. Its mission is ‘To promote the growth and development of dance for children and young people internationally, with respect for the ethnic, gender, physical, and cultural identities and all abilities of each young person within a spirit of international understanding’. Since 1978, as an outward looking global organization, daCi has presented triennial conferences hosted by different countries, drawing together participants across ages to share dance education interests and practices. In this presentation, key daCi leaders undertake a narrative account to provide a genealogical tracing of the organization, its planners and their influences. DaCi’s structure, activities and features are explained with a focus on how cultural diversity manifests through dance, offering opportunities for generating positive attitudes and understanding of cultural differences. A report is provided on the organization’s last 2024 Slovenia conference with information about plans for the 2027 conference hosted by Malaysia. The paper includes consideration of challenges for daCi as a voluntary organization, including regimes of truth about dance, membership, communication and youth agency. Implications of daCi’s critical activism as a unique international organization are identified, providing an example of how engaging in volunteering service can increase intercultural relations, connecting people from different cultural, racial or ethnic backgrounds. Such global collaboration within an organization, underpinned by research for and with young people, provides opportunities for nurturing meaningful intercultural understanding.
Presenters
Jeff MeinersAdjunct lecturer, Education, University of South Australia, South Australia, Australia Vesna Geršak
Professor, Preschool Department, University of Ljubljana faculty of Education, Slovenia
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Education and Learning Worlds of Differences
KEYWORDS
CULTURAL DIVERSITY, DIFFERENCE, INTERCULTURAL UNDERSTANDING, ORGANIZATION
