| Aim | The aim of this activity is to raise awareness and critical thinking on how people react to diversity. |
| Trainee profile | People with special needs can participate as long as they are able to see the images and express themselves. |
| Learning Objectives | To foster acceptance of others’ points of view
To enhance people’s capacity for reflection and critical thinking To facilitate intercultural sensitivity |
| n° participants | Between 10-30 people |
| Duration | 45 minutes |
| Materials | Printed photos representing different cultures and that can create positive or negative feelings in the participants, so to stir up their emotions |
| Preparation | Print the photos in the annexes. Place them on the walls of the room, relatively far apart from each other. Each picture represents a person or a group of people from different cultures, practicing different habits that are usually criticized by the mass population. |
| Implementation | 1. Without explaining anything in advance, reveal all the images in the room and ask the participants to observe them closely, one by one. Give them the time to observe them at their own pace.
2. When they are all ready, ask them to go stand under the picture that has shocked them the most either in a positive or in a negative way. 3. Ask who would like to share with the rest of the group the reason why they have chosen that specific picture. Ask then the participant answers the following questions: Please, describe objectively the image. What do you see? How does the picture make you feel? Write down your emotions. What values does the picture tackle? 4. Ask more participants to share their thoughts and ask the same questions. |
| Debriefing | Ask the participants to gather up in a circle and discuss the following matters:
How our values influence the level of cultural shock. How difficult it is to be objective and observe without prejudices. How to accept the differences. |
| Tips and hints | Let the participants speak up and say strong statements if they feel like. Remind all other participants to listen and not interrupt their peer. |
| Added value | Learning how to accept other cultures and other people’s personal decisions is a key asset in the social life. Active listening and proper understanding of people’s inner reasons should be always fostered. |