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Don’t judge a book by its cover: Empowering youngs..
Don’t judge a book by its cover: Empowering youngsters to organize a Human Library
Start date: Aug 30, 2015,
End date: May 29, 2016
PROJECT
FINISHED
The Human Library is an innovative method designed to promote dialogue, challenge prejudices and encourage understanding. The main characteristics of the project are to be found in its simplicity and positive approach. It is created by members of the Danish youth organization Stop the violence in 2000 and it is now operational in more than 60 countries. The Human Library is a public event, where interested people can come to challenge their prejudices. The idea is to have a conversation with a Human Book: a person who has experienced prejudices due to issues such as race, sex, age, disability, sexual preference, gender identity, class, religion/belief or lifestyle choices. Just like a real book, it is important to watch over the safety of the Human Book. Many volunteers could be involved, as 'Matchmakers', 'Librarians', 'Matchmakers' and 'Dictionaries'.
This training promotes the Human Library in youth organizations and to train youth workers from youth organizations to empower youngsters to organize it their local realities. There is a clear need to gain expertise to work locally with subjects such as diversity in the society. Aim of the project: to provide youth workers with skills and knowledge and attitudes to organize a Human Library.
Objectives:
• To transfer training skills on intercultural learning, with a thorough understanding of key-concepts such as ‘stereotypes’ and ‘prejudices’;
• To explore the situation in different countries regarding prejudices;
• To introduce and promote the Human Library as a tool to promote dialogue and understanding;
• To learn how to organize a Human Library (minding skills, knowledge and attitudes);
• To use and promote non-formal education and creative learning techniques.
Halfway the training, JUB will organize the third Human Library in Groningen. In that way, we continue the legacy in Groningen and the participants of the project will also experience the Human Library themselves first, before they organize it.
On local level, key competences of youngsters will be improved, as they will organize a Human Library in their environment. By gaining organizing skills and developing the right attitude for organizing a public event, they will gain competences which are valued highly by employers. The central themes of the Human Library are active citizenship, intercultural dialogue, social inclusion and solidarity. The training will improve the quality of youth workers in those areas.
The training will offer a space for 27 participants, guided by 2 senior trainers, 1 junior trainer and two persons will be responsible for logistics. It is all based on non-formal education, with energizers, discussions, group work and role plays. The involved countries are FYROM/Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Italy, Denmark, Belgium, Turkey, the Netherlands and Croatia.