Italian

General aim: to make society aware, by paying a particular attention to young people, with regards to dialogue between religions and to a culture of peace.

Specific target: production of a kit, composed of a teaching guide and 5 comics about differences and dialogue between different religions.

In our increasingly multi-confessional society, which is experiencing a growth of immigration and an increase of people moving, the dialogue between people professing different religions is a crucial theme in order to promote a culture of peace. The innovative aspect of this project is the use of comics in facing these hard and complicated themes. Comics are an international cultural phenomenon, able to involve every aspect of our life and to present them in art form. Furthermore not only they can be easily understood by young people and students, but also by adults and families. The exchange of views derived from the analysis of the contents of comics, can be food for thought, and can facilitate pacific cohabitation between people belonging to different cultures.

		4 internationally famous authors wrote 5 stories, starting from previously identified common values: Pascale Fonteneau (L’appel) has dealt with love and forgiveness; the Belgian Thomas Gunzig (La réserve), instead, has dealt with non-violence. The poet Carl Norac gave a narrative dimension both to the value of mutual respect and to generosity (respecteively Hisham et Hyseult and Si tu me suis autour du monde). Finally Abdourahman Waberi (Schoelcher, Schéhérazade, Saïd et les autres) wrote a story which can exemplify and analyse the issue of non-discrimination. Based on these stories, Christophe Ngalle Edimo (scriptwriter and president of the association L’Afrique Dessinée) elaborated 5 screenplays for comics.

Based on these screenplays, 5 illustrators of the partner organization L’Afrique Dessinée, realized 5 comics about these identified common values: Pat Masioni, L’appello. Titi Faustin, La riserva. Simon Pierre Mbumbo, Hisham e Isotta. Fifi Mokuna, Se mi segui intorno al mondo... Chrisany, Compito a casa.

The project was thought in particular for schools, and so a teaching guide was also realized : the material of this guide, directly linked with the comics, helps to look further into the treated themes.

The guide is divided in 5 chapters, each of which is directly linked to a specific comic and to its theme.

Furthermore, each chapter is divided into sections:

1. “The message”: it is defined the specific treated value, referring to sacred texts of the main religions and to the most important texts which express the lay thought.

2. “The material”: after a summary of the comic, the way of dealing with the treated value is analysed, offering more food for thought. Finally, the section ends with a list of quotes from the main religious and lay texts

3. “Exercises”: in-class exercises, in order to make more effective and interactive the phase of a more careful examination.

The guide is finished with articles which elaborate on the themes of common values, written by Jacques Rifflet, Jean Pierre Dozon, Vincenzo Fano and Flavio Pajer.

		What has already been done: - realization and distribution of the 5 comics (in Italian) and the teaching guide - meetings with the aim off looking into specific issues, in middle and high schools in Padua - realization and preparation of an exhibition with the original comic pages - organizing guided tours conducted by mediators in 10 schools, involving about 500 students and 20 teachers - a meeting about the culture of peace and the dialogue between religions, with the participation of government representatives, teachers, directors of cultural and immigrants associations, directors of community centres, deans and educational institutions Project realized in cooperation with Africa e Mediterraneo and Cooperativa Lai Momo.

Future steps

Ended project

Ask for your copy of the teaching guide and comics: Questo indirizzo e-mail è protetto dallo spam bot. Abilita Javascript per vederlo.

Common Values Official Site

Back