Cultural stereotypes? No more! – International Alliance for Cultural Relations

Cultural Stereotypes? No More! was a series of system development and outreach activities organised in 7 countries with an aim to break cultural stereotypes which are leading to harmful practices. Within the outreach activity, a large and multi-country interactive campaign was organised aiming to enhance cultural sensitivity of young people, break stereotypes and eliminate harmful practices stimming from the latter. During the activity intercultural postcards, posters and stickers were developed by the involvement of young people from art schools and other organisations providing art classes. The students’ paintings were digitised, fine-tuned and designed as outreach materials in their own languages. A month-long online and offline campaign was organised in the streets, at the schools via social media to raise awareness of young people and the larger public on the importance of cultural sensitivity. The posters, postcards and stickers prepared will be shared with influencers, policy makers calling for actions. The postcards also contain information about organisations providing quality youth work at local and national levels and cultural activities. The outputs created within the activity will be used by the partner organisations for the further campaigning.

For full description of the main project and the training course visit Building Bridges through Culture project page.

Map of activities

Calendar of events

Date	Country	Location	TItle	Event
14 May 2024	🇷🇴	Cluj	discussion event	A participant of the training course organised an informal meeting in Cluj. The main aim of the discussion was to promote the Erasmus+ programme and its actions. The meeting also focused on intercultural topics, such as non-verbal communication, focusing on the Roma community; approaches in negotiation in multi-ethnic work environment. The discussion included debates about the learning cycle, leaving the comfort zone and the relation between culture and morality. The event was an initiative of Asociatia pentru Relatii Culturale.
1 June - 15 August 2024	🇷🇴	Cluj	competition and exhibition	Students from various schools and universities have collaborated to create powerful drawings that challenge perceptions and promote understanding. The artworks were showcased in Insomnia Cafe, Humanitas Bookstore, Sisters Cafe, Cinema Arta, and the Planetarium. The goal of the organisers was to foster cultural sensitivity and dismantle harmful stereotypes through art and storytelling.
3 June 2024	🇬🇪	Tbilisi	presentation	A local event was organised at the Saint Andrew the First-Called Georgian University to promote the Erasmus+ program and the project outcomes. The presentation included topics that were discussed during the training course and footage from project. A brief oral presentation was also made explaining personal identity, learning cycle, non-violent communication and the advantages of non-formal education. The event was an initiative of the Georgian Association for Cultural Relations.
8 June 2024	🇺🇦	Dnipro	lecture	A local activity to promote intercultural understanding was organised with nearly 40 participants in Ukraine. On 6 June a lecture and an exchange of experiences took place in Dnipro, led by participants of the Alliance's latest mobility of youth workers activity. During the meeting, some of the non-formal education methods acquired during the training were also applied. The event was an initiative of the Organisation "Kristal"- Install your best future in cooperation with Forward for Future and the Ukrainian Institute for Cultural Relations Policy. Partners were: Department of Humanitarian Policy in Dnipro, Dnipro Department of Culture, Dnipro Children's Music School №6 named after Volodymyr Skuratovsky, Methodological platform of Dnipro schools and StudentWay.
10 June 2024	🇺🇦	online	presentation	A follow-up action under was conducted by participants of the Building Bridges through Culture training course. The online meeting took place on June 10 via Zoom, with 26 attendees - youth who are studying or just entering universities, primarily abroad. This target group was chosen due to the importance of understanding how to navigate different cultures and prevent xenophobia and intercultural incompetence. The presentation covered three key aspects of interest to the target audience: Model of experience learning, Model with zones, and Abigail case study. The team also shared personal insights and the knowledge they gained during the training.
20 June 2024	🇫🇷	Strasbourg	presentation	A presentation of the mobility activity for youth workers was organised in Strasbourg. The team of four participants of the "Building Bridges through Culture" prepared an activity and presented the project online to the participants of "Afterwork" - an initiative by Octop'us and Octo'labo. This initiative was made possible by the Association des Relations Culturelles in partnership with Octop'us.
30 June 2024	🇺🇦	online	virtual museum	Virtual Museum of Cultural Stereotypes - an online exhibition was created in Ukraine with the help of 80 talented schoolchildren at Euro-Art school who contributed their artwork. This initiative has been made possible by the Forward for Future and Organisation "Kristal"- Install your best future.
5-11 July 2024	🇦🇲	online	social media campaign	As partner organisation responsible for the educational background of the project, the Youth and Community Action Club NGO organised a week-long online campaign focusing on nonviolent communication, intercultural understanding and cultural awareness.
10 July 2024	🇫🇷	Paris	workshop	Children from Paris took part in a workshop with puzzles organised by the Association des Relations Culturelles. Nine puzzles were selected by the French participants of the project from the paintings created by Ukrainian children and also the posters created by the project participants on the last day of the project. These puzzles gave an the opportunity to talk about how teenagers see cultural stereotypes. The event was an initiative of the Association des Relations Culturelles with support of the Ukrainian Institute for Cultural Relations Policy.
10 July 2024	🇷🇴	Bucharest	workshop	A workshop on Cultural Sensitivity took place in Bucharest with discussions, role plays and presentation of the IACR's recent mobility activity for youth workers, led by the participants of the Alliance's latest mobility of youth workers activity. This workshop aimed to help young people learn to communicate effectively in a diverse world and contribute to a more inclusive and open society. Participants had the chance to discover, through interactive games, the importance of understanding cultural identity as well as personal identity. Moreover, they worked in teams to combat various stereotypes using steps of non-violent communication. The event was an initiative of Asociatia pentru Relatii Culturale in cooperation with GreenHope.
20 July - 15 September 2024	🇫🇷	online	storytelling competition	The Association des Relations Culturelles invited young people to participate in an exciting storytelling competition inspired by an enchanting poster created by a talented French artist. The mission is to craft a unique and engaging story based on the artwork.
22 July 2024	🇦🇹	online	card design	Development of the intercultural edition of Universal Card card game. This is a versatile tool designed to promote meaningful conversations and intercultural understanding through card-based prompts and questions. The project inspired the creators of Universal Cards to develop an intercultural version of the game. The Universal Cards Intercultural Edition is a new version designed to facilitate intercultural dialogue and understanding. This edition includes cards with questions and prompts that encourage discussions about cultural identity, traditions, and perspectives.
24 July 2024	🇭🇺	Budapest	interview	In cooperation with the Institute for Cultural Relations Policy, the IACR made street interviews about the role and power of culture in peaceful interpersonal and international relations. Interviewees received various gifts promoting "Building Bridges through Culture" project and the Erasmus+ programme. A short video based on the recorded interviews was released.
25 July 2024	🇦🇹	Vienna	meeting	A half-day meeting was organised by participants of the "Building Bridges through Culture" training course and it offered an opportunity for participants to try out various non-formal education games and to understand the role of art and culture in breaking cultural stereotypes. During the meeting the Intercultural Edition of Universal Cards was presented to the audience.
25 July 2024	🇬🇪	Jokolo	training and exhibition	A full-day training on the role of arts in combating cultural stereotypes and an exhibition was organised in Georgia's multi-ethnic Pankisi Valley. The events were attended by 15 participants. During the training participants were divided into groups to discuss and present on stereotypes, including examples related to Pankisi, which they later illustrated through painting.

Virtual Museum of Cultural Stereotypes

The virtual museum is an outcome of the “Building Bridges through Culture” international training course on intercultural learning. In collaboration with the Forward 4 Future organisation, 80 children participated in art classes in May 2024 focusing on the topic “Cultural stereotypes? No more!”.

Cultural stereotypes are often found in jokes, advertisements, songs, movies and fairy tales. They create a distorted image of the world, which society uses to categorise people, influencing people’s perceptions of different nations and cultures.

The children created paintings that considered different cultures and attempted to express various stereotypes. Their pictures depicted situations where stereotypes are used or distorted, showing their consequences on relationships between people and perceptions of nations.

The paintings were digitised, fine-tuned and designed as outreach materials to raise awareness among young people and the larger public about the importance of cultural sensitivity.

Access the Virtual Museum at: https://www.artsteps.com/view/6669c4ef9317f1cbdb09f117

Posters about cultural stereotypes

In partnership with the Forward 4 Future organisation, 80 children engaged in art classes in May 2024 centred on the theme “Cultural stereotypes? No more!”. Tackling cultural stereotypes is crucial in fostering a more inclusive and understanding society. By engaging young people in discussions and activities that challenge these stereotypes, we empower them to think critically about the world around them. Art classes, like those organised by F4F, provide a creative and reflective space for young minds to explore and express their thoughts on cultural diversity. Through such initiatives, children learn to appreciate the richness of different cultures and recognize the harmful impacts of stereotypes. Encouraging open dialogue and creative expression helps to build a foundation of empathy and respect, essential for the development of a more harmonious global community.

Access all posters in printable format (large-size png file) from here.

Universal Cards – Intercultural Edition

Universal Cards is a versatile tool designed to promote meaningful conversations and intercultural understanding through card-based prompts and questions. These cards are ideal for educational settings, team-building exercises, and social events, helping users to bridge cultural gaps and enhance empathy. “Building Bridges through Culture” project inspired the creators of Universal Cards to develop an intercultural version of the game. The Universal Cards Intercultural Edition is a new version designed to facilitate intercultural dialogue and understanding. This edition includes cards with questions and prompts that encourage discussions about cultural identity, traditions, and perspectives. It aims to bridge cultural gaps and promote empathy and respect among diverse groups. The cards are versatile, suitable for educational settings, team-building exercises, and social events, helping users to explore and appreciate cultural diversity.

Purchase the Universal Cards – Intercultural Edition from here.

Interview

In cooperation with the Institute for Cultural Relations Policy, the IACR recorded street interviews about the role and power of culture in peaceful interpersonal and international relations. Contributors and editors were: Peter Podobni, Rita Kerkovits, Boglarka Kiss and Inez Benko