The Importance of Understanding and Accepting the Variety in the Education Process of Intercultural Competences

All living cultures are outcomes of intercultural communication. Human history is the tail of such journeys. This becomes particularly evident in the globalization era where the ever last involving cultural landscape is characterized by an intensified diversity of peoples, communities and individuals who leave more and more closely. The increasing diversity of cultures which is fluid, dynamic and transformative implies specific competences and capacities for individuals and societies to learn, re-learn and unlearn, so as to meet personal fulfillment and social harmony. The ability to decipher other cultures in fair and meaningful ways is predicated not only on an open and pluralistic spirit but also on self-cultural awareness. When a culture is critically aware of its own strengths and limitations, it can extend its horizons and enrich its intellectual and spiritual resources by learning from alternative visions in epistemology, ethics, aesthetics and worldviews. Keywords: awareness, diversity, competences, intercultural, communities.