SDD Learning offer
Background: Treating others with respect is a never-ending journey
On the SDD e-learning platform, you find a learning offer on the field of discrimination, which refers to the topics of racism, sexism, transphobia and antisemitism, among others. It demonstrates common contexts and consequences of various discriminatory situations, asks you for help, gives you feedback and encourages your self-reflection on the issue.
At some point in this process, the question of how we are involved, what stereotypes we have and how we respond in a discriminatory way will emerge. The approach of SDD puts your own reflection on discrimination and stereotypes at the centre.
Stereotypes and discriminatory structures are part of our everyday life. Often, we may not be aware of them, or they are shared by so many people that they seem normal. But nobody wants to be stereotyped or discriminated against, so the realisation that it does happen hurts and addressing the issue can be uncomfortable. Some marginalised groups may even face multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination. In the end, it affects all of us and if we want to live in a society free of discrimination, it starts with our own self-reflection of how we perceive others and interact with them.
That doesn’t sound very appealing at first, does it? Then why not take advantage of this SDD learning offer? Overall, the subject area is very dynamic. New ideas and arguments come up, old stereotypes become more conscious or perhaps fade away in the discussion. Treating others with respect is a never-ending journey.
If you are interested in the topic, SDD can give you impulses and stimulates the discussion. Think of it as a small contribution to the process and don’t expect to get simple solutions. Instead, see your interest and involvement in this topic as something very positive and do not underestimate the effect! Your own reflection on stereotypes and discrimination is not small, nor meaningless. Instead, you are working very concretely towards a positive exit and contributing to a more liveable society for all.
The European Union is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities.
The different elements of the SDD learning offer
In the following, you find an overview of the developed learning offers that can be of help when approaching the subject of (anti-) discrimination:
The SDD Game
A key outcome of SDD (Smart for Democracy and Diversity) is an online game that shows learners the complexities of discrimination from different perspectives. In the story of the game, the player is a detective who must prevent the planned theft of a painting in a museum. The theme of discrimination is revealed during the various interrogations of the detective investigation. During several interviews, different forms of discrimination in everyday life are shown through communication between the game characters. As a player, you can always decide between different reactions in these discussions, whereby the game dialogue adapts itself interactively to your decisions. Between the scenes and at the end of the storyline, the game also includes reflection parts in which the game characters from the respective situations give feedback on the player’s decisions and reactions. This is intended to encourage the players to think about everyday discrimination in the long term.
The SDD Game Trainer mode / Workshop
As a complementary element to the SDD game, an accompanying workshop curriculum was developed, containing the SDD Trainer Manual and special settings for the SDD game. The Trainer Manual is specifically designed for trainers and facilitators who want to work on the issue of discrimination in groups. It describes different pedagogical methods of imparting knowledge in the field of discrimination and provides inputs and impulses that match the content of the game so that participants can talk together about possible intervention strategies and their own experiences in such situations. Next to the manual, a special feature is that the content of the game can be defined by the trainer in terms of scenes and forms of discrimination and can thus be adapted to the specific needs of planned workshops. In this way, the SDD game can be used flexibly in a wide variety of educational settings. The SDD Trainer Manual and an explanation of how to adapt the SDD game can be found on the “Workshop” page of the e-learning platform.
The SDD Self-reflection tool
In addition to the game and the accompanying workshop options, an interactive SDD Self-reflection tool was created. The tool is designed for learners who have already completed the game and it asks about their own experiences and knowledge to reflect on concepts such as intersectionality. Overall, the tool is intended to encourage players to reflect on the discriminatory situations they have experienced and to consolidate the knowledge they have gained.
The SDD Compendium
As an important part of the framework, the SDD Compendium on the topic of hate speech and forms of discrimination has been elaborated. This is based on interviews with experts and people affected by discrimination. The completed report presents experiences of discriminatory hate speech and shows coping strategies and options for action. The aim is to take an intersectional approach to the experiences and effects and to provide a profound and reliable understanding of the problem. In this context, the compendium can be used by all people who want to learn more about different forms of discrimination and hate speech, as well as about possible interventions and coping strategies. In fact, the insights gained during the creation of the Compendium were also used in the later development of other materials such as the SDD educational game.
Below you can download the SDD Compendium in the following languages: English (EN), Czech (CZ), German (DE), French (FR), Italian (IT), Dutch (NL) and Portuguese (PT).
The SDD Policy Recommendations
As a further result, the SDD policy recommendations have been developed, gathering appropriate policy guidelines from the European partner countries. The collection of examples of good practice resulting from SDD activities and secondary research is aimed at policymakers, associations, and lobby groups, providing them with inspiration for their future actions.
Below you can download the SDD policy recommendations in the following languages: English (EN), Czech (CZ), German (DE), French (FR), Italian (IT), Dutch (NL) and Portuguese (PT).