„REM INCLUSIVE”
NEW EDUCATIONAL PROJECT
Visits to memorials of former concentration and extermination camps are an essential addition to the traditional educational process in schools. They are also places where one can see and understand the tragedy of the victims of National Socialism with their own eyes. The visit helps shape young people's civic attitudes and awaken their empathy and respect for differences. However, only some people realize that certain groups of people are excluded from this type of education.
It is rarely possible to enter the memorials commemorating the victims of National Socialism without using stairs. The texts on the exhibits are sometimes written in a language that not everyone can understand, and black-and-white photos are often of poor quality and not particularly rich in contrast. Descriptions of objects, exhibitions, or guides written in Braille or sign language are rather exceptions. This means that most of the memorial sites do not meet the requirements of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in terms of inclusive participation. According to this document, people with disabilities have a permanent physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairment that prevents them from participating in the social life on equal terms. For most of them, trips to memorial sites and the full reception of this particular civic-historical education are impossible.
The joint Polish-German project "Inclusive Memory" aims to systematically identify the needs of people with disabilities and draw attention to their perspective. The starting point for the discussions will be the example of the Stutthof Museum in Sztutowo. Thanks to the cooperation of people from different backgrounds, the exchange of experiences, and professional knowledge, we will develop guidelines that will make memorial sites and education in Germany and Poland more accessible to people with disabilities. Project participants will receive information on the latest achievements in the field of inclusive education and will learn about good practices used in Poland, Germany, and other countries. Tools developed during the project will be used during the visit of 25 young people with disabilities to the Stutthof Museum in Sztutowo. The project will end with the presentation of its results.
Today we invite parents of people with disabilities, those with special educational needs, teachers, educators, and students to participate in our project. .
For the next eighteen months, the Stutthof Museum in Sztutowo, the Internationales Bildungs- und Begegnungswerk gGmbh in Dortmund, and the Schwarzenberg Association in Berlin will be implementing the project "REM Inclusive". It is addressed to people with disabilities, as well as to teachers, educators, and students who want to work in the field of inclusive education in the future. During the project, 150 participants will share their experiences and knowledge in this area. On 7 March 2023, the project's opening conference will be held online, to which you are cordially invited.
Stutthof Memorial