Is a problem if I hate the Roma people?
-asked a student. For such questions young people
usually get either racist answer, which say
’it’s okay’, or the answers of tolerance, which say ’you aren’t right’.
They hardly have opportunity for real discussion and recognition related to
their opinions. The peer trainers of ’Feather Picking’ aren’t embarrassed;
don’t say the student shouldn’t say that: ’It’s all right. We have come here,
in order to speak about such topics with you in a sincere way.’
But what is it ’Feather Picking’, which have received special Sozial Marie
prize on the 1st of May in Vienna?
·The first play, which presents trough real stories, how we
have got to the murderers of Roma children in the last years. That all of us –
teachers, parents, leaders and employees - have responsibility in what happens
around us and with us in school, public transport, workplace and home. That
even if we think it’s not true, children can see into us, till the time we
won’t make their eyesight unclear, or we don’t kill them – with different
tools: guns and silence.
·Theater education for young Roma people, who still don’t have their place in the theater structure, although their
talent and way of thinking should receive it.
·Domestic and International performances, where the young artists gained success because of their professional work
and not because of social compassion.
· Movie, with the help of which the many questions and
stories of the play, which must be discussed not only the intellectuals of the
city, can reach much more people. It can reach also the youngsters who are
always left out finally from the discussions.
· Education of peer trainers, who can bring to the students through their
genuine personality social facts and values of the Roma culture – which still
miss from the schools books or appear only in a malformed way.
· Workshops in schools, which
ensure opportunity for youngsters to share their opinions, feelings in a
sincere way and to discuss their thoughts about prejudices, discrimination and
many questions we all have to face independently from the family, where we were
born. The young people not only have discussions during the workshops but they
can also react trough community art creations on the world, where they
live, and they can formulate their
messages related the world we could create, if we didn’t close our eyes, and
didn’t look for the reason of the problems in the other people.
The award of the Unruhe
Private Stiftung can be gained by social projects, which are innovative and their
influence have been verified also in practice.
In the frame of the
project in this semester 20 secondary schools and universities participated in
the workshop countrywide in Hungary. The series of workshops is supported by
the Badur Foundation.