Do you remember that a month earlier ABS organized a training in Bansko ? The Legacy of Inclusion was a Human Rights Education training for high school students which lasted for four days. This was a pilot activity financed by the European Youth Foundation of Council of Europe, gathering around 25 students from 4 different high schools.
During these four days, high school students participated in different role games and interactive activities around the topic : fighting discrimination.
For the first day, students shared their experiences and the issues they faced concerning discrimination, helped by their teachers, ABS team and the facilitators.
They also had to put themselves into discriminated people's shoes during the second day. This activity is called "Empathy map". Devided into groups of 4 or 5, the participants represented one group of discriminated people and had to write down what do they see, think, feel and hear from the others. The perfect exercice to emphasize on Human Rights.
For the third day, students had the opportunity to question themselves about the way they see and judge people at first sight. On a sheet of paper with a picture on the top, they had to write down their first impression of this person. Once it was done, the facilitators hanged the papers on the wall so that everybody was able to see what was written down. The main reaction was laugh, it allowed them to take a step back and think about what they wrote.
In the end of the training, divided by teams depending on the school they are from, they all had the opportunity to put into practice their knowledge by working on a project to promote the Festival of Tolerance taking place in Blagoevgrad on the 16th of November.
In this way four groups of high school students promoted the festival in their own way, helped by their mentors.
The Professional High School of Construction, Architecture and Geodesy gymnasium organized a free hug giving which was quite surprising for Blagoevgrad's inhabitants. People were shy in the bigining but finally everyone played the game and had a great time. The inhabitants event thanks the free hug givers for this special moment.
The National Humanitarian gymnasium organized a play in the center of Blagoevgrad. One girl was yelling at another girl. These actress were playing very well; it seemed so real that two men tryed to separate them. The play ended by a circle dance that everyone was able to join. They also organized a game cession in the high school.
The Mathematics and Science gymnasium organized a buffet in its own school, with free food and drinks. They were overwhelmed by teenagers who wanted to taste their cakes and meet them. In the end of the day they were proud of themselves and what they accomplished.
The Foreign Languages organized a flyer, ballon and stickers delivery in its school too, to make the information more accessible to their classmates and take the time to answer to their questions.
Finally, the students' efforts were successful. On the 16th of November the Festival of Tolerance organized by ABS took place in Blagoevgrad. All generations were gathered around a buffet and varied activities on the theme of tolerance and acceptance of the differences.
The high school students organized collective games with music and invited the passers-by to join. Those who wanted to could draw on a big sheet of paper everything that was linked to tolerance, they also could take pictures in a huge heart designed by a volunteer of ABS, to spread love. The day finished by a battle of Holi Colors.
In the end, everyone was glad to have been part of this colorful initiative. But thanks to our great students this is not the end. As they are really eager to fight discrimination and spread love you will probably still hear about this initiative for a long time.
