Multiculturalism for tolerance

Deutsche Schule Medellín understands its responsibility when it comes to training global citizens, we take into account values such as tolerance and respect for diversity. 

Studying at Deutsche Schule Medellín – DSM – means understanding that we are citizens of the world. In the 1970s, the sociologist Marshall McLuhan created the concept that he called “Global Village”. It recognizes that distances between continents have reduced and that knowledge flows more quickly today because of the advances in means of transport and communications.

It is important for our Community at DSM to interact with other cultures and understand them. We are not isolated; our current society is the result of cultural hybridity. Our students must be able to understand other idiosyncrasies and in order to do that, we need to foster intercultural abilities in them. That is the fundamental purpose of our philosophy: to be a bridge between two cultures; to join Colombia and Germany together, around their stories, customs and values.

At DSM, we educate our students to become citizens of the world. Our School is a small intercultural experience. German, Spanish and English are the languages that you can hear in our classrooms. Colombian, German and American teachers, administrative staff and students, coexist in the same space, helping enrich the day to day  academic experience.

Activities carried out inside and outside the classroom, charity work in some neighborhoods in Medellín or the Mittelstufe and Oberstufe academic trips, expose these young students to the world. These activities present them with new ways to understand reality. They will provide them with tools to face their local environment and the changes brought by globalization when they are older.

In our classes, we strive for broad and diverse points of view that allow a full understanding of the topic and that foster dialogue from different perspectives. Through these exercises, we aim for a balance, and we find different ways of comprehending reality. We teach them to listen and to acknowledge others so that they can respect different opinions and different ways of understanding various situations. We bet on interculturality so that our students can deliberate with tolerance and respect. We want each of our students to form their own opinions based on arguments, we want them to have enough information so that they can voice their own opinions based on facts.

Teaching is not only about transferring knowledge. Besides receiving knowledge, our students give feedback. They grow every time they get new information, and they help teachers learn at the same time. This helps them take a stand regarding what they have learned after a process of discernment. And only then, they can create solid arguments, take a stand, and develop their own way of thinking. And we also know that respecting others’ opinions is the foundation of harmonious relationships. They need to understand that there is not an absolute truth nor only one correct answer; many situations require a diverse and multicultural approach.

Colombia and Germany are always present in our School. We build from the differences and similarities of both cultures. We celebrate both countries’ festivities and we get immersed in each culture. We try to have a balance so that our students can experience both cultures and with that, they can understand that today’s world is diverse and multicultural. For these reasons, they need to be educated so that they can understand and respect others and their cultures. We build spaces for them so that, even from a very early age, they see different ways of understanding and viewing the world and adapting to interculturality.