A Study Of National Unity Education From The Perspective Of Minority Nationalities

The People’s Republic of China is a unified multi-ethnic country created by people of all ethnic groups together. The unity of all ethnic groups is closely related to national unity, border consolidation, social stability, socialist modernization, development of each ethnic group, realization of the "two hundred years" goal and the great rejuvenation also known as the Chinese Dream. In recent years, there have been some new challenges for China’s ethnic relations that influence the reform, development and stability of the ethnic regions. Especially after the Lhasa 3·14 and Urumqi 7·5 incidents, the public concern over ethnic relations and issues has increased. Therefore, to promote a systematic, in-depth and effective education on national unity in the whole society so as to reach a consensus has become both a long-term strategic task and also an urgent job.Ethnic minorities are important subjects of the ethnic unity education. Researching ethnic unity education from the perspective of ethnic minorities helps to increase understanding of the education, and to promote its comprehensive implementation. The minority perspective includes both individual and collective perspectives, which contain four aspects that respectively are equality on politics, common prosperity on economy, unique features on culture, and harmony for society. Under such perspective, the ethnic unity education should become a filter for biased visions, a safe belt for ethnic relations, a protector for legitimate rights, a lubricant for communication and a speaker for fine culture. Besides, the practice of ethnic unity education should pay attention to the dual goals of education, diversity of the education subjects, universality of the education objects, richness of the education contents, variety of the education carriers, and the popularization of the education effects.To enhance the ethnic unity education from the perspective of ethnic minorities, its orientation should be transformed from "top-down" to "vertical linkage", from "binary opposition" to "multiple interactions", from "argue with reason" to "logos and pathos", and from "theoretical education" to "practical education". The education principle and vision should adhere to the "rule of law", "development", "inclusiveness" and "mutual assistance". Such education should ensure that all ethnic groups feel political equality, achieve common prosperity, inherit featured cultures, and share the dividend of harmony. In terms of approach and resource, cadre education, school education, family education, and social education should be combined to explore the resources of various fields. With regard to the guarantee and encouragement mechanisms, legal and mechanism safeguard for the education should be improved, and encouragement for participation and competition should be strengthened.