DON'T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER
Youmanity reports on an exciting and innvative world initiative: The Human Library.
Just like in a real library, a visitor to a Human Library can choose a 'book' from a range of titles. The difference is that books are actual persons, and reading is a conversation. The Human Library provides a safe environment for people to engage in dialogue that has the potential to challenge prejudice, stigma and discrimination. It raises awareness of the multiple circumstances that can lead to bullying, abuse and hate crime and takes positive action to address it.
The broad range of titles that a reader can choose from reflects the amazing diversity to be found within contemporary society. A Human Library wants to raise awareness of how prejudice can affect multiple people for many different reasons. Human Book titles acknowledge or provoke those potential prejudices, and challenge the reader to discover the person behind the label through a short and respectful conversation.
The Human Library has the potential to positively change the attitudes and opinions we have towards members of our communities who are at risk of exclusion and marginalisation. By challenging multiple prejudices within any community, the Human Library is a great equality and diversity model, and an innovative way to challenge prejudice and discrimination.
In a nutshell 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 project was founded by Danish activist Ronni Abergel in response to a violent hate crime in 2000. The Human Library movement has since grown steadily across the world and is now active in over 60 countries.
