"It
is easier to split the atom than to crack a prejudice"
This quotation from Albert Einstein holds a challenge that
governments, civil society, non-governmental organizations have fronted in the
last years: the fight to the flood of racism, discrimination, xenophobia
towards who is seen as "different".
In 2001 non-profit institution Oltreilponte -
Diversity Education Network was founded, form a handful of months of work
to put together ideas, people, enthusiasm, and, above all, to share a
condition of creative freedom, of methodological and human courage. Our aim
is to put on programmes in order to prevent discriminating behaviours
through active educational methods.
We are a non-governmental organization responsible
in Italy for the A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE® Institute activities, an
organization which is part of Anti-Defamation League (ADL).
A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE® Institute
programmes propose an interactive formation which personally involves
participants, and helps them in acquiring specific skills against prejudice
and discrimination, in increasing comprehension among different groups and
in giving the participants tools to live and work by coexisting in
different backgrounds.
If we had to describe our work in a few words,
we'd probably say we ask to young and adults to get used to predict other
people's behaviour, even if everyone of us is unique and it is impossible
to predict one's behaviour with absolute certainty: that means
understanding complexity, which depends on diversity, and is based on
everyone's unicity. We ask all this, even if in our world the word
"diversity" has a negative sense, and is not at all perceived as
a richness. "Different" may be a fool, a drug-addict, an
immigrant, other people are "different": omosexual, poor, who's
got too much, who's got nothing, an enemy: difference is scaring.
So how to build a positive meaning for diversity?
How to make children and teenagers feel that
difference is after all a richness, a cultural richness?
How can their teachers and parents pass this on to
them?
We organize seminars, meetings, courses and specific workshop, based
on A World of Difference® Institute method, in schools, offices and
wherever it may be useful to enter to make people aware on the themes of
racism, justice and discrimination.
Contacts
If you are interested in our activities or you wish to set up a
meeting, a workshop or a seminar in your school or workplace, please
contact us:
Associazione onlus oltreilponte
via Luigi Anelli, 6 20122 Milano
ph/fax. +39.02.36510931
mobile +39.328.8319200
e-mail: info@oltreilponte.net
web: www.oltreilponte.net
blog: www.oltreilponte.org
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L'Onlus oltreilponte -Diversity Education Network-
rappresenta in Italia ADL - A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE® Institute e il Centre
européen juif d'information (Ceji).
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