Description
The project addresses the lack of tolerance, alienation, hate speech in the town of Harmanli targeted at the Roma, asylum seekers and minorities. The project aims at promoting tolerance and intercultural communication between children from different ethnic and cultural background by bringing them together in joint activities. First, the project will be presented to the community and local authorities. Second, more than 100 children of mixed background and culture will take part in dance classes. Third, the children will take part in book readings and discussions carried out at the local community centre. The project will benefit the children involved, their parents, peers, teachers, the local community and local authorities by promoting intercultural communication and tolerance.
Summary of project results
The representatives of ethnic minorities are used to and live in isolation and alienation from the processes and development of the civil society. It was necessary to carry out joint activities among children from different ethnic background to help them develop as full-fledged individuals and achieve successful social and artistic development. Come to My World project enabled children to leave their generally accepted environment through the activities carried out and helped them become aware of their differences and learn to respect and understand their peers from other ethnic groups. Solidarity, continuity and interaction among them improved and hate speech and racism was curbed. The work in teams made up of children from different communities helped them make many new friends. In the course of Come to My World project implementation, several reading groups and two dance groups were set up in Otets Paisii Elementary School, Aleko Konstantinov Elementary School, Ivan Vasov Primary School and Pencho Slaveykov Supportive and Boarding School in the town of Harmanli. The classes were sometimes held in the library of the community centre. More than 150 children got actively involved in the newly-set up interest groups. Three concerts were held with the participation of children from these schools and all the participants in the interest groups. The events enjoyed great interest. When they attended the reading and dancing classes, the children learned a lot of new things, other than the planned in the school curriculum. Their classes were creative and gave them a lot of food for thought. They received many prizes, created and took up challenges. Druzhba-1870 Community Centre in the town of Harmanli did not have any partner organization under the project but almost all schools in the town of Harmanli showed support and assisted the teachers. Many volunteers, parents and representatives of NGOs from Harmanli (Unity NGO and Business for Harmanli NGO) joined the project activities and events. The reading and dancing classes have been placed on the agenda of activities offered by the community centre.
Summary of bilateral results