Some global objectives for lasing development have been started on the 25 September 2015 at the Headquarter of the United Nations of New York. These 17th global objectives will have to give an impulse and change mentality during fifteen years. To hope to reaching these objectives young people must become good partners. the effective realization not only goes through children and young people awareness but also with a realization of a necessary action. The health crisis of the current context confirm us the awareness importance and the need by being in solidarity together. The global objectives answers to the global challenge we are confronted with notably connected with poverty, with inequality with climate and the environment damage with prosperity with peace and justice. In our schools, some of those subjects have been dealt by the pupils several years ago. We hope our project called : « together, let’s reduce inequalities, that’s our priority ». To put before everything else, and include young people awareness of three objectives : reduction of inequalities, fight against poverty and equality of sexism. We think it is essential to put together our experiences and to exchange with European partners about that and to suggest concrete actions so that we will reach these objectives. This project will get together a french secondary school, a Portuguese one, and two Italian ones (Val d’Aoste and Sicily) 1500 pupils will be got to take part in those thematic on the project. Two years will be spent , either e-learning or face to face, to work on it with French as the used language. During the first year of the project called « to arm citizens » we will have to create concrete and regular links with different charities, which exist around the school. In the school, these Erasmus project partners, the pupils will research and compare the missions of associations of each country. They will meet voluntary workers, they will present and take part in concrete actions. All these actions and exchanges of practices will be, we hope so, the first step of citizen commitment. That would allow the pupils, no matter where they live, socialite or country, to be aware that everyone can invest according to his level and ability in the fight against inequality and poverty. During the second year of the project, called “girls or boys is not the question” we hope to fight the sexism and the stereotype linked with the difference between the sex. Meetings between the pupils of the schools of different countries will allow them to compare point of view, traditions, study, sport and profession. These exchanges and the different actions about this subject will allow the pupils to be aware of the persistence of the stereotype to suggest actions to fight against that. We hope the pupils no matter where they live or they come from will consider the world and the society with more tolerance and more open mindedness. In all the partners schools, more and more people come form underprivileged social professional groups or groups which come from immigration. It is not easy for those pupils and their families to find their place in the education community. This partnership of schools will allow to develop the pupils’ active and positive involvement in all the actions within school and outside but also and above all within their community. Thanks to this involvement, and to the acquisitions, made possible by this project, the inequality due to the social or geographic origin and the difference between girls and boys will be reduced. The important and gratifying role played by the pupils during the project will be then a great value and recognized place within their community. The voluntary action, the common thoughts, the exchanges between pupils and schools staffs of different countries are a beginning and will start a citizen involvement which will go on after the end of the project.
Our project entitled "Together Reducing Inequality, It’s Our Priority!" brought together a French school, a Portuguese school and two Italian schools (Aosta Valley and Sicily). The students who were involved in the project met and collaborated on face-to-face activities or from a distance around the themes of the project. Most of the French students were enrolled in the Section of General and Adapted Vocational Education. In each school, the project involved students with special educational needs. The 3 main objectives of this project were part of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals: • Reduced inequalities, • No poverty • Gender Equality Sharing our practices and being able to work with the European partners have resulted in a reflection on these issues and also in setting up concrete actions both in and outside of our schools. More than 1500 students were involved in this project. Because of the pandemic, the initial two-year project was extended by one year. French was the langage used during all the activities. Some productions were also translated into the language of each country and sometimes in English. During the first part of the project -carried out over the first two years of the project, entitled "It’s time to act, citizens!", the partners established concrete and regular links with different existing charities around schools: The food bank, UNICEF, Caritas, Fratres, Citizens 21... These links were continued and expanded throughout the project. The students made different collections and gave some visibility to these associations in and out of schools. Associations came to schools. The partners were able to compare the charities such as the food bank or UNICEF from one country to the other. The students were also involved in actions with the volunteers of some charities. Being committed volunteers enabled them to fully play their part as citizens. These different actions and exchanges of practices will, we hope, be the first step our students will take to become committed citizens. This should make the students aware that everyone can be involved to fight inequality and reduce poverty, at their own level and according to their own abilities, regardless of where they come from or their social background. The assigned activities and the meetings we hold with associations of people with disabilities made the students aware of what being different means. It allowed them to put themselves in their shoes, in particular when they practised sport for the disabled. Through these practical actions, the students developed their empathy. These meetings meant a lot to the students. During the second part of the project (Year 2 and 3), entitled “Being a girl or a boy, it is not relevant!" our actions were aimed at raising awareness on gender stereotypes and fighting against them. As a result, the students created a song, "Filles ou garçons, c'est pas la question!". They read novels and wrote stories about equality between girls and boys. Later the students conducted workshops that they carried on with different publics, among them elementary school pupils. Also, students meetings and interviews of professionals in gendered trades were conducted. In addition all the students involved visited an exhibition « The faces of employment ». As a result, the point of views could be compared. These testimonies highlighted great discrepancies between the countries. Continuing to reflect and to raise awareness on this theme, conducting such projects, appear to be absolutely necessary. Without a doubt, these concrete actions develop greater tolerance among all project participants. Unfortunately, we noticed, once again, that some families felt really reticent. So the topic was discussed with them. Also, sometimes it was difficult for them to let their child leave the country. Yet, we observed how valued the students in our schools became and how a general dynamic was driven throughout the activities led by the students in the different schools.