Being ourselves is not an easy choice, even more if we have to cope with the difficulty of integrating into school and curbing discrimination.
We must start with contexual education to ensure that schools are places where diversity becomes a value and a strength.
On 26 and 30 June, in addition to the activities foreseen by the SENSE project, CESIE promoted two training sessions – through the CISCO online platform – by Professor Burgio (Kore University) in order to support 15 teachers of the Euroform professional institute on the training needs expressed in the training on April 16th regarding the theme of sexual diversity.
Professor Burgio, in the wake of interactive sessions and free discussion with teachers, using a direct reading key, has deepened some techniques of analysis of problems relating to the theme of sexual diversity and therefore the communication strategies of comparison with students in order to create a safe and secure environment during the project activities.
Professor Burgio cited concrete cases of bullying, focusing on the various types of homophobia that exist (heterosexism, genderism, biphobia, lesbophobia, gayphobia) and the related youth language. He was able to give a general picture of the homophobic reality of our present, deepening the various hierarchies of power that nestle there.
He also explained what lies at the basis of homophobia which one’s own psychological reassurance and therefore protection from the victimization of others: homophobia is in fact a social system in which society is organized, a form of hatred linked to fear and ’embarrassment.
It is therefore necessary to respond to these needs to stem homophobia by promoting a win-win approach through greater awareness on the issue of discrimination against the LGBTQ + community and a contextual education for adolescents aimed at reviewing their internal hierarchy of values and therefore their ideology.
Today, however, society is based on heteronormativity that is on heterosexuality as a unique model that – through stereotypes, prejudices and violence (symbolic, verbal, physical, asymmetrical and normative) – produces a form of denial of the LGBTQ + community.
The SENSE Project breaks the hate chain and promotes diversity in vocational schools, hoping for a more inclusive, safe and welcoming school.
About the project
SENSE: Vocation and Sexual Sensitivity – Sexual Diversity in Social Domain Vocational Training is co-funded by Erasmus+, Key Action 2 – Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training.
Partners
The project holds together 7 organisations:
- Coordinatore: Stichting Global Alliance for LGBT Education – GALE (The Netherlands)
- Fondazione Centro Studi Villa Montesca (Italy)
- Formacion Para el Desarrollo e Insercion, Sociedad Limitada – DEFOIN (Spain)
- Eurotraining Educational Organization(Greece)
- ROC Van Amsterdam – ROCVA (The Netherlands)
- European Forum of Technical and Vocational Education and Training – EFVET (Belgium)
- CESIE (Italy)
For further information
Read more about the project.
Contact luisa.zappala@cesie.org.
