The International Schools Association works to promote international and intercultural understanding. In so doing the Association espouses a number of values - peace, freedom, equality, tolerance and the celebration of both diversity and similarity - which express for the Association the essential meaning and purpose of multiculturalism and international mindedness. The Association believes that young people should face the challenges arising from the acceptance of these values and is supportive of all organisations which share its conviction about internationalism, international mindedness and international education in all its forms and wherever it may be found. The International Schools Association was founded under Swiss Law in 1951 and as such is the most senior organization in the world of international education. It is an international non-governmental organization and the first educational NGO to be granted consultative status at UNESCO