The Council of Europe is celebrating its 50th anniversary and a teaching pack for second-level schools will be coming at you shortly. This contains 10 fact sheets for teachers to use with their pupils, dealing with topics such as democracy, human rights, social cohesion and cultural diversity.

Another sheet lists a number of activities that teachers might like to use to encourage pupils to work together on various thought-provoking topics, both in and out of the classroom. A number of useful addresses and websites are also listed.

The pack, entitled Europe is more than you think explains that the Council has 40 members states and that a number of other European countries have applied to join it. An added slip of paper with a correction points out that there are 41 states in the council now, since the accession of Georgia. In a booklet within the pack aimed especially at young people it explains how Europe was in ruins after the Second World War. "Millions of people had died. Europeans realised that it was better to unite and learn to live together than to fight one another". This resolve led to the foundation of the Council of Europe on May 5th, 1949.

For younger students, the pack contains a booklet called The Council of Europe with Sue and Max. This includes games, riddles, a story and a questionnaire.

The pack aims to encourage schools to share and promote the objectives of the counsel and "thus build a Europe in which all citizens' rights are respected".