Asia, a mosaic of numerous countries, ethnic groups and religions boasts rich cultures, both tangible and intangible. Deemed as the wellspring of creativity and ingenuity, cultures of disparate colours need to be not only preserved but also shared beyond boundaries. Unfortunately though, ever more frequent encounter with different cultures may cause friction in spawning ignorance, indifference and sometimes indiscriminate hostility. Against this backdrop, multicultural education in pursuit of the ‘learning to live together’ ethos becomes a priority of our generation.

In recognition of the rapidly changing economic and social landscape of Asia, Asia-Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding (APCEIU), Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) Secretariat and SEAMEO Regional Centre for Archaeology and Fine Arts (SPAFA) decided to strengthen their pre-existing partnership and have teamed up again since 2010 to develop educational materials. Titled the ‘SEAMEO-APCEIU Collaboration on the Development of Educational Material’, the project has resulted in the production of

1. Telling Tales from Southeast Asia and Korea : Teachers’ Guide (2010)
2. Telling Tales from Southeast Asia and Korea : DVD & Guide for Storytelling (2011)
3. Telling Tales from Southeast Asia and Korea : Story Picture Cards (2012)

Composed of widely read folktales of 11 Southeast Asian countries and Korea, they have been successfully utilized for primary school children. Not to mention that youngsters may read and watch folktales of their own and other countries, they can become a storyteller themselves once they’re well-acquainted with the stories. It is believed that unearthing country-specific tales calls attention to what the three participating organizations ultimately stand up for: learning to live together.

This website provides the aforementioned outputs of the 3-year-long project where teachers and children alike can practise cultural diversity in classroom settings.