Ina ter Avest, in her book “Guest” (https://eburon.nl/product/gast/), examines the intercultural and interfaith interactions of the 1980s that led to innovative teaching methods. She emphasizes the importance of “living together in diversity” as an essential concept for today's plural society. In retrospect, Ter Avest shows how lessons from the past can contribute to inclusive - that is, welcoming - education. In the hospitable school - society in miniature - students prepare to live together peacefully in the midst of diversity.

The book “Guest” focuses on the learning process in an elementary school in the 1980s and 1990s, where a principal and his team worked with students and parents to develop new approaches for encounters between people of different cultural and religious backgrounds. The efforts of the late last century resulted in an educational model that is still relevant in the early 21st century.

The valuable insights in “Guest” on “'amenleven in diversity” bridge the past with the present and the present. The role of hospitality is emphasized in creating an inclusive society. 'Guest' invites reflection on reciprocal interactions in a changing society and how education can contribute to participatory citizenship. This carefully documented work offers inspiration for educators, policymakers and parents striving for a just and understanding society.

A graduate in cultural and religious psychology from Radboud University in Nijmegen, Ina ter Avest received her doctorate from Utrecht University on the religious development of students in a multicultural educational context. In her work, she always emphasizes the connection between personal and professional stories.