Lazio against violence and discrimination: the Region’s “I respect you” project begins

Raise awareness on the issues of violence against women, bullying and cyberbullying, to promote a supportive social model, individual freedom and combat all forms of violence. This is the objective of the “I respect you” initiative, promoted by the Lazio Region, together with the project’s partner associations, and which will start in the next few days. The initiative is aimed at primary and secondary school students, teachers and families. At the presentation, which was held at the WeGil headquarters in Rome, moderated by the Tg2 journalist Marzia Roncaccithe councilor for Culture, Equal Opportunities, Youth and Family Policies, Simona Renata Baldassarre, the actress Maria Grazia Cucinotta and the president of Lazio Innova Francesco Marcolini. Furthermore, representatives of the project’s partner organizations and organizations participated: Francesco Spano, general secretary of the Maxxi museum foundation; Laura Bugliesi, project manager of Moige (Italian Parents Movement); Fausto Costantini, artistic director of the TeatroPer association; and Miriam Incurvati, president of the Pioneer project social promotion association.

“The project aims to train many young people as ambassadors of respect to combat violence against women, bullying and cyberbullying so that every young person can look at the world and see all human beings with dignity and respect – explained the Equal Opportunities Councilor of the Lazio Region, Simona Renata Baldassarre -. There is a starting point of some institutes and then gradually, as the project progresses, schools will be able to choose to join. The Lazio Region is strongly committed to the fight against violence against women with a commitment of funds for anti-violence centers and shelters and with the contribution of freedom. But we must start from the young generations, from the schools and families who will be involved in these projects because it is from childhood that we learn to respect and accept the differences of the people in front of us in order to accept others and fight violence”, he concluded .

“This action we are taking towards young people is small but very significant – stated the president of Lazio Innova, Francesco Marcolini -. The number of young companies that we help to enter the world of work is very high. This initiative promotes the social fabric and helps eliminate pockets of hardship and problems. When acts involving situations of abuse and bullying occur, this depends on a cultural and socialization defect that must be resolved. Lazio Innova tries with its means to combat this social problem and provide an answer to young people. We do a lot but it is still very little. The contribution and action carried out by a public body like the Region requires the support and contribution of private individuals”, he concluded. The actress Maria Grazia Cucinotta will also act as testimonial for the project. “It’s an important project because here there are kids who talk to kids – were the words of the actress -. We adults are seen as those who want to impose our rules and instead perhaps a child can more easily make his peer understand what the right path to follow is. We must give them the chance to succeed, many times we judge them because they are always attached to social media or because they have no respect, but we are the first ones who threw them onto social media because we are too busy and don’t give them the right attention. It is good to raise awareness among children, but everything starts from the example of us parents”, she concluded.

There are various initiatives implemented by the initiative’s partners, namely the Maxxi Museum Foundation, the Italian Parents Movement (Moige), the TeatroPer association and the Pioneer project social promotion association. In particular, the Moigeas part of “Ti Respect”, will take care of the project “Young Ambassadors for digital citizenship against violence against women, cyberbullying and cyber risk“, involving 20 schools in Lazio, 2,400 students, 20 teachers and 4,800 parents. “The heart of the project is the training of a team of young ambassadors, that is, young people who will go to the institutes become points of reference both for training activities and as sentinels in the event of the emergence of bullying and cyberbullying phenomena – stated Laura Bugliesi, manager Moige projects -. We also have a mobile unit, a camper with two psychologists who reach the institutes to involve children in awareness-raising and training activities. Inside there are two reserved areas where kids can talk to experts to talk about their problems or ask further questions,” she concluded. Maxxi, on the other hand, will organize 25 guided tours for students and teachers from 5 schools in Lazio on an educational journey dedicated to art, architecture and photography. “A very significant project which sees in Lazio Innova, in the Region and in the realities that take place there a commitment to testify at all times to the fact that there cannot be any form of violence and aggression that undermines the precept of respect among all people, especially in the diversity of gender and identity – commented the general secretary of the Maxxi Museum Foundation, Francesco Spano -. As a museum we are protagonists in this battle because art and every form of language can only start from the denunciation of every form of violence,” she concluded.

As regards the cultural association Teatro Per, with the project “Fragilely – unique facts”, it will involve students from 5 schools in Lazio in theater workshops, with professional directors and actors, on the theme of combating violence against women. “Ours is a very educational job, with a whole series of formative theatrical notions aimed not at acting, but at knowledge, within courses of 45 hours each, with the analysis of some texts that deal with the relationships between people. Knowledge thus becomes an element for managing relationships”, stated Fausto Costantini, artistic director of theTeatroPer Association. Finally, the Pioneer project association will involve students with the initiative “An (im)possible lesson”, focusing on the motivational show of the illusionist of the mind Cristopher Castellini. “Through magic and mentalism, the mind of the spectators becomes the stage on which to encounter respect, dignity and the importance of specificity and diversity, something very precious”, were the words of the president of the Social Promotion Association Pioneer project, Miriam Incurvati.

Important promotional tool for “I respect you” will be the project’s web platform, designed and developed with contents, resources and initiatives aimed at the target audience, in collaboration with partners. The platform aims to entertain, inform, raise awareness and support young recipients, also in collaboration with radio, television and web publications that will make audiovisual content available on the themes of the initiative. The campaign activities also include listening and support forums, masterclasses and original talks, music playlists created by partners and influencers, access to streaming shows, films and TV series in line with the initiative, selection and reviews of books , eBooks, articles and thematic insights. In order to amplify the knowledge, promotion and impact of “Ti Respect” on young people, the Region will invest in social media, making use of the collaboration of experts, with targeted web marketing and web advertising actions.

Related posts