percorsi interculturali
in Europa

en it fr es cz

Follow your dream, not the stream

Mirca Ognisanti

1.The practice

2. Hints for an evaluation

2.1 Strenghts

2.1.1 The organisation’s perspective
The strength of the programme is that every individual is seen and recognised as a person with at value equal to others and everyone is seen as being resourceful.
“(…) We think it is important to address emotions as well as intellect when you work with socialising young people and with social inclusion.” (interview to Irene Malmberg, Ethnic Relations Unit).
She affirms that the Project has been able to dialogue with students. The high attendance of workshops (hundreds of students joined until December 2006), demonstrates the quality and effectiveness of the Project.


2.1.2 Interculture map perspective
The project benefits from the general intercultural approach that is part of educational programmes of Swedish community, as described in point 1.3 Place and context.
Also, the Municipality of Malmo, has demonstrated a high level of sensitiveness, by the implementation of a Project that implies a very delicate work, that has nothing to do with the rigid work of a public institution or of a school. This is the result of a capability to assume responsibilities and to cope with challenge and complex situations. The most important aspect of the Project lies in methodology, that is directed at create closer contact with young students. This is a method already explored also by other European cities and Projects, but the innovative elements is the involvement of rap artist as “educators”, facilitating the communication with students and the transmission of educational values.

2.2 Critical Points

2.2.1 The organisation’s perspective
Personnel of the organisation affirmed that the school structure has shown some level of rigidity and oppressiveness. Another problem is due to the segregation and the socio-economic structure in the city also is manifested in the schools, which makes it hard to preach equality.
Furthermore, since Malmö is so diverse, the global conflicts have an impact in classrooms that is very hard to cope with. The 11th Sep. 2001 has negatively influenced relations within the schools, and this had a long term impact which the Project is still trying to combat.

2.2.2 Interculture map perspective
The critical aspect of the Project lies in the difficulty to link the non-formal character of activities carried out with young people to the formal character of education. This means that more and stronger efforts should be done for the preparation of the school to work out and put into value the results of the project. The most difficult aspect is probably related to the capability of the Project to allow the school to be lined up. In order to do so a stronger involvement of the school staff during the first phase of the Project is desirable and suitable if considering the non-traditional character of the Project.
The effective inclusion must cope with phenomena of concentration within areas of the cities, that makes more difficult the process of inclusion and the attempts of dialogue.

2.3 Lessons Learnt

2.3.1 The organisation’s perspective
Thanks to Project the importance of communicating with young people has been acknowledged, and it has been recognised the value of non-formal youth languages. To adopt the language of young people means to start a peer relationship, which is a valid way to interact with them, by turning the vertical messages in a horizontal interaction. This methods allows professionals to forward to them anti-racist and anti-violent communication.

2.3.2 Interculture map perspective
Working with young at risk by using their language, expressive workshop, involvement of music personalities recognised by young students, production of music and video that can help young to get out from social invisibility.

Use of instruments and language that can be understood by young students, most of them are son of migrant families, and that can be useful to support the construction of identity.

  
Approfondimenti