If you haven't heard about this project it is truly amazing. Let me enlighten you...
This is a Worldwide Movement for Social Change
This is a Worldwide Movement for Social Change
THE ORIGIN OF THE HUMAN LIBRARY
The Human Library or “Menneskebiblioteket” as it is called in Danish, was developed in Copenhagen in the spring of 2000 as a project for Roskilde Festival by Ronni Abergel and his brother Dany and colleagues Asma Mouna and Christoffer Erichsen.
The original event was open eight hours a day for four days straight and featured over fifty different titles. The broad selection of books provided readers with ample choice to challenge their stereotypes and so they did. More than a thousand readers took advantage leaving books, librarians, organisers and readers stunned at the impact of the Human Library.
THE REASONING BEHIND THE METHODOLOGY
One of the main concerns of the creators inventors was what would happen if people would not get the point? Or if the audience just simply did not want to be challenged on their prejudices? Well given that there was a total of 75 books available, the conclusion was that with so many different people together in a rather small space for a long time, then they are bound to start reading each other if no readers come. And so it was to become. Before the first reader could take out a book, the talks where already going on extensively and the feeling of something very special was in the air. The policeman sitting there speaking with the graffiti writer. The politician in discussions with the youth activist and the football fan in a deep chat with the feminist. It was a win-win situation and has been ever since.
HOW IT WORKS...
The Human Library is designed to build a positive framework for conversations that can challenge stereotypes and prejudices through face-to-face dialogue. The Human Library is a place where real people are on loan to readers. A place where difficult questions are expected, appreciated and answered.
The "readers" get to "borrow" a person who has stories to tell gathered from a unique life experience for half an hour, go to a quiet place in a gathering room and share together. Stories are better when they come straight from the source. The borrower gets to hear a story, share an insight and gain perspective.
The "people on loan" are a group that vary in age, sex and cultural backgrounds.
Meet some of the books: Refugee, Soldier (PTSD), Bipolar, ADHD, Unemployed, Deafblind, Autism, Sexually Abused, HIV, Mosested, Body Mod Extreme, Musilim, Young Single Mother, Alcoholic, Naturist and Brain Damaged just to name a few.
Readers look on a board and are able to see the number of available books and their titles then get to decide which story they want to check out.
What an innovative and exciting idea...stories live, animated and real sitting right across from you. I hope you check your area and see if a Human Library event is booked so you can participate. You close your physical books, turn off your screens and interact with a flesh-and-blood story sitting right before your eyes. It can only be a thought-changing experience, not to mention life-changing experience, that I hope you can be part of.
To learn more about this project or to get involved please go to:
www.humanlibrary.org
In my opinion this is brilliant and I'm definitely going to check it out!
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