The day comes to a close as the sun sets into the beautiful fields of Valongo, Portugal, where today more than 300 high school students from many schools of the district engaged with each other and other cultures, and created new stories together. This was Guestbook Project’s first Intercultural Day! A day to promote empathy and understanding of the other. A day to host the difference and create familiarity among communities.

Throughout the day, the students followed a path with many stops, each representing a different culture that exists in the municipality. And in every stop, they were asked to learn something new:

Do you know how to write in Arabic? Our Algerian and Lebanese friends will help you write our name!

Do you like to dance? Join hands and learn the steps of Hungarian dancing!

Parla Italiano? Learn the importance of gestures to communicate in Italian.

After each activity, the students were given a thread of wool with the color connected to that stop and culture. At the end, members of the Roma community taught the students how to braid all the threads together to create a symbol of interculturalism that everyone could wear around their wrists.

Empathy is key to create a strong and understanding community where all differences are fostered so that every member can take part of the beauty of diversity.

We thank our partner – Utopia 500 – and the other organizations that were part of the event (OBCIG, Câmara Municipal de Valongo, Agrupamento de Escolas de Valongo, and CETAPS) for helping us educate for empathy and hospitality!

Stay connected for more news, testimonies, and much more connected to this amazing experience.