Weekly Question

Questions are the key to understanding

Find out more about a particular team! Every week of the contest they are invited to answer a new question concerning their team, school, daily lives and culture. Select a month to access their answers, and enjoy gaining new insight!
July
No. 28
Which person from your country would you name as a reference for you/your generation and why? Feel free to name several persons if you cannot agree on just one.
We feel free and that’s why for this question we decide don’t write one or several names. And we will give arguments for our decision.
Every person which creates something useful and worthy not only for self but related to others is very important for our and next generations. The distribution of cultural, scientific goods and services which these people produce should benefit the community they come from. According to our team when more people around us feel good thеn and we will feel that.
The names listed in question 27 can be put here along with other renowned names from cultural, scientific, economic, etc. life of Bulgaria. For them it is difficult to realize their ideas, potential but they try, work hard and have success. One of the reason is that they have little support (financial, legislative) from the Bulgarian Government.
No. 27
Who is the most internationally renowned artist of your county? Name a musician/singer/band, painter, writer, composer, designer and movie maker.
Beyond words, sounds, colors, sensations there are Names from our small country Bulgaria for whom other parts of the world have heard. These talants created cultural works at national and international level.
For us Bulgarian artists are worthy with their ideas, thoughts, efforts, aspirations and that’s why it is difficult to enumerate some names who are internationally renowned.
We will list some contemporary artists:

Musician – Teodosi Spasov – kaval; Mila Georgieva, Vasko Vasilev – violinists; Georgi Cherkin, Katya Vladigerova - pianist,...
Singer – Yanka Rupkina,Valya Balkanska - folk singers; Raina Kabaivanska – opera singer, Boris Godjunov, …
Band – Ensembles:"Filip Kutev","Mistery of Bulgarian Voices",...
Writer - Anton Donchev, Viktor Paskov, Ivaylo Petrov, Mirela Ivanova, Georgi Gospodinov,...
Composer – Stefan Diomov; Milcho Leviev (composer, performer of jazz and classical music),...
Movie Maker – Lyudmil Staikov, Ivan Nichev,...
June
No. 26
What do you think are the best tools for intercultural learning? Is your school equipped in information communication technologies (ICTs)?
Zoom
Our school is equipped with ICT but it is needed more.
According to our team the best tools don't exist.Because every tool has its advantages and disadvantages.There are many such as Internet, phones, music, books, magazines, photos,radio,TV,etc. and in the future will appear and others.May be the best tools for intercultural learning are combination of some of these tools. And if people want to know more about other cultures such as Iranian,they will find the best tools for that, and there should be no limits.Very important for intrcultural learning to be occur are conditions and envoironment whcih was created for us by Mondialogo.We and our Iranian friends found our own way,tools which for us was and will be the best.With our partner team we communicate through Internet and phone.They send to us texts with their holidays such as Chaharshanbeh soori,Norooz,etc,photos,music.And for our team it was so exciting. We and they promised that will continue our contacts after the end of MSC
No. 24
Do you feel that you have a more inspiring cultural life than your parents had at your age? If so, please explain.
According to our team it is not so easy to compare our and parents cultural life because the time before and now is different.
Our parents such as us communicate with people from other countries but the forms are different. For example they wrote letters and we e-mails.
According to our team today we have more access than our parents to different cultural goods and services such as books, music, theaters, films, concerts, software, games, etc. And they can help us to promote our own creativity.
With the integration of IT in all sectors of life comminication between cultures become easier.
Our parents was witnesses of Children's Assembly "Banner of Peace" launched by Lyudmila Jivkova in 1979 in Sofia. The initiative's motto was "Unity, creativity, beauty". Many children from all over the world gathered in Sofia - they sang songs, danced, played in different instruments, drew pictures, banged bells, etc. From several years this intiative have been rebuilded gradually.
No. 23
What importance do arts and creativity have within your classes ?
Arts and creativity have great importance within and outside our classes.
Arts and creativity may be are one vision, movement into the future; unite so many things; ability to produce novel ideas, products; thinking in non routine, habitual manner.
Our team want to thank for the music of Fereydoon and especially instrumental music: "Mah va pavin"- it truely and deeply touched our feelings, emotions and soul; for the texts and photos which you sent to us.
"The story
of life is quicker
than the wink of an eye..."(Jimi Hendrix)
and we are happy that you are part of it.
May
No. 22
Next week, on 2006-06-05 is the World Environment Day. Why do you think this day has been selected by the United Nations as an International Day ?
Zoom
World Environment - mountains, forests, seas, oceans... are a wonderful harmony which unite so many magnificent things. All of them know so many secrests. One we know but other are hidden and next generations will find them. Every person, society, government is obliged to follow Nature laws but sometimes some of them violate these laws and hurt Environment. But now when Nature is suffering after years, centuries,millenia many generations will suffer and feel the pain which we have remained to them. Why we permit this-for money? Nature is amazing living organism. We have only one Nature, only one Planet and we must keep it! Our team want and insist more people to open their eyes, souls for beauty of the Environment. Love is the most powerful tool for that and everything depend form all of the people who live in the Earth. We are just guests...
"UN stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and action"-www.unep.org/wed/
This day is special...
No. 21
What type of recommendations (three!) could you make to improve the education which you are receiving? Does your school curricula offer everything you want to learn?
Zoom
1. Learn to work as a team and observe terms.
2. Problems which are job specific and promote critical, creative, team and problem-solving skills. More work on projects.
3. Material base.

Lifelong learning is very important and in these sense our school doesn't offer "everything" that we want to learn. But "everything" depend on us:)
No. 20
Does your education include any type of intercultural learning? If so, please explain. In what subjects could it be included?
Yes our school include intercultural learning in many subjects such as bulgarian literature, arts, hindi, english, spanish, history, IT, etc. classes.
For example in our school we have amazing young hindi teacher who learn very intelligent students who leared them so many things such as hindi language, dances, customes, costumes, etc.

No. 19
Next week, on 2006-05-21 is the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development. Are you planning to organise a special event to commemorate this day within your school? If so, what are your plans ?
Zoom
On 2006-05-23 our school is planning to organise many special events which are connected also with other special holidays for us: First one is 24 May - the Day of Cyrillic Alphabet, Bulgarian Enlightment and Culture - the Day of brothers St. Cyril and St.Methody. And second one is the longing for hosting the 2014 Olympic Winter Games to be in Bulgaria - we believe that this dream will be coming true.
We will have lovely teams: basketball, volleyball, football which will play all these sports. Approximately 140 students will play gymnastic combination.
No. 18
Within your team, try to make a list of each team member’s different cultural influences (starting from grand-parents generation). How many cultures and languages are represented within your team?
All members of our team are born in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Our team use Bulgarian and Eglish languages when we are talking, writing and reading. But some of us know(not perfect) and other languages Hindi, Spanish and Serbian.

April
No. 17
What do you know about the history of your own cultures? Can you list various influences?
Zoom
Bulgaria has an ancient culture with whcih we are proud and hope that we will have strengths to keep it and develop.The culture of Bulgaria has been shaped by Thracian,Slavic, Bulgars(people of Central Asian origin, probably originally Turkic,Iranian,or Ugrian),Byzantine,Ottoman(Turkish),Soviet Union and European influences. For example "chalga" a mix of Bulgarian, Serbian,Turkish,Roma music is becoming more popular. Bulgarian cuisine combines the best of Slavonic, Greek and Turkish traditions with the wealth of meats, cheeses, vegetables and fruits.
We love our customs,legends,myths,folklore, hollidays,arts,monasteries,our great poets which are so interesting and marvellous. They show us how to be more real and respect others, how to live in harmony with other cultures.
In April 2001 bulgarian archaeologist discovered Perperikon in the Eastern Rhodope range in Bulgaria which is an ancient Thracian city connected with Orpheus,Orphic Tradition, Thracian Dionysus-www.perperikon.bg
No. 15
What do you want to learn most about your partner team?
From our Iranian friends
Zoom
We want to learn more about the riches of Iranian culture - major customs, holidays and celebrations. We want to know what is life of young Iranian girls and boys. With one word everything about our partner team. And step by step we get to know each other and become friends.
We and our Iranian friends must follow our own way during the development of project and don't give up:)
No. 14
According to your team, what are the most important elements for a successful intercultural dialogue? And what would be the major obstacles?
Zoom
According to our team the most imporatnt elements for successful intercultural dialogue are: to be sincere with our partner team; to use all opportunities of Internet and try to be real and natural; feel free to exprees ourselves; respect them; accept critiques because this is one possible way we to change in good direction.

The major obstacles are connected with this that with our partner team we don't have visual contact (gestures, expression of eyes, smile, etc are very imporatnt but we don't see them). And that's why words are the most powerful tool to express our feelings, emotions which is not so easy. We try to find the most appropriate and meaningful words to express our thoughts.
March
No. 12
What do you expect from your participation in the Mondialogo School Contest 2005/2006?
We expect from our participation in the Mondialogo several things:
1. Work as a team which is very important for any success.
2. Learn how to accept different opinions.
3. Learn more about diversity, uniquness of every person, society, culture.
4. Learn to plan our own activities and be more organized.
5. Feel free to express our own opinions.
6. Expect more positive emotions and become friends with members of our partner team from Iran.
No. 11
Next week, from 2006-03-21 to 28 is the Week of Solidarity with the Peoples Struggling against Racism and Racial Discrimination. Why do you think this day has been selected by the United Nations as an International Day ?
In the past there was so many human tragedies connected with scourge of Racism and Racial Discrimination and they are forms of cruelty, intollerance, violence between man and man. For our team it is so difficult to write for these unintelligible things but we don't want to hide and fear and we will talk about it. Unfortunately in the present we see national, ethnic, religious intollerance and our team asks many questions - why these things exist?, which are the reasons for them?, how can we stop them?. According to us illiteracy; social isolation; economic disparities; poverty; impose of one culture to the other with strength are one of the key reasons for existence of these negativisms.So we want more people, more societies to try to respect diversity in all forms. We know that it isn't easily. Mondialogo is one possible way to stop discrimination because when more young people participate in different cultural activities it will be difficult for them when they grow up to be enemies
No. 10
What does the term "Mondialogo" mean to your team?
Zoom
We hope that for our team Mondialogo will be great experience, freedom to share our ideas and opinions with other people such as our partner team from Iran.
Our team will try to write what does Mondialogo mean for us but sometimes it is difficult to explain our feelings.
Mondialogo for us mean:

Moment - to be close to other cultures, people;
Opporunity - to be creative, reflective, express ourselves, understand others;
Nation - which unite so many cultures and two of them will make common project;
Dialogue - which give us so many positive emotions, knowledge;
Internet - communication tool which offers us the opportunity to learn about each other
Amazing;
Love;
Open - to world in which people try and can live in harmony;
Generation - who is happy to give something differnt and to share more things about its traditions, thoughts, etc.
Oxygen - without it we couldn't live.
February
No. 9
Describe your team. How many students (girls/boys) are there? What grade are you in? Do you have exams at the end of your school year?
Zoom
Our team is from 10 girls and 3 boys - 18 years old. We don't have exams at the end of our school year. Everyone from our team has different opinion and interests - music,literaure, sports, fashion, animation, warm weather especially we love sea (it is now cold, snowy, rainy in Sofia - every day is different:))May be because it is March:)On 01.03.2006 all bulgarians celebrate "Baba Marta" -it is an ancient Bulgarian tradition. During this day which is have special meaning for us we present to our friends and relatives (with them we are feeling happy) "martenitsa" (a red and white woolen thread) and wish them health, happiness, smiles and love and they also return the same. This day symbolizes the end of the winter and the coming of the spring. We hung martenitsa to tree when we see stork or swallow.More info: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martenitsa
So dear partner team Farzanegan we wish all this for you - health, happines, smiles, many positive emotions!
No. 8
Do you wear school uniforms or is there a dress code at your school? If not, please specify how students (girls/boys) dress.
No we don't wear school uniforms. Girls and boys have different styles but we will say what is the common. It is jeans made of cotton which is very convenient and warm-ups with different colors.
So every look diffent with its own clothes:)
Soon we will put photos and everyone who is intrested how our team looks like can see us.
No. 7
Next week, on 2006-02-21 is the International Mother Language Day. Why do you think this day has been selected by the United Nations as an International Day ? Please share your thoughts on this question.
This day promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism. With the help of some characters we can form one of the most tenderness words-love, mother, child.And these words will sound different in every language but have the same meaning. And we must learn how to live in harmony with people which language is not our mother, from different culture? Every citizen must have clear consciousness about spiritual and moral heritage of every nation and respect creativity and diversity, try to learn more about it. Language is the powerful tool for realization of dialogue that enables us to connect within and across cultures forming and sustaining knowledged-based societies in which universal values such as human dignity, freedom, equality and solidarity are observed."Sacred language of my ancestors! Have anyone listened in melody of yours dulcet sounds till now?Have anyone understood how many beauty,power are hidden in your flexible, resonant speech?"-Ivan Vazov,bulgarian writer
No. 6
Does your school have its own sports team? Describe the team(s).
Zoom
Yes we have basketball, volleyball and football teams. We have a big grounds and after school hours, when weather is warm (it is winter now), many of our students practice these sports. Most Bulgarian schools have sports teams which participate in different competitions.
January
No. 4
Does your school offer extra-curricular activities (e.g. Clubs, excursions, music, theatre, sports…) ? Is there any activity linked to raising awareness of cultures within or outside the school community and with other countries?
Zoom
Teachers at our school try to prepare students for the roles and responsibilities for knoledged based society to function and survive as a recognizable cultural, economic and social entity.
Yes our school offer extra-curricular activities. For example one part of students in 79 "Indira Gandhi" deal with indian music and dances. They have many awards such as for good pronunciation of hindi. Many of them have indian friends with who they communicate through e-mail. We hope that with Farzanegan1 from Iran we can realize good and interseting cultural links. According to our team cultural links with the help of information and communications technologies between students from different nations can promote skills such as problem solving, collaborative learning, greater cooperation, higher moral, generation of more ideas; freely seek information that interests and stimulates them to continue learning.
No. 3
Is your school a member of the UNESCO Associated Schools Project Network (ASPnet)? What kind of activities does your school implement within its participation in the ASPnet activities (or other school networks) ?
Since September 25, 1985 the school has become a member of the associated schools in UNESCO.
No. 2
Are students involved in the administration of the school ? If so, how are they involved in the school decision-making process ?
Yes, students are involved in the administration of school. Our team will give the next example: When 79 "Indira Gandhi" Secondary School must be presented in diferrent exhibitions sudents with the help of their teachers make: multimedia presentations, take photos, draw different pictures, make posters.
No. 1
What is the student-teacher ratio for classes at your school? Describe the relationships between students and teachers at your school. Within your class, how many students are you?
In our school one teacher teach 22-28 students. But when we have english, hindi, spanish, informatics and information technologies classes one teacher teach 13 students. The whole class is divided into two groups and thus the teacher can pay more attention to students. The releationships between students and teachers at our school are good. Our efforts are directd to build constructive learning environments in which learning isan active, constructive, cumulative, goal-directed, diagnostic and reflective process. Teachers at our school try to change their role from transmitter of information, knowledge and skills to acting as a guide, friend and supporting learners.
Bulgaria have beutiful scenery and teachers and students go to different places for example to Mountain Vitosha which is near to our school.
When a student has some problems teachers and classmates try to help him/her.