"Counter-Masks: Weaving Dialogues" promotes inclusion and diversity
Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)
The Lusófona Education has launched the 4th edition of the "FAZER +: Science and Innovation Support Program", aiming to support and reward activities and projects that strengthen the research and innovation capacity in Lusófona Education establishments.
The competition aims to finance innovative projects in any field of knowledge, preferably those with a strong interdisciplinary component and that may result in larger-scale projects to be submitted for funding by other entities.
Among the various funded projects, the project "Contra-Máscaras: Tecendo Diálogos" was the winner in the category of Best Pedagogical and Innovative Practice.
In this context, we met with Joana Cabral, Assistant Professor in Psychology and Researcher at Lusófona University - University Centre of Porto, and Rita Carvalho, Lecturer at DELLI and Vice-Director of COW, to discuss this project.
"Contra-Máscaras: Tecendo Diálogos" was born from the sharing of ideas, conversations, and learning among Illustration and Psychology students at Lusófona University. The aim was to create something that would enable students to react to issues of Racism and Inequality, preparing them to be active agents in societal transformation.
The project resulted in the creation of several masks, each with a message, tribute, and objective, such as the erasure of cultures of colonized populations, tribute to African women, slavery, and criticism of the culture of mediation and comparison, which leads to oppression and discrimination.
This project had a positive impact on the participating students, who were able to develop their critical consciousness and commitment to social justice. The project also raised awareness within the university community about issues of Racism and Inequality, contributing to the promotion of Inclusion and Diversity.
Watch the video where you can learn more about the project and see it in action.
