DESTROYING PREJUDICES Erasmus Project

Project Title

DESTROYING PREJUDICES

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : School Exchange Partnerships

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Social/environmental responsibility of educational institutions; Social dialogue; Gender equality / equal opportunities

Project Summary

This strategic partnership focuses on prejudice and its negative effects in education. The project will deal with the topic in term of its cause and effects, execute research into school environment, include students (male-female) teachers, parents, social environment, media and will produce an output book with challenges and solutions to prevent prejudice.
The idea arose from the fact that societies are strongly prejudiced and that the education systems, which are a subsystem of the societies they serve, reproduce the values and culture of those societies without challenging their possible limitations on the life opportunities and experiences of their pupils. Stereotypes places unhealthy demands on individuals who inhibit their natural talents and interests from developing, and consequently limit economic progress and prevent social cohesion.
SCOPE
The differences between us are essential to humanity. They are a circumstance of birth and should not become a source of conflict or hatred. The latest events on the European social stage show us that we are still victims of some deeply rooted mentalities according to which we evaluate human beings belonging to different cultural groups based on some ready-made appreciations which have no connection with the reality. We are all unique and different from each other, but this is a reason for celebration rather than conflict. We believe that all people deserve respect, irrespective of skin colour, religious beliefs and practices, descendance or ideas. If people understand that, we will be able to live in harmony, respect and acceptance.
Objectives
– to combat hate speech and hate behaviour inside schools;
– to increase social awareness , tolerance, empathy for the immigrants and refugees
– to destroy stereotypes and raise awareness about the risks they cause
– to improve the know-how related to tackling the issues of stereotyping and discrimination inside schools
– to promote the active involvement of students in the social life on the topic of stereotyping and discrimination
– to strengthen the relationship between schools and local NGOs who are addressing the same issues
Participants
The project addresses to a target group who are 15-18 years old. We believe that this is a critical age, when the risk is higher for them to develop long-lasting negative attitudes towards other people based on stereotypical thinking and discrimination.The project also addresses teachers in our schools, school counsellors and psychologists who will turn the project results into long term practices at local levels.
Main activities
We have planned 4 student exchanges and one Joint Staff:
C1– Joint Staff will be at the beginning of the project to widen project move and plan entire action.
C2 – Stereotypical thinking and discrimination: common stereotypes related to nationalities; direct, indirect, multiple
discrimination; forms of discrimination and their effects – xenophobia, homophobia, transphobia.
C3 – Gender and racial equality: common gender and racial stereotypes and their effects; ways of combating them.
C4 – Religious equality: common stereotypes related to religions and religious beliefs; effects of such stereotypes; analysis
of cases in which stereotypes and discrimination against religions had terrible consequences
C5- Stereotypical thinking and discrimination in schools – how can we address and solve these issues?
Results and impact
Through our project the five partners intend to create both short-term and long-term tangible and intangible results and to achieve the biggest possible impact to future projects and policy processes such as leading students to overcome stereotypes, setting up the project website in order to provide continuous access to the general information of the project activities, progress and results, writing newspaper reports and creating on-site panels or leaflets to inform non-specialist audience about the project’s background and main results, arranging a multiplier event, communication.
The results we are expected:
– increasing awareness of the democratic values of the EU, increasing desire to participate actively in local campaigns against discrimination, better intercultural awareness, communication and dialogue; increased social awareness, tolerance, empathy for the immigrants and refugees; improved knowledge of the concepts of stereotyping and discrimination and the areas in which they can manifest, the dangers they bring about; improved English skills, data manipulation, critical thinking skills, improved team work abilities (developed in local activities and transnational exchanges)

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 41716,54 Eur

Project Coordinator

Siauliu sporto gimnazija & Country: LT

Project Partners

• ADANA ANADOLU LISESI
• 2 GENIKO LYKEIO IOANNINON
• Istituto Omicomprensivo “Ridolfi- Zimarino”
• Prirodo-matematicheska gimnaziya ‘Vasil Levski”