How the world sees me, and how I want it to see me
Raising awareness of stereotypes, fostering empathy, and encouraging a fresh perspective on people at risk of social marginalization.
Duration: 90 minutes—introduction: 10 minutes, performing the exercise: 40 minutes, presenting and recording the messages on a shared flipchart: 20 minutes, summing up: 20 minutes.
Difficulty level: 4/5
Preparation
Print 4-6 pictures that represent 3-4 specific groups at risk of social marginalisation, for example immigrants or refugees, seniors, single mothers or fathers, LGBTQIA+ representatives, people with disabilities or others present in your society, so that participants have some reference, their own experiences or observations regarding these groups.
Make sure the selected images are diverse and neutral, ensuring they do not offend anyone or reinforce stereotypes.
Attach the images to blank flip chart cards and arrange them on tables, creating 3-4 designated corners, each dedicated to one theme.
Arrange the tables in the space so that the groups can easily access them and engage in discussion.
Label each corner clearly (e.g., "Seniors," "Refugees," "Homeless," "Foreigners," "LGBT," etc.).
Work in small groups of 3-4 participants.
Introduction
Inform the group that you will be dividing them into 4 small subgroups. Each group will have the same task: to examine a set of images with captions that depict four different representations of groups at risk of social marginalisation.
Instructions
Each team takes turns approaching the themed images and discussing the following questions: "How does the world currently see this group?" "How should the world see them?"
Each team reflects on what message members of the group at risk of social marginalisation might want to tell the world, or what the team would like to share on their behalf.
Teams should write down their messages on flipcharts and discuss for about 10 minutes.
Afterward, they move on to the next set of images, continuing the process until they have explored all the themes and added something to each community page.
Finally, invite participants to share the results of their discussions with the larger group. Summarize and collectively gather the key messages addressed to the world.
Wrap-up
Invite the group to reflect on their experiences. How did the discussions go? What surprised or intrigued them, or sparked controversy? Did they have similar experiences?
Encourage participants to share their thoughts on how to craft a positive message for the world. What did they want to include? What tone did the message take: emotional, factual, bold, conversational, or thought-provoking?
Facilitate a discussion about which type of message is most likely to resonate with the world.