On Friday 24 and Saturday 25, the Education Forum was held at the Lycée classique in Diekirch. Organized by the Fondation Follereau, the forum started on Friday evening with a round table on education. Seven inspiring and committed panelists from Germany and Luxembourg were invited to present their projects and actions in the field of public and informal education. They all defend the idea that the traditional roles of students and teachers in schools must change. Students should not be seen as mere “receivers” of knowledge, but rather as active learners who are responsible for their education, seeking answers to their questions and engaging in projects that allow them to address issues beyond the “traditional” teachings imparted. The role of the teacher is not only to teach, but more importantly to guide students in their learning. These ideas can enable students to become engaged individuals and agents of change. 

Left and right: Anne Cuvillier and Côme Uhart-Jouët from Unity Foundation, center: Mélanie Sambuis from the French organization Gemmes, in front of the stand set up at the Lycée classique de Diekirch during the Education Forum

The following day, Unity Foundation welcomed visitors to its stand to present its projects and discuss the notion of development. In partnership with the NGO Gemmes, Unity Foundation organized a workshop on the theme of empathy, which brought together a dozen young people. The discussion was initiated by a SPARKS episode, produced by Gemmes, presenting the journey of Aliénor: a young woman who, having experienced isolation during the pandemic, launches with her cousins the platform “A letter, a smile”, an initiative that connects young people and isolated elderly people throughout the year in a nursing home. From the short film, participants explore how empathy allows us to connect with others and can become a driving force to address the challenges around us.

The group of young people watching the introductory video of the workshop.

Among the many challenges that the young people identified, they chose to work together on the theme of racism. They tried to identify its causes and consequences and reflected on the types of values, attitudes and actions that can be used to fight racism on a personal level.  

The youth reflecting on the consequences of racism and how to prevent its spread.

Meanwhile, the forum hosted film screenings, a theater show and other artistic and exchange workshops for children, youth and even parents! At 8:00 pm, music concerts closed the forum in a joyful and relaxed atmosphere. 

A big thank you to the Fondation Follereau for organizing this event and to Gemmes for sharing this very inspiring workshop!

See you in October for the fall edition of the Festival du Cinéma du Sud (date to be announced) and on December 8 for a conference on education!

To learn more about Gemmes, visit: www.gemmes.org