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Human Library, Diversity in Dialogue

2019-1-IT03-KA105-0155362019Youth mobilityfinalized
Countries: IT|BG|EL|ES|LT|TR|DE|MK|RO · Grant: €21,582
Inclusion - equityNew innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training coursesIntercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning

Objectives

The concept of "Human" or "Living" Library was born in Denmark thanks to the intuition of a group of young people, as a tool to challenge prejudices and create greater social cohesion. Based on human relationships and on the unique experiences of people "books", it tries to give them a voice, while remaining open to questions and discussions, precisely to create an extraordinary experience, in terms of impact on "readers", conveying in an original way and direct "living" stories, messages and memories. This paradigm of social innovation, born more than twenty years ago in a Northern European country, which faced an important challenge of integration and protection of the human rights of minorities, now has partners in more than 70 countries from 5 different continents and an impressive ability to replicate in the most varied social contexts. The TC "Human Library, Diversity in Dialogue" based on the binomial Human Rights Education - Living Library, provided the transnational mobility of 29 youth workers from 7 European countries. The mobility phase took place in Massicelle di Montano Antilia (SA), a municipality in the Cilento hinterland, with a rural vocation, located in the heart of the respective National Park. The project was in continuity with the TC "Everybody in the place" organized by Cilento Youth Union in spring 2018, on the issues of social inclusion of refugees and young migrants through the inclusive methodology of Public Art, certainly supported by a strong local impact. The difficulties of inclusion, especially of young people from marginal areas and of the most vulnerable people, of the acceptance of the other as different but equal, was discussed among the partners and a series of specific problems have been identified with respect to the different territories: the transversally recognized need to improve intercultural dialogue and knowledge of new practices for building a sense of belonging to the community. In doing so, an attempt was made to contrast marginalization and promote social cohesion / integration through the methodology of the Living Library. This participatory approach was able to develop inclusive learning processes. After a first sequence of introductory activities on Human Rights and Intercultural Dialogue, there was a real analysis of the Living Library model, which led to the final event open to the local population, where the participants, according to their experiences and following the activities already carried out, were divided into "human books" and "readers". The latter freely chose the "book" and started a conversation with the persons bearer of the experience or memory they wanted to share. The mission of the project has been declined in the following relevant objectives: - Raise awareness on the issue of inclusion, intercultural dialogue and Human Rights Education, with very specific examples from youth organizations that work directly with the target group and have a key role in promoting integration, giving young people a role primary in supporting this social process; -Analyze, know and share methods and practices that each organization is implementing locally in working with the target group; -Transfer to youth workers methods and methodologies related to the Human Library model, offering opportunities for intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding, which can help overcome stereotypes and prevent violent radicalization among young people; - Organize a local LL event in each partner country, on the model analyzed and experimented during the TC, as a follow up activity; -Promote Erasmus+, provide learning mobility opportunities, to carry out quality projects aimed at social inclusion, strongly correlated with the challenges of today's society. We believe that it was important to place this project in an internal and rural area, where the tangible sign on the territory and population, in terms of awareness, could be extraordinary as well as lasting, as previous experiences show us, above all by considering of recent moment of closure and social disarray due to the pandemic crisis related to the Covid-19 still underway in the period of organization and conduct of activities. The aim of the project, first mobility implemented by Cilento Youth Union post pandemic, was based on the assumption that international cooperation, quality improvement in mobility projects and sharing of good practices, can help the organizations involved and their members to increase the level of inclusion and dialogue, putting in place concrete actions based on innovative methodologies.

Project partners (9)