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The right to be
different
An interactive exhibition on
cultural diversity and prejudices
From 11 – 18 March 2000, six representatives of Russian Children’s Museums
attended an evaluation seminar in Utrecht, The Netherlands. Full attention
was given to a Dutch – Russian educational project on Cultural diversity,
Prejudices and the Scapegoat Phenomenon. The experiences, stories and reports
were impressive and far beyond expectations. The conference room was nearly
covered by colorful drawings, poems, collages and essays of children and
youngster all over Russia.
by Jan Durk Tuinier and Geu Visser
Cooperation
It is the outcome of very successful cooperation between the Stichting
Vredeseducatie/Peace Education Projects in the Netherlands, DOM - Children’s
Open Museum in Moscow and Russia Desk Amsterdam. DOM coordinates a network of
Children’s Museums in Russia, which play an important role in educational
reform and the development of a new task for schools, Civic Education. The
cooperation began in 1995 when the Amsterdam office for intercultural
management, Russia Desk, connected the two partner organizations. The Utrecht
foundation Peace Education Projects, works as an international expert on
intercultural education and is specialized in interactive learning.
Successful projects are implemented in the Netherlands and in seven other
European countries.
Interactive
exhibition
The result of the cooperation with DOM/Children’s Open Museum was the
transformation of an innovative Dutch interactive exhibition on the theme of
prejudices and the scapegoat phenomenon. The scenario was translated and
adapted to the Russian situation. The project partners exchanged the
methodology, which contained certain innovating means for Russia. The outcome
was published in a teacher’s manual. The learning process was mutual and
cultural enriching for all partners. The Russian mobile exhibition titled `Me
and the other’ was designed, built and presented in Moscow and functioned as
an example of a new approach to museum pedagogic. More than 35.000 children
all over Russia were involved in this project. The exhibition that was meant
for children and youngsters in the age of 10 – 14 years, is still running
although this part of the project was officially finished in 1997.
Develop
own opinions
It is not an ordinary exhibition by what we call the `Encyclopedia model’. A
lot of written materials accompanied by pictures and photographs. On the
contrary. The exhibition invites the visitors to be interactive. They read
short and challenging texts and have to act by all their senses. The
exhibition could be seen as a game circuit in which the children have to find
hidden information, answers in order to make choices and discuss their own
solutions. Without guidance of the teacher or museum employees, the children
work concentrated in pairs in the exhibition. The whole educational climate
challenges the children to gain information on social dilemmas and give their
opinions. They use a booklet as a guide in the exhibition and make notes of
their experiences in this co-called ticket. Instead of transferring
information and opinions, the exhibition give the young visitors the
opportunity to develop their own dialogue on themes every human being is
confronted with, for the scapegoat phenomenon is universal. The reactions of
teachers, pupils and the pedagogues who are responsible for curriculum
development were very enthusiastic. Lots of children refused to leave the
museum after one hour and a half.
Suitcase
As a follow up the project partners developed a new interactive exhibition of
a different kind. Thirty-eight colorful displays of carton board are stored
in small suitcases. Again a Dutch project the `Prejudice suitcase’ functioned
as an example for the Russian variant. One thousand copies were produced and
implemented in four regions of Russia: Yaroslavl, Krasnoyarsk, Tolyatti and
Moscow. The main part of this implementation process was a Train the Trainers
program in which the main project partners facilitated the input. The Children’s
Museums of the different regions played a keyrole in selecting the
participants and in carrying out the implementation program afterwards. In
the project application was the training of sixty persons foreseen. The
interest of the educators in the region was enormous. About 400 teachers,
museum pedagogues, school psychologists and local representatives of
educational institutes attended in these three-day training programs. The
SOROS foundation for the Volga region assisted in providing the extra funding
that was necessary.
Evaluation
Although the project initiated a process that will continue and will be
anchored in the schools, the evaluation seminar at this stage provides a lot
of important information from teachers and children. The teachers stipulated that
the methodology perfectly fits into the new task of schools on Education. The
themes in the interactive exhibition stimulated the pupils to discuss social
problems on their own level without a moral disposition that is completely
fixed by adults. They got acquainted with a new contents and exercised new
skill on communication. The social problems are presented as a challenge
which children can work on in their own daily life. Understanding the role of
prejudices and the scapegoat phenomenon plays a keyrole in the development of
democracy on the level of family, peergroup, school and society. A lot of
teachers mentioned that the methodology of the project changed their view on
the pupils and resulted in a different way of cooperation. Not only the teachers
and their expertise is the main source of knowledge but the pupils themselves
in the context of an experiential learning process are a source as well. The
children created as a follow up of the project, own brilliantly designed
exhibitions, essays, cartoons, games, drawings and poems. Most of the time
presented in school festivals. We can only mention some themes: My future,
wishes for the city, conflicts between generations, children’s rights in
schools, tolerance, sustainable society and narcotics. The themes were all
related to the main title of the interactive exhibition: The right to be
different. Some regional partners mentioned a great enthusiasm by teachers
who work with social deprived children and handicapped children. The
interactive way of learning and the use of all senses in the communication
process work as an advantage for these children. Impressive was the report
from the Yaroslavl region, where 40 orphanages joined the project with a
great success.
Conclusion
The partners in the project are preparing a final report. The discussion on a
follow up will continue. According to the objectives of the TACIS Democracy
program the project partners concluded that the project played an important
role in renewing museum education in relation to the new challenge for
schools on Education for the development of democratic values. The themes on
multicultural society, analyses on the scapegoat phenomenon, unmasking
prejudices and minimizing discriminatory acts and exercises in dialogue are
very important means in learning process towards democracy. Our observation
is that the project made a continuing contribution to the promotion of a
pluralist democratic society in Russia.
Information:
Peace Education Projects Utrecht, The Netherlands E-mail: info@vredeseducatie.nl
DOM/Children’s Open Museum Moscow, Russia E-mail: dom_ms@cityline.ru
Stichting Vredeseducatie/Peace Education Projects
Biltsestraatweg 160
3573 PS Utrecht
The Netherlands
Tel: 030-2723500
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