Rapporto finale/ Final Report (ITA-ENG) - Casa di Carità Arti e Mestieri

THE RESEARCH TOOLS: INSTRUMENTS FOR FOSTERING
DIALOGUE
67
As pointed out in Working Paper 2 (WP2), a wide range of tools were used for Dialogue Space activities.
Some worked very well, while others were less effective in addressing the issues covered by the project
and engaging learners. In this paragraph we discuss the good practices which may be useful for
future activities on this topic in schools.
In all of the contexts involved, extensive use was made of group conversations, which were seen as a positive
means for conducting an initial exploration; they were often aimed at encouraging the pupils to talk
about themselves and their experiences.
Meetings with experts and testimonials were equally popular and effective: these ranged from journalists
and psychologists invited to the schools in Turin, a journalist who gave a talk to pupils in Spain, meetings
with anthropologists and economists in France and various meetings with educators and social workers.
Rather than formal conferences, most of these meetings were opportunities for an open and free dialogue
between adults and pupils, aimed at pinpointing crucial aspects in the field of discrimination.
However, these tools were not equally effective across all contexts: in Germany, for example, the partner
provided negative feedback on the open group discussions but found the highly structured, moderatorled
ones far more fruitful. In this particular context, students stated their own points of view, which were
then remarked upon and discussed by the others, under the guidance of a moderator.
Most of the partners also used multimedia material such as films, videos and websites to draw pupils’
attention to the topics covered by the project (in Spain, for example, much use was made of YouTube
videos). These tools made it possible to approach, discuss and reflect on these issues.
In addition to these tools, used by all of the partners, some also followed more country-specific paths
or focused on certain tools in particular.
In Italy, for example, Il Nostro Pianeta made substantial use of drama workshops. The ASI coordinators
and pupils involved viewed these as an effective means for allowing people to analyse their own
approach to the issue in greater depth, verbal and non-verbal attitudes towards others and how they
consider and react to discrimination.
Drama and improvisation was also an important channel in France, particularly because it was seen
as a means through which the pupils could express themselves freely, without any filter. Besides improvisation,
much attention was also given to the study and presentation of a number of works from
“La plus grande pièce du monde” 12 . Some activities in France involved the use of stories told orally by
African artists (“griots”), with the pupils working on traditional stories addressing the issues of acceptance
and co-existence.
The partners that used drama found this to be a powerful and very effective method, that could also
be used in other contexts for its capacity to bring hidden aspects to light and foster the active involvement
of young people.
Role play was also used in many contexts, especially in Germany and Spain and by the Italian partner
Il Nostro Pianeta. This tool was generally considered to be an effective means of breaking the ice
and launching group activities, especially when the members did not know each other very well.
12 A collection of scripts by 153 authors on the subject of extremism, published following the success
of Jean-Marie Le Pen, leader of the extreme right-wing National Front Party, in the 2002 French presidential
elections.