“Overtake and cause kindness”
Participating in charity events is somekind of a trend nowadays. It has become fashionable and prestigious lately. But what do we really know about how to help in a right way, who generally is a benefactor and who are the ones, who actually require help? In frames of our room we want to discuss such an important question: what does charity mean in Estonia and what it consists of?
Having discussed and “read” all of the living books, with a help of the “Human Library” method, our readers will be able to answer to themselves on following questions –
Are there any guidebooks or rules for doing charity?
Are we allowed to “cause kindness” on our own wish?
Are always the things we consider helping really serve the others?
All room visitors – both organizers and the “Books” – bumped in those questions multiple times and have already found their own answers to them. In their baggage they had a lot of interesting stories, that could reveal the topic of charity from different angles. They wanted to share their experience and thoughts with the visitors of the library.
After visiting our library every reader will have added to their arsenal a couple kind advices from organisers about what you should pay attention to before “causing kindness”, wider view on the question about charity in general, higher level of mindfulness in that question.
The goal of our discussion is to make an accent on forming a civil position in questions of “charity” and “kindness” in society.
To uncover the topic of our room we used non formal methods of learning (Human Library, dialog, discussion)
The concept of our room consisted of meeting an “X-man”, who is thinking about doing charity, but doesn’t know where to begin. To figure things up and uncover what does “causing kindness”, he will be able to join all the visitors in reading all 3 “human books” in frames of the “Human Library” method.
Human Library – is not your usual library: in the frames of this event it is people who play the role of Books. The aim of this event is to raise awareness of the population about a variety of social groups that are often discriminated or prejudiced against. The Books can be on such topics as religious and moral ideologies, different professions and hobbies, special needs of all kinds, sexual and ethnic minorities, and many more. The Living Books are ready and willing to share their stories in an open and honest positive dialogue.
In frames of Opinion festival and the topic of our room “Overtake and cause kindness” in our library there are going to be ready 3 different “human books”. They will be able to tell their story and to give others the chance to see the situation from different corners.
1 Book – a man with disabilities, to whom people always want to commit kindness.
2 Book – a volunteer with an experience, who knows what true kindness is.
3 Book – benefactor. A person, who lives with conception of “kindness” and “volunteering” and is ready to share his experience.
After getting familiar with all of three stories, “X-man” will be able to make a conclusion. Organizers will offer him a list of rules, which they have collected on base of their own experience and experience of other people. By following those rules he may be certain, that his help is actually useful.
Youth Club Active and NGO Different World – organizers and moderators, people, who have experience in organizing charity events for people with disabilities and working with volunteers.
As our target group we saw the citizens of Estonia and nonresidents people aged 18 – 60, with active citizen position and openhearted. Or the opposite – people, who don’t believe in volunteering, but who are looking for questions, why others do that.
We had a co-work with Eriline Maailm and Arvamuse Festival.