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Description
School is a place of multiple social models and attitudes, and discriminatory acts as well. Research shows that 63% of pupils have experienced verbal abuse, and 33% - physical abuse, while 7% have experienced physical abuse with a dangerous object causing bodily harm (Research and Documentation Bureau, Information and Statistics Team, Senate Chancellery, April 2012). The project is intended to promote acceptance of diversity and improve opportunities for young persons who are vulnerable due to sexual orientation and gender identity, autism spectrum, or ethnic origin. Experienced self-advocates will conduct discrimination prevention measures in line with the concept of nothing decided about us without us in two primary schools, two secondary schools, and two institutions of higher education. The measures will comprise two workshops for young people, training or a webinar for teachers, and a debate with pupils/students and teachers, aimed at stressing pupils''/students'' rights and improving equal opportunities in schools. There are also plans for development workshops and consultations for young self-advocates (four people in each group) overseen by a mentor-self-advocate in the group in question, culminating in webinars open to all. We will also conduct a public campaign to promote acceptance of pluralism, and a national conference to show the project results. The direct activities will encompass 300 people, and 12 self-advocates and 30 teachers will be given training. The project will increase awareness of the need for acceptance of pluralism among young people and school and academic personnel. The partners in the project specialize in discrimination prevention measures and providing aid to non-heterosexual persons (Synergia Psychology Centre), and in measures to counter xenophobia, prejudice, and racism (African Origin Poles Association). The members are self-advocates who share their know-how.
Summary of project results
The project addresses the problem of discrimination, prejudice-motivated violence and peer violence in schools. Discrimination based on gender identity, sexual orientation or origin is unfortunately widespread in Poland. According to KPH research, almost two thirds of LGBTQ people have experienced some form of violence, and as many as a quarter of people named school as a place where they had experienced violence in the last two years. In Poland, up to 43 per cent of black people, 18 per cent of Ukrainians and 8 per cent of Muslims may have experienced a hate crime (Ombudsman and ODIHR 2016-2017).The situation of people on the autism spectrum is also alarming. Research shows that 90 per cent of people on the spectrum have been bullied at school, with 63 per cent experiencing psychological violence and 27 per cent experiencing physical violence (OSA 2016). Schools and colleges are therefore the places where young people with diverse identities experience violence. At the same time, Polish schools do not provide anti-discrimination education, counter hate speech, raise awareness of the needs of minorities and promote acceptance of diversity.
As part of the project, experienced self-advocates ran anti-discrimination workshops for students in three schools. A total of 10 workshops and four debates were held with 260 participants. Training was also organised for 68 teachers to prepare them for anti-discrimination work with young people. The last group of participants were university students. An electronic ''safety box'', a tool to identify the problem of discrimination and violence in schools/universities, was also introduced in the cooperating schools. Self-development and activation workshops were also held for three groups of self-advocates: people on the autism spectrum, LGBTQ people and people from ethnic and national minorities. The workshops were attended by 40 people, some of whom received counselling and then took part in webinars on each of the three grounds of discrimination.
The project filled a gap in the lack of anti-discrimination education in Polish schools. Workshop participants were made aware of the needs and difficult experiences of people at risk of exclusion because of their sexual orientation, gender identity, origin or autism spectrum disorder. People representing diverse identities were also empowered and as many as 9 of them were actively involved in the preparation of project activities and tried their hand at self-advocacy.