The Beginning of “Unjudging,” the End of Intolerance?
Image | Human Library
What does travelling mean to you? Discoveries, adventures, incredible art and architecture, learning about other cultures, lifestyles and people? Which highlights stick with you, even long after a trip? What do you bring back home in your mind and not only on your photos?
Some of my personal highlights have been meeting and dialoguing with people in other countries. One such experience happened in a restaurant in a small town in India. Suddenly an elderly gentleman, who was sitting quietly in the corner, came over to talk to us, starting with the usual questions: «where are you from?» and «do you like travelling in India?» He presented himself as a history university teacher who specialized in Indian and British history, and during our talk we got so many answers to our questions about India, that the evening ended very late. Now, if this great teacher had not started the conversation, we would probably never have gotten that wonderful knowledge and we certainly wouldn’t have found a new friend.
On another trip, I had just arrived in Iran, and on the first day, a friend and I went to a mountaintop just outside Tehran to admire the view. We found ourselves standing next to a couple and started chatting about the cold and the view of the city. We stood there for a while continuing a conversation that led to all of us learning so much about our personal lives and projects, and the political situations in Iran and in France. What a wonderful random meeting, and what a beginning to a trip! As I found out, the Iranians will easily come up to you and ask (in fluent English or French) if you like travelling in their country, and this might just be an opening to a dialogue that leads to more questions and answers.
These discussions have certainly broadened my perspectives and my understanding of other cultures and other ways of living. When you travel in a foreign country, it takes courage to reach out, to be bold and start a conversation with people you don't know. But as the world is going through its crises leading to polarisation and isolation, it is more important than ever to stay connected and face our differences.
All this was in my mind when I heard about “The Human Library''— a truly impressive project that was started 20 years ago in Denmark by Ronni Abergel, his brother and two colleagues. They create events with a library - not of books but of people, who are willing to share their personal stories and answer questions from readers. The readers can “borrow'' human beings as open “books” and have conversations they would not normally have access to. Every human book will represent people who are often victims of prejudice, discrimination and stigmatization—because of their lifestyle, their diagnosis, beliefs or ethnic origins. The book titles describe their experiences —ADHD, autism, being a transgender, a young mum, a Muslim, a homeless person, a refugee, a policeman and many more.
"Unjudge Someone" - A short film about the Human Library Organization by Eclectic Spacewalk Productions.
We all have stereotypes in our minds, so could there be any better way to be challenged than to have an actual, honest conversation face-to-face with people towards whom you would not normally gravitate because they do not sound or look like you? The idea is simply that when information is available in a safe setting, you are able to make your own decisions. Trying to build bridges has always been shown to be more constructive than building walls!
For 20 years, The Human Library has created safe spaces for conversations in schools, universities, libraries, at festivals and public meetings. In 2017 the project also opened up for companies to create «readings» with their employees, to encourage a better, more inclusive work environment.
Today you can find book depots of the “Human Library Organization '' in more than 85 different countries around the world, in countries like the USA, England, Canada, Peru, Australia, India, Tunisia, Egypt, Botswana, South Korea etc. All the book depots are gatherings of volunteer “books” and librarians who will visit schools, libraries, festivals etc. A book depot often services a town or a region.
On June 27, 2020, the Human Library celebrated Unjudgement Day to honour their 20th anniversary. An international digital event was held where readers could interact with books from around the world. A «reading garden», the first permanent Human Library, was opened up at their headquarters in Copenhagen, where public events are created, and where travellers and visitors are welcome.
In these Covid times, virtual readings have been organised, and I signed up for one with the Danish Human Library in December 2020. I got to listen to and ask questions to two very different human books. It was somewhat intimidating to talk to complete strangers, but in a way, also very freeing, not having any personal bonds to these human books. I learned quite a bit about the social and personal aspects of being a schizophrenic, with a story of treatments and adapting to «normal» society. The other human book told me about a socially difficult situation—being polyamorous, which is being non-monogamous, having non-exclusive relationships.
Both discussions did give me other visions of what it is like living with a diagnosis or living in a socially different situation. Being better informed and putting a real human face to a problematic situation is a good way of helping us to avoid making quick judgements, and to make our own decisions.
The ”readers” of the human books obviously learn a lot, but questions from readers to the books can sometimes evoke unexpected emotions. From an event in Illinois, a human book who tells her story about being a black orphan says: «with every reading I learn something about myself. You can't make laws to make other people understand and be kind to you. There is no law in the world that can stop what is in someone's heart. But knowing someone and hearing someone may make that difference».
The power of dialogue is immense and may be a way to end intolerance and misunderstandings, and hopefully a beginning of “unjudging.”
You can learn more about the Human Library on their website https://humanlibrary.org/
and hear directly from co-founder Ronni Abergel in this TedX video:
“Creating the Human Library: Fighting Taboos and Stigma Through Dialogue”
Ronni Abergel, co-founder of the Human Library imagines a safe space where we could all sit together and talk openly about taboos and stigma! A place where a conversation with a refugee, a transgender, a bipolar person or someone living with an eating disorder is equally possible, open and informative.
