The Sudanese Society for Research on Arts and Humanities and the editorial board of RESPECT/ Ihtram are pleased to launch its second issue. We are very much grateful for the tremendous support and appreciation given to the first issue by so many readers, as shown by the heaps of messages and phone calls we received and by the number of those who have visited the site since its appearance online. Your support entails that we should exert more effort in order to make RESPECT/ Ihtram an effective forum for dialogue and debate on issues of cultural diversity and human rights culture in Sudan and to deliver what is expected of such a publication. To enable us deliver what we have promised, we look forward to sustained support and solidarity from those who are wholeheartedly devoted to the process of enhancing democracy and peace in Sudan and firmly establishing creative inter-cultural dialogue by contribution to future issues by papers, criticism, comments and ideas. Watering this budding experience by critical discussions is essential for its coming of age.

 The journal has established sections now, and this volume focus deals with one of the vital social issues of real concern to our country from the perspective of cultural diversity and human rights culture. The focus in this current issue is on questions of Education and cultural diversity. We hoped that this focus would include studies on more than one of the various cultures of the Sudan. However, we intend to keep this issue of education alive in future issues by assigning a section in each issue to deal with educational questions.

We call on, and do welcome, the contributions of specialists and all those preoccupied with the question of education, especially in its facets that relate to human rights respect and cultural diversity, as well as the importance of including these issues in our educational  programs at all levels of education. By doing so, we would be able to enlighten our youth about this diversity and its importance in deepening the dialogue between us; as this is the only sure guarantee for realizing, peace, justice, and respect.

As for contents of the next issue, we anticipate your providing us with suggestions for deciding on its question of focus and hope to receive your contributions on time, to ensure the continuity of the journal and the possibility of circulating a printed  copy all over Sudan.

Finally, we would like to thank the contributors to our second issue and hope their works will give rise to a vivacious and lively discussion, beneficial to our ultimate objective.

Editorial board