The TELL Project (TElling the story, Learning from Listening) is funded by the European programme Europe for Citizens, with the aim of bringing EU citizens closer to European institutions and to the shared values of the continent.

TELL involves five different EU countries—Italy, Romania, Slovenia, Greece, and Poland—which together form a diverse mosaic of stories and perspectives on shared memory related to discrimination and human rights. These countries are united in addressing intolerance and its consequences.

The guiding framework of the project is the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, a highly valuable common heritage consisting of over 50 articles, divided into seven chapters, aimed at protecting and upholding the fundamental rights of EU citizens.

The TELL project aims to promote dialogue on tolerance through stories shared using the Human Library method, where witnesses—just like books—share their personal stories with those willing to “read” them. The true protagonists of the project are young people as “readers”, whose role is to value the testimonies of the “books” and pass them on to others.

TELL actively involves schools, with the objective of fostering intergenerational dialogue and promoting a non-formal learning approach that encourages active participation.

The Human Library methodology will be followed by urban trekking activities, consisting of memory walks held simultaneously in several European cities, as well as by other project dissemination activities involving different local groups.

The final conference will bring together partners from the various EU countries involved in the project, along with policy makers, teachers, young students, and witnesses, with the aim of developing a shared European network, enriched by the outcomes and results of the project.

The objectives of the TELL project are to:

• Strengthen the sense of unity and collective memory among citizens of the European Union through the promotion of non-formal learning methods;

• Raise awareness among EU citizens on issues such as human rights and forms of intolerance linked to 20th-century regimes and wars, which remain highly relevant today;

• Celebrate the achievements of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union;

• Building on the experience gained through the project, develop an international network of relationships to further design and implement non-formal methods for promoting European collective memory.

Preparatory activities (if applicable): Kick-off meeting
Participation: the activity involved 10 participants, representatives of each partner organisation: 2 participants each from Italy, Slovenia, Greece, Romania and Poland.
Location/ Dates: online, 03/02/2021
Short description: these activities consisted of the Kick-off meeting of the project. The partners introduced themselves and shared again the priorities and aims of the project within the frame of Europe for Citizens programme. The Gantt and Work Breakdown structure have been finalized, containing activities, responsibilities of each partner, outputs, deadlines. During the meeting, the software management tool Freedcamp was also presented, together with management and financial guidelines. Finally, the dissemination and visibility strategy was defined.

Events:

18 events have been carried out within this project:

Event 1 – Europe Day: 20th anniversary commemoration event of the 2000 Proclamation of the EU Charter of Fundamental rights
Participation: The event involved 53 citizens, including 46 participants from the city of Brașov (Romania),
1 participant from the city of Kalamata (Greece), 3 participants from the city of Bologna (Italy), 2 participants from the city of Novo Mesto (Slovenia), 1 participant from the city of Wroclaw (Poland).
Location/ Dates: The event took place in Transilvania University of Brașov (Brașov, Romania) and online, from 09/05/2021 to 09/05/2021
Short description:  The aim of the event was to raise awareness on the history and the application of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, and the actuality of Fundamental Rights today. The event was organised in hybrid mode because of Covid restrictions. Participant discussed online on case studies about intolerance and rights from all participating countries through round tables, and students of Transilvania University created some videos involving in the discussion the local community of Brașov, as a starting point for a plenary session online.

Event 2 – Training of Trainers on HL method and Gamification
Participation: The event involved 9 citizens, including 3 participants from the city of Bologna (Italy), 2 participants from the city of Kalamata (Greece), 1 participant from the city of Novo Mesto (Slovenia), 1 participant from the city of Wroclaw (Poland), 2 participants from the city of Brașov (Romania)
Location/ Dates: The event took place online, from 10/05/2021 to 10/05/2021
Short description:  The aim of the event was to introduce the origin and methodology of the Human Library technique, with examples and best practices, fostering exchange among partners. Moreover, guidelines and suggestions for the organisation of a Human Library event were shared: how to select and train Human Books, how to build a catalogue, how to prepare the venue and lead the event. The second part was dedicated to gamification, its principles and benefits, and how to organise a gamified Urban Trekking, also using ActionBound.

Event 3 – Human Library event in Italy
Participation: The event involved 28 citizens, including 28 participants from the city of Bologna (Italy),
Location/ Dates: The event took place in ITCS Salvemini (Bologna, Italy), from 05/05/2022 to 05/05/2022
Short description:  The aim of the event was to engage youngsters in a participatory activity to know and reflect on episodes of intolerance, through a dialogue with direct and indirect witnesses (Human Books). The event followed the guidelines of HL events: participants chose which Book to listen to from a catalogue. They were divided into small groups and a specific timeframe was given.  

Event 4 – Human Library event in Greece
Participation: The event involved 34 citizens, including 34 participants from the city of Kalamata (Greece)
Location/ Dates: The event took place in Kalamata (Greece), from 25/02/2022 to 25/02/2022 
Short description:  The aim of the event was to involve citizens and youngsters by listening to stories from witnesses (Human Books) of episodes of intolerance during World War II and Military Junta in Greece. Participants were divided into small groups and a specific timeframe was given to listen to the stories and ask questions.

Event 5 – Human Library event in Slovenia
Participation: The event involved 50 citizens, including 47 participants from the city of Novo Mesto (Slovenia), 1 participant from the city of Skopje (Republic of North Macedonia), 2 participants from Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Location/ Dates: The event took place in Glavni trg (Novo Mesto, Slovenia), from 18/09/2021 to 18/09/2021 
Short description:  The Human Library event had the title “Do not judge a book by its cover”, and had the intent to educate people about the Slovenian past, as well as fight against stereotypes. People had the opportunity to listen to witnesses of episodes of intolerance related to Yugoslavian era and World War II.

Event 6 – Human Library event in Romania I
Participation: The event involved 32 citizens, including 32 participants from the city of Brașov (Romania),
Location/ Dates: The event took place in Transilvania University of Brasov (Brașov, Romania), from 24/09/2021 to 24/09/2021 
Short description: The aim of the event was to engage youngsters and students of the Transilvania University and local schools (i.e. C.N.E.R., C.S.G.A, Liceul de Muzică) in reflecting and learning on tolerance and remembrance thanks to direct and indirect witnesses. The event followed the guidelines for the Human Library: participants were divided into small groups and a specific timeframe was given to listen to the stories and ask questions.

Event 7 – Human Library event in Romania II
Participation: The event involved 63 citizens, including 63 participants from the city of Brașov (Romania),
Location/ Dates: The event took place in Transilvania University of Brasov (Brașov, Romania) and online, from 17/12/2021 to 17/12/2021 
Short description:  The aim of the event was to engage youngsters and students of the Transilvania University and local schools in reflecting and learning on tolerance and remembrance thanks to direct and indirect witnesses.
The event was in hybrid form: the HL presentations were hosted by the E-learning platform of the Transilvania University of Brașov, and the students watched them online from home or from the W building of the university.

Event 8 – Human Library event in Poland
Participation: The event involved 35 citizens, including 11 participants from the city of Bar (Montenegro),
10 participants from Belgrado (Serbia), 14 participants from the city of Wroclaw (Poland)
Location/ Dates: The event took place in Wroclaw, Poland, from 17/06/2022 to 17/06/2022 
Short description:  The aim of the event was to engage students and young people in face-to-face conversations with witnesses of intolerance and discrimination, in order to stimulate reflection on the past and current times. The activity was led following the guidelines of the Human Library method: participants were divided into small groups and a timeframe was given to listen to the stories from the catalogue and ask questions.

Event 9 – Urban Trekking in Italy
Participation: The event involved 25 citizens, including 5 participants from the city of Bologna (Italy), 15 participants from the city of Piotrków Trybunalski (Poland), 1 participant from the city of Bratislava (Slovakia), 1 participant from the city of Schwäbisch Gmünd (Germany), 3 participants from the city of Barcelona (Spain),
Location/ Dates: The event took place in the city centre of Bologna (Bologna, Italy), from 27/04/2022 to 27/04/2022
Short description:  The aim of the event was discovery the local history of Bologna related to intolerance, in particular anti-semitism, through a gamified route among the most meaningful places and streets connected to the topic, with the use of ActionBound to make it more involving. Youngsters were asked questions, challenged to discover details on walls and invited to reflect and draw lessons for the present time from what they learned. International students and young people participated to discover the history of the city where they are currently hosted. The event was connected to the Liberation Day on 25/04/2022.

Event 10 – Urban Trekking in Slovenia
Participation: The event involved 28 citizens, including 26 participants from the city of Novo Mesto (Slovenia),
2 participants from Bosnia and Herzegovina
Location/ Dates: The event took place in Novo Mesto old town (Novo Mesto, Slovenia), from 21/06/2022 to 30/06/2022
Short description:  The aim of the event was to discover more of the local history connected to intolerance and rights during World War II and Yugoslavian Era. The event was a walk around the Novo mesto old town and visiting the statues and memorials connected to the WW2, and the Yugoslavian era. Most statues are meant for the fallen partisans and are in memorial of the heroes of the WWII. There is one exception, showing the other side of the tensions. 

Event 11 – Urban Trekking in Romania
Participation: The event involved 25 citizens, including 25 participants from the city of Brașov (Romania),
Location/ Dates: The event took place in Casa Mureșenilor and Casa Baciu (Brașov, Romania), from 06/04/2022  to 06/04/2022 
Short description:  The aim of the event was to structure a route among important and meaningful places and spots in the city of Brașov to involve citizens, especially youngsters, to get to know local history connected with intolerance and discrimination, and how this shaped the current reality. Participants were invited to reflect from the knowledge acquired, involving them directly with non-formal activities, with the involvement of Human Books. The event was attended by students, many of them working in NGOs and institutions where there are current concerns about discrimination and inequity.

Event 12 – Urban Trekking in Greece
Participation: The event involved 36 citizens, including 36 participants from the city of Kalamata (Greece)
Location/ Dates: The event took place in the coast of Kalamata (Kalamata, Greece), from 27/04/2022 to 27/04/2022 
Short description:  The aim of the event was organised to explore places of the city historically connected to experiences of intolerance and discrimination, through a gamified route among the city. The Urban Trekking focused on the coast, which was theatre of meaningful battles for Greek history.

Event 13 – Urban Trekking in Poland
Participation: The event involved 50 citizens, including 50 participants from the city of Wroclaw (Poland),
Location/ Dates: The event took place in Wroclaw city (Wroclaw, Poland), from 09/05/2022  to 11/05/2022
Short description:  The aim of the event was to visit sites linked to World War II and antisemitism, and to learn how the city was shaped by the tragic events of WWII and the post-war order, as the city suffered from being governed by two authoritarian regimes: Nazi Germany and communism-ruled Poland.

Event 14 – Final international conference
Participation: The event involved 34 citizens, including 12 participants from the city of Bologna (Italy),
16 participants from the city of Wroclaw (Poland), 1 participant from the city of Bratislava (Slovakia), 1 participant from the city of Novo Mesto (Slovenia), 2 participants from the city of Brasov (Romania), 1 participant from the city of Kalamata (Greece), 1 participant from the city of Barcelona (Spain)
Location/ Dates: The event took place in Bologna City Hall (Bologna, Italy), from 17/05/2022 to 17/05/2022
Short description:  The aim of the event was to share the outcomes and results of project “Telling the story, Learning from Listening” achieved in the 5 participating countries, and carry on a common reflection on intolerance, discrimination and the role of the EU Charter of Fundamental rights, through non-formal activities. Each organisation presented the results in each country and some Human Books from Italy attended and shared their experiences as witnesses. The conference involved representatives of partners, teachers and educational staff, youth workers, Human Books, students and citizens. It was part of the Week of Europe in the city of Bologna and organised in collaboration with Europe Direct Bologna and Emilia Romagna Assembly.

Event 15 – Dissemination event in Italy
Participation: The event involved 25 citizens, including 17 participants from the city of Piotrków Trybunalski (Poland), 7 participants from the city of Bologna (Italy), 1 participant from Chisinau (Moldova)
Location/ Dates: The event took place in YouNet training room (Bologna, Italy), from 29/06/2022 to 29/06/2022
Short description: The aim of the event was to share the videobooks and handbook produced during the project, and to continue the public reflection on discrimination and intolerance, and on the impact of non formal activities in history teaching.

Event 16 – Dissemination event in Romania
Participation: The event involved 13 citizens, including 13 participants from the city of Brașov (Romania)
Location/ Dates: The event took place in Casa Mureșenilor and Casa Baciu (Brașov, Romania), from 13/04/2022  to 13/04/2022 
Short description:  The aim of the event was to ensure the visibility of the project and its methods and results among different target groups, from students to University professors and other stakeholders. Through this public event, the goal is to continue with the awareness raising action about common history and EU values.

Event 17 – Dissemination event in Slovenia
Participation: The event involved 40 citizens, including 40 participants from the city of Novo Mesto (Slovenia)
Location/ Dates: The event took place in (Novo Mesto, Slovenia), from 15/06/2022 to 15/06/2022
Short description: The aim of the event was to share the materials produced during the project and the results, and to continue the public reflection on discrimination and intolerance.

Event 18 – Dissemination event in Greece
Participation: The event involved 52 citizens, including 52 participants from the city of Kalamata (Greece)
Location/ Dates: The event took place around Vista Marina Hotel (Kalamata, Greece), from 04/06/2022 to 04/06/2022
Short description: The aim of the event was to share the materials produced during the project and its results, including videbooks, and to continue the reflection on discrimination and intolerance through non-formal activities that engaged the participants in a public discussion.