PREFACE

Those familiar with programmes promoting intercultural dialogue, human rights, pluralism, and democratic participation – be it in civil society, adult education or youth work – are frequently confronted with the challenge of coming up with something truly ‘new’ and inventive, something that attracts widespread attention and makes genuine impact.

The Human Library methodology presented in this guide is one such concept. Its primary aim is to create constructive personal dialogues between people who would normally not have the opportunity to speak to each other and thus challenge common prejudices and stereotypes. It is particularly suitable for large-scale public events, such as festivals and other gatherings attended by hundreds or even thousands of people. The Human Library is essentially an opportunity for intercultural learning and personal development aimed at people who have little or no access to or time for non-formal educational programmes.

Our social divides are defined by socio-economic, political, and cultural differences and, sociologically speaking, the notion of the ‘stranger’ is defined by the remoteness we may feel from those others who move and live near us. A 16-year old student from Finland might find it easier to connect with another 16-year-old from Spain or Turkey than a 50-year-old unemployed factory worker from his or her hometown, living in relative physical proximity. Surrounded by images and fragments of information about others, we are left to our own imagination and assumptions or, just as often, to our prejudices and stereotypes.The Human Library gives people an opportunity to speak in private and personally to a ‘stranger’ in a structured, protected, yet practically unconstrained environment.This framework is probably one of the main reasons for the popularity and success of the Human Library: the readers can predict the ‘risk’ they are taking by meeting the ‘other’.

The Human Library became part of the Council of Europe’s programme in 2003 and the driving force behind its inclusion was the realisation that human rights cannot be defended and promoted by legal texts alone.There is – today more than ever in the recent past – a need to raise awareness among the wider public about the importance of human rights to the fabric of our democracies and the responsibility of the individual citizen in realizing abstract human rights in his or her everyday interactions.Through its 40-year history, the Council of Europe’s youth sector has gathered unique and important experience in the field of non-formal and intercultural education based on the principles of human rights, pluralist democracy, and cultural diversity.

With this publication, the Council of Europe aims to continue its support and promotion of the methodology of the Human Library.We believe that the Human Library remains a uniquely useful tool to foster peaceful coexistence, understanding, and tolerance and to bring people closer together in mutual respect for the human dignity of the individual – whether as books, readers, or organisers.

Date: 2015-02-16; view: 403