The Republic Centre for Support of Persons with Intellectual Disability – PORAKA in cooperation with the Association Halfway There from Serbia and SUMERO from Bosnia and Herzegovina began the implementation of the project “Intercultural Learning for All” in January 2023. The project is based on years of experiences of all three partner organisations in the field of social inclusion, skills development of persons with intellectual disability in terms of occupational therapy, creativity, self-advocacy skills, intercultural learning, and tolerance. The main goal of the project envisages active participation of persons with intellectual disability as self-advocates who are overcoming stereotypes, prejudices and barriers through intercultural learning and contributing to the good neighbouring relations in the region and to the social and cultural cooperation. Moreover, the project foresees to contribute to regional cooperation by including persons with intellectual disability in intercultural dialogue, promoting their integration and establishing connections between people in general.
The challenges addressed with the project “Intercultural Learning for All” referred to lack of opportunities for persons with intellectual disability to take active part in intercultural dialogue, good neighbourly relations and connected to the peers from other countries. Social inclusion of persons with intellectual disability is highly promoted in the agendas of all Western Balkans countries, although the implementation of it lacks in reality. Due to their intellectual disability, this group of persons is additionally vulnerable, even within the marginalised group of persons with disability, which furthermore contributes to increasing their exclusion from mainstream society.
The implementation of the project, therefore, contributed to better understanding and acceptance of diversity between persons with intellectual disability of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds, as well as the social services personnel and its users. At the same time, it provided a good example of cooperation and respect for diversity from the point of view of the persons with intellectual disability themselves, as activists and as a model of intercultural learning.
The project activities have been regularly implemented in the past period. Special emphasis has been put on realisation of thematic workshops. The educators and the users in all Day Centres of the Republic Centre for Support of Persons with Intellectual Disability – PORAKA were actively involved in conducting the workshops consisted of themes in the areas of culture, traditions, and customs, as well as themes like non-violent communication.
The workshops regarding culture, traditions and customs were quite dynamic and interesting for the users of the Day Centres. Discussions about the culture of the three countries were led, followed by discussions about their cultural treasures, similarities, and differences in the culture of these nations. Numerous customs and different traditions from Macedonian, Serbian, and Bosnian people were presented.
The workshops regarding culture, traditions and customs were quite dynamic and interesting for the users of the Day Centres. Discussions about the culture of the three countries were led, followed by discussions about their cultural treasures, similarities, and differences in the culture of these nations. Numerous customs and different traditions from Macedonian, Serbian, and Bosnian people were presented.
Also, several culinary workshops were held. The users of the Day Centres of the Republic Centre – PORAKA had the opportunity to be introduced to traditional dishes of the three countries, to discuss the similarities and differences between the cuisines and dishes of Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and our country.
The implementation period of the project was from January till the end of September 2023. As a final activity in the project, three different final events were foreseen in each country.
The users of the Day Centres of the Republic Centre – PORAKA took part in the event, together with the educators. During the final event they had the opportunity to present the gained experience from the project activities. Through video materials from the previously held workshops, presentations, as well as other materials used in the workshops held at their Day Centres, the users presented the work done in the past months. They spoke on the themes addressed at the workshops referred to discrimination, prejudice and stereotypes related to persons with intellectual disability, culture and customs, and nonviolent communication. Also, they presented their culinary skills.
Part of the users had the possibility to show what they have learned during the culinary workshops. With the support of one of the educators, they prepared sutlijash, which everyone tasted at the end of the event.
During the final event, video material was presented that shows the achieved goals within the project, and persons with intellectual disability from Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and our country, who took active participation in the project, speak about their impressions from the project activities. Additionally, the Manual aimed for leaders of workshops regarding culture, discrimination and nonviolent communication was presented, which will assist to expand the project activities for other users as well. The Manual is available for download in Macedonian and Albanian.
This event is also part of the activities for observing the jubilee – 60 years of active work of the Republic Centre for Support of Persons with Intellectual Disability – PORAKA.
The project “Intercultural Learning for All” is financed by the Western Balkans Fund (WBF) with support of the European Union within the Call for Regional Project Proposals “Support to the Promotion of Civil Society regional actions in the Western Balkans”.
