In its most traditional form, orality holds significant importance in African literature, which is why it is often said that Africa reads in the plural. This assertion was exemplified this week at the M3 Sports Centre in Granadilla de Abona, through the Africasmus initiative from IES El Médano, which has launched its second edition featuring a human library aimed at fostering interculturality. This event saw the participation of over forty young individuals from both this institute and IES Magallanes, located in this southern region of the island.
This initiative allows individuals to become the books themselves, as they narrate their stories live to those who come to listen. It creates an open dialogue that enriches narratives surrounding cultural diversity and has been organised by the students of IES El Médano as part of the strategic framework ‘Tenerife lives Diversity’, which has been implemented in this educational institution since 2021 with the support of Juntas In the Same Direction and the strategy for intercultural coexistence in Tenerife, endorsed by the Island Council and the University of La Laguna (ULL).
“I believe that learning these stories can be inspiring for self-improvement and to instil confidence in the inherent goodness of people, which may not always be apparent. However, it is crucial to understand these migration narratives to promote awareness regarding the importance of a warm welcome,” states Alice, who, alongside Adrián, Alanis, Annaelis, Francesca, and Ofelia (members of the educational communities of IES El Médano and IES Magallanes), has been among the walking books sharing their migration experiences from Bulgaria, Cuba, Honduras, Italy, and Panama.
Under the title Stories that Escape, this library has also introduced an intercultural escape room, wherein interactive dynamics were developed addressing the challenges faced during the migration process at the point of origin, during the journey, and at the destination. These initiatives have contributed to increasing awareness of migrants’ experiences and have fostered intercultural understanding among participants.
With thirty-six nationalities represented among its students, IES El Médano aligns with ‘Tenerife lives Diversity’ through its ‘Africasmus’ project, which comprises fifteen 4th-year ESO students supported by Juntas In the Same Direction. With a participatory approach to promoting interculturality, the objective is for students to act as agents of social change, thus creating spaces for intercultural coexistence within the educational community. To achieve this, they first attend workshops aimed at fostering inclusion, after which they design, organise, and implement activities that encourage it within the institute, such as this human library and the escape room.
This initiative is supported by the Granadilla de Abona City Council, which will also host the Anti-Rumour Youth Summit next September as its national headquarters. This event also aligns with the ‘Tenerife lives Diversity’ initiative, the strategy the island has adopted to manage cultural diversity with an intercultural perspective, which was unanimously approved in the plenary session of the Island Council in 2019.
