REFERENTS: Inspiring stories that break stereotypes
A “referent” is a model, something that gives us the basis to create a proposal of our own… A “referent” is an inspiration! The more references we have around us, the more we believe that it is possible to do many things that, at first, may seem impossible.
We have come across a campaign that, precisely, is called that way: REFERENTS. The project, promoted by the organization Accem, was born with the desire to make visible an increasingly diverse Spanish society, which is nourished and enriched by foreigners and, especially, by their descendants.
It focuses on racialized and culturally diverse youth – born or raised in Spain – in the fields of science, universities, sports, music, art, business, cinema, communication, among others, to highlight the value of ethnic diversity and the contribution that young people make in all these areas.
Every day, the stories we hear at DPC show us how complex it is for migrants, especially young people, to make their way in the host society. The socio-labor context poses many obstacles for youth in general; if we add to this the element of being a migrant and racialized person, the challenges increase. Therefore, we believe that this campaign has an immense value to expose examples that serve as inspiration and break with stereotypes that relate certain phenotypes with certain jobs or skin color with nationality.
The project relies on various communicative and pedagogical resources. The “Referents” are specific faces of young people who were born or arrived in Spain as minors. Each story highlights their achievements, trajectory and initiatives in social and professional fields.
The project has a website where you can access the stories of each of the people who are part of the campaign. Many of their actions have a critical approach to the challenges of migrant youth who have arrived in Spain or descendants of migrant families. You can meet each “Referente” HERE
This campaign is to be taken everywhere possible and to be shared with all kinds of people! As the project says, “Referents” seeks to raise awareness and promote the empowerment of second generation children and youth, making them aware and protagonists of their capabilities and rights. It is also intended to raise awareness in society in general to combat discriminatory behavior and contribute to the normalization of the presence of culturally diverse youth in different fields.
They have a space with resources to be used in awareness-raising activities; in fact, there is an incredible game for us to carry the “referents” in our memory!
The partner organization Accem is constantly holding meetings and activities around this project. They promote a variety of messages, for example, “Referents M”, which focused on making visible the importance of women and girls to develop in diverse fields, trying not only to combat racial barriers but also gender barriers.
At Diálogos Para Construir we know many “referentes”! That is why we support and join initiatives like this one. We believe it is very important to tell the stories of overcoming and success of migrants, to give them a place, a voice, to change the discourse and, above all, to show that it is POSSIBLE to fulfill dreams.
Access all the resources of “REFERENTS” HERE
