Partner – The House of Signatories, National Museum of Lithuania
Location – Šalčininkai, Telšiai and Vilnius regions
Since 2022
The More History Diversity in Focus project aimed to contextualise, interpret and represent the multi-ethnic and multi-cultural history of Lithuania, while promoting a mature and harmonious civil society that is resistant to inter-ethnic strife, political manipulation and propaganda. The project sought to evaluate the notion of “otherness” by rethinking the prevailing narrative of Lithuanian history and incorporating a multi-ethnic perspective to prepare auxiliary methodological notes for Lithuanian history teachers and museum educators.
The project consisted of four parts. The first was a conference dedicated to the 160th anniversary of the birth of Stanislovas Narutavičius, signatory of the Act of Independence signed on the 16th of February 1918. The second part involved research with Lithuanian and non-Lithuanian schools to identify the existing image of multiethnicity and multiculturalism among grade 10–11 students in three participating municipalities. In the next part, an integrational–practical camp was organised for a group of students participating in the project that included a presentation and evaluation of tourist routes prepared by the students, and targeted educational trips to popular sites. As the last part of the project, a seminar was conducted based on the research, which aimed to prepare and present a practical methodology for history teachers and museum educators.
The expected long-term value of the project was to integrate the multifaceted narrative of Lithuanian history into school history lessons and museum educational activities, reduce discrimination, develop mature and open-minded individuals, and promote intercultural dialogue and universal values. The project also aimed to improve the competencies of history teachers and museum educators, as well as the quality of education in history.
During the project:
More than 2,700 grade 10–11 students from three municipalities participated in different project activities
Various trainings for history teachers and museum educators were held in preparation for the methodological materials
The research explored the perception of Lithuanian history that prevails in Lithuanian- and non-Lithuanian-speaking schools, and revealed what historical narratives the students recognised, through which historical personalities and events they perceived and how the students viewed themselves in the history of Lithuania.