Embrace Diversity, Embrace the Future
This project allowed students and participants to learn, discuss and reflect on the universal nature of human rights and on the diversity of cultures, religions and traditions. For this purpose we brought together a multidisciplinary team – composed of religious leaders from Christian, Islamic and Buddhist Communities, refugees from four different countries and a number of teachers. With the joint energies of all participants we have created an online communication campaign with the purpose of reaching out to others and creating awareness for the value of diversity.
The Embrace Diversity, Embrace the Future Project was realized by the Joel Nafuma Refugee Center and ItaliaHello, thanks to the contribution of Niwano Foundation and St. George’s British International School in Rome.
And How?
The project´s starting point was our engagement with what diversity can mean to us and other. In four thematic workshops we created an exchange on the fundamental principles at the base of any religion, on the global context of migration and countries of origin and on the diversity of people, traditions and cultures.
For this purpose we invited religious leaders from Christian, Muslim and Buddhist communities and refugees from four countries to join the project. Watch the interviews below and learn more about their understandings of diversity and its value for our societies.
Imam Yahya Pallavicini
is the President of COREIS Islamic Religious Community Italy and member of the general assembly of the greatmosque of Rome.
Cuenca Bonilla Cesar Augusto
is from Columbia, South America. He arrived in Italy in January 2020 and is a Computer Science Engineer experienced in project management based on Information Technologies, sysadmin, Helpdesk. He is currently working in a horse field doing general service.
Rev. Austin K. Rios
Has served as the Executive Director of the Joel Nafuma Refugee Center (JNRC) and the 15th Rector of St.Paul’s Within the Walls Episcopal Church since 2012. During that time, he has forged relationships with interfaith and ecumenical partners in order to better serve the guests of the JNRC and promote relationships of trust and compassion across religious divisions.
Mahamadou Sankareh
is from Gambia, West Africa. He arrived in Italy in January 2014 and has worked as a cultural mediator at the Joel Nafuma Refugee Center (JNRC) since 2016.
Eleonora Fiorini
is a member of the Buddhist Institute Soka Gakkai since 1995. As an expert in migration and inclusion and as a public official on behalf of the juvenile court of Rome, Eleonora Fiorini has dealt with unaccompanied foreign minors for years.
Ayman Wasef
previously worked as an English teacher in a private school before he arrived in Italy in August 2019. He has been working at St. George’s British International School in Rome since September 2020.
The #EmbraceDiversity #EmbracetheFuture Project was realized in collaboration with ItaliaHello and St. George’s British International School Rome with the contribution of the Niwano Peace Foundation.
