SCOPE Differences are essential to humanity. They represent a condition of birth and they shouldn’t trigger conflict or even hatred. Most recent events of European social stage prove that we continue to be victims of fixed mentalities and according to these we estimate and appraise humans that belong to contrasting cultural groups according to ready-made appreciation which are not relevant in depicting reality. The fact that we all are different and unique individuals should be a reason to celebrate,not to instigate conflicts. No matter which the skin color is, religious practices & beliefs,family line or ideas,we feel that all individuals have a right to be respected. As soon as people learn this,we will be ready to live harmoniously in respect and common acceptance. The topic is the more valuable nowadays, the more increasing the immigrants number is. Greece,Turkey,Romania, 3 of the partners are struggling to understand this situation and handle it by developing various programs and initiatives etc. Poland and Portugal,as EU members are also familiar with this issue. We decided to prioritize this topic for our schools/project because the sooner students learn about and understand the problem of stereotyping and discrimination,the greater chances will the world have to change, for individuals to coexist in harmony with each other. OBJECTIVES We want to reach the following objectives: -to address hate behavior and speech inside school walls -to boost social awareness, tolerance and empathy for Roma people, immigrants and refugees -to combat stereotypes and to raise awareness concerning the dangers they cause -to enhance the know-how linked to addressing the problem of discrimination and stereotyping -to foster students’ active involvement in the social life related to the topic of discrimination and stereotyping -to fortify schools and NGO’s connections-NGO’s that are tackling identical issues PARTICIPANTS The partnership addresses a focus group of 370 students of various specializations, girls and boys,aged between 15-18. We see this age as a critical one, when the risk that they may develop lasting negative attitudes about other people, grounded on prejudices and stereotypical thinking, is very high. The project targets teachers, counsellors and psychologists from our schools who will develop the project’s outcomes. We planned 5 LTTA meetings Topic 1(C1)-Religious non-discrimination: ordinary stereotypes connected to religious beliefs and different religions; effects of these stereotypes. Topic 2(C2)-Discrimination and stereotypical thinking: ordinary ethnical stereotypes-nationality related; direct/indirect/multiple discrimination; discrimination forms and effects-transphobia, xenophobia, homophobia. Topic 3(C3)-Racial and gender equality: ordinary racial and gender stereotypes and the effects they trigger; how to combat them? Topic 4(C4)-Religious non-discrimination: ordinary stereotypes connected to religious beliefs and different religions; effects of these stereotypes; case analyze of situations when religious discrimination and stereotypes had catastrophic consequences. Topic 5(C5)-Discrimination and stereotypical thinking in school: how to address and find solution to this issue? METHODOLOGY The project is going to cover 5 main fields: F1.PROJECT MANAGEMENT 1.Creation and implementation of practical methodologies: participants’ selection, Cooperation & communication, reporting 2.Financial management 3.Risk management 4.Evaluation papers and monitoring reports for activities and outcomes F2.SELECTING & PREPARING THE PARTICIPANTS F3.ORGANIZATION OF MAINSTREAM ACTIVITIES(C1,C2,C3,C4,C5) F4.CREATION OF TANGIBLE OUTCOMES F5.CARRYING OUT DISSEMINATION 1.Creation of project’s web-site and doing regular updates 2.Setting up the eTwinning account 3.Creation of materials-flyers,banners,brochures,posters etc 4.Organizing dissemination events/meetings 5.Creation of sustainability plan At students’ level we promote the following results: Raised awareness on EU democratic values; increased determination to actively involve in campaigns against discrimination at local levels; Increased intercultural awareness,dialogue and communication;raise level of tolerance,social awareness,empathy for Roma ethnicity,immigrants,refugees;advanced knowledge related to concepts of discrimination and stereotyping and domains in which these might manifest,the risks and dangers they trigger;improved critical thinking and English skills and data manipulation. Tangible results: Informative material created to be exchanged; creative ‘European diversity’ topic related prose and poems written by students; video recordings of role plays; posters on topic ‘NO HATE in schools’, ‘United as one under the EU sky’; students’ photos for ‘I am not you but we can be together’ competition concerning cultural differences; collection of different interactive games&activities with purpose to raise awareness on dangers of discrimination & stereotypes
SCOPE Differences are essential for humanity. They are a condition of birth and should not cause conflict or even hatred. Recent events on the European social scene prove that we are still victims of an entrenched mentality and, according to it, we judge people belonging to contrasting cultural groups according to ready-made evaluations that have no meaning in depicting reality. The fact that we are different and unique should be a cause for celebration, not for inciting conflict. Regardless of skin color, religious practices and beliefs, family lineage or ideas, we believe that everyone is entitled to respect. If we learn this, we will be ready to live harmoniously in respect and acceptance. The topic is all the more valuable these days as the number of immigrants increases. Greece, Turkey, Romania, the three partners, are trying to understand this situation and deal with it by developing various programs, initiatives, etc. Poland and Portugal, as EU members, are also aware of the problem. We have prioritized this topic in our schools/projects, because the sooner students learn and understand the problem of stereotypes and discrimination, the better the chances of changing the world, of individuals coexisting in harmony with each other. OBJECTIVES We accomplished the following goals: -we prevented/prevented hate behavior and hate speech within the walls of the school -we increased awareness of social awareness, tolerance and empathy towards Roma, immigrants and refugees -we combated stereotypes and raised awareness of the dangers they cause -we expanded expertise related to addressing discrimination and stereotypes -we fostered active student involvement in society related to the topic of discrimination and stereotypes -we strengthened links between schools and NGOs that deal with identical problems. PARTICIPANTS The partnership targeted a group of 370 students from our schools, various specialties, girls and boys. We see this age as a critical one, in which the risk of them developing permanent negative attitudes toward other people, based on prejudice and stereotypical thinking, is very high. The project targeted teachers, counselors and psychologists from our schools, who will develop the results of the project. We realized 5 LTTA meetings Topic 1(C1)-Religious discrimination: the usual stereotypes associated with religious beliefs and different religions; the effects of these stereotypes. Topic 2(C2)-Discrimination and stereotypical thinking: ordinary ethnic stereotypes - related to nationality; direct/indirect/multiple discrimination; forms and effects of discrimination - transphobia, xenophobia, homophobia. Topic 3(C3)-Race and gender equality: ordinary racial and gender stereotypes and the effects they have; how to combat them? Topic 4(C4)-Religious non-discrimination: ordinary stereotypes related to religious beliefs and different religions; the effects of these stereotypes; analysis of cases in which religious discrimination and stereotypes have had disastrous consequences. Topic 5(C5)-Discrimination and stereotypical thinking at school: how to solve this problem? METHODOLOGY The project covered 5 main areas: F1.PROJECT MANAGEMENT 1.Creation and implementation of practical methodologies: selection of participants, collaboration and communication, reporting. 2.Financial management 3.Risk management 4.Evaluation documents and reports on monitoring activities and results F2 .SELECTION AND PREPARATION OF PARTICIPANTS F3. ORGANIZATION OF MAIN ACTIVITIES (C1, C2, C3, C4, C5) F4. CREATION OF TANGIBLE RESULTS F5. CARRYING OUT DISSEMINATION 1.Creating a project website and updating it regularly. 2.Establishing an eTwinning account. 3.Creating materials - leaflets, banners, brochures, posters, etc. 4.Organizing dissemination events/meetings. 5.Creating a sustainability plan At the student level, we realized the following results: Increased awareness of the EU's democratic values; increased determination to actively engage in campaigns against discrimination at the local level; increased intercultural awareness, dialogue and communication; increased levels of tolerance, social awareness, empathy for ethnic Roma, immigrants, refugees; advanced knowledge related to the concepts of discrimination and stereotypes and the domains in which they can manifest themselves, the risks and dangers they cause; improved critical thinking and English language and data manipulation skills. Measurable results: Handouts created for the exchange; creative prose and poems related to the theme "European Diversity" written by students; role-play videos; posters on the theme "NO HATE in schools," "United as one under the EU sky."