The Competition
 
After the successful learning programme competitions in Germany and in the German-speaking part of Switzerland, the Global Ethic Foundation in the French part of Switzerland organized its own competition in 2007 under the title “main dans la main” (hand in hand).

Teachers were called upon to conceive creative projects to promote intercultural and inter-religious dialogue.

The aim was, by means of the competition, to sensitize the students to the ethical demands raised by a multicultural society.

Solidarity between the generations

Linked-up youth – Isolated seniors?
 
One of the prize-winning projects – submitted by a 10th grade at a high school in Geneva – had for its theme “solidarity between the generations”. The idea was for young people to show older people how to communicate via Internet (emails, chats, blogs) and thus to acquaint them with the Internet. The aim was to reduce prejudices on both sides.

At first, the class was quite surprised by the teacher's suggestion. The students had all sorts of stereotype images of the elder generation.
But when the students sat down with the older people at the computer, helping them to create an email address and showing them how to chat, it became possible to dissolve many of these prejudices and to awaken understanding, indeed mutual sympathy.

The older people too had their reservations about meeting with sixteen-year-olds. But then they were surprised by the friendliness and willingness to help shown by the youngsters. “They are really nice people, these youngsters!”

   

More information about this project can be found (in French) under http://www.mdlm.ch.
The prize-winning projects can be found under
http://www.mdlm.ch/2006/resultats.html