Send a postcard - send a chance

Background

ESN with the support of the Council of Europe launched in 2009 a special campaign for sharing intercultural experiences, thus aiming to reduce xenophobia and racism in this world. Five different postcards, a poster and a booklet have been  produced for that reason.

Phase 1: Postcard design competition

The 5 different postcard designs depict a moment or a feeling that ESNers saw or experienced while being in a different country. Something from their time spent as Erasmus, studying, volunteering or travelling abroad. The designs are a photo or a graphic illustration. The designs have been inserted in the guidebook.

The name of the winners has been mentioned on the backside of the postcard. On the front of the postcard there has been placed the logo of ESN and in some of them also the Give20 one in small format.

Phase 2: Send a postcard

During the summer period ESNers from all over Europe were sending postcards to the ESN headquarters of ESN International in Brussels.  On the postcards they were writing short stories about how their experience abroad, may that be student or youth exchange, working, volunteering or holidays, opened their eyes to understand, accept and respect people from different backgrounds. 

Phase 3: Guide to solving racism

The guidebook has been distributed to people all over Europe (ESN sections and international institutions) to raise awareness towards how beneficial inter-cultural dialogue and understanding are to each individual and society as a whole. 

Why did ESNers took part in this project? 

Because every day, ESN volunteers are in contact with different cultures and because they want to share their experiences with young people all over Europe. The vision of our organization is to enrich the society through international students. Our mission is to provide opportunities for cultural understanding and self-development under the principle of Students Helping Students. Our main values are unity in diversity, diversity in the unity, we are all from different backgrounds, but share one common aim and goal; openness with tolerance, we understand and accept others and learn from them; cooperation in the integration, we share a holistic view towards internationality.

In the booklet there can be found articles from organizations active in the field of fighting racism and xenophobia, from ESN members and other international students and even some postcards. They have been divided into 4 major parts: definition of racism and xenophobia, facts and figures from organizations active in the field of racism and xenophobia and from students and the last part about mobility programs, and at the end other organizations working in the educational field. Initially we wanted to present a clear and, as much as possible, objective idea about the subject that we are dealing with. Passing through some particular cases and experiences, mainly from students or our members, and ending with some information about mobility opportunities and other organizations like us. Most of the articles are divided by the postcards international students sent us during the year with a short story about their experiences in the inter-cultural dialogue. 

This guide would not have been possible without the support from the European Youth Foundation of the Council of Europe and without the contribution of many organizations active in the field of racism and xenophobia all over Europe, as well as all the ESN members and international students. 

Attachments
NORACISM_postcard.pdf NORACISM_postcard.pdf (1.12 MB)
poster_postcard_def.pdf poster_postcard_def.pdf (5.29 MB)
6.pdf 6.pdf (1.22 MB)
7.pdf 7.pdf (846.82 KB)
8.pdf 8.pdf (710.98 KB)
9.pdf 9.pdf (811.02 KB)
10.pdf 10.pdf (406.87 KB)