Mini-Conference for Girls and Boys Who Are Curious About Racism

What is racism? (Hadhi Yatou)

Could any of us end up being racist? (Ariana)

Am I different? How do I know I’m different? (Valéri)

Does protesting against racism on the streets actually achieve anything? (Inês)

Why do some people think they’re better than others? (Kris)

Why do some families move to another country? (Maria)

When I go to my friend’s house in France, am I a foreigner? (Rui)

Can we judge someone without knowing them? (Omar)

Being curious, asking questions and wanting to understand are all part of childhood. It’s impossible to fudge the answers to children’s questions, especially when they reveal a philosophical complexity that comes to them spontaneously and naturally. The aim, first and foremost, is to engage with the questions posed by the youngest members of society so that, through them, we can open up space for critical reflection on racism.
As an educational initiative against racism, this mini-conference, led by Rita Pedro, also involves raising awareness: we are not born racist; we become racist. We need to deconstruct prejudices, become aware of what shapes us, and clarify some difficult terms such as xenophobia, discrimination, melanin, slavery, apartheid and prejudice.

Rita Pedro holds a Master’s degree in Philosophy from the New University of Lisbon, having studied under the supervision of the philosopher José Gil. She is a research associate at the Practical and Applied Philosophy research laboratory at the University of the Aegean. Since 1999, she has been developing Philosophy with Children (PwC) projects and has worked in this field as a trainer and facilitator. She coordinated PwC projects aimed at children and young people in migration contexts at the Moinho da Juventude Association (2006–2010). In Cape Verde, she carried out research into the practice of Philosophy with Children in a community setting (2009–2011). Since 2012, she has been working in partnership with various artists, actors and dancers to co-create and facilitate artistic and philosophical experiences, notably with Sílvia Real in the group 23 Amarelo: Silêncio.

Maria Gil

Teatro Maria Matos

LU.CA/Alípio Padilha