Human Library for Refugees and Asulum Seekers

The Pool of Trainers of the Cyprus Youth Council organizes, in collaboration with the Representation in Cyprus of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), a Human Library on the situation of asylum seekers and refugees living in Cyprus.

The event will be take place on Saturday, May 11, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 (at noon) at the Youth Hostel of ONEK, at 30-32 Chrysaliniotissa str. (opposite the church of Panagia Chrysaliniotissa in the old Nicosia).

Each refugee-book has his/her own story to share with their readers. Stories of war and persecution; fear in their homeland; what forced them to flee and how they escaped war and persecution. As in every Human Library, readers can "borrow" a “refugee-book” for a while and "read it". In other words, the reader can engage into a conversation with the refugee and be informed: why this person is now living among us; what forced him/her to flee their country; caused him/her to flee their country; about his/her life in Cyprus; their concerns and hopes.
The Human Library, known also as Living Library, is a vital human rights education tool, espoused by the Council of Europe. It aims at raising awareness on human rights among members of the civil society and of the public at large and is based on a very simple idea: Meet Your Prejudice! Instead of talking about it, just meet up with it! It works just like a regular library: readers go to the library and "borrow" a "book" for a while. After they finish reading, they return it back to the library and if they so wish they can borrow another book. There is only one difference: the Books in the Human Library are human beings, and readers engage into a personal dialogue with them.

…………………………………………………………………

How does the Human Library actually work? The Library opens its doors usually for 4 hours and the readers can choose which book they want to read from the list of the available books. The readers have 30 minutes to discuss with their chosen book and make questions. It should be noted that due to the personal nature of the discussions, each book is read by maximum three readers. It should also be noted that the books speak about real facts of their life; they are not actors or fiction writers.

NOTE: The Youth Hostel is opposite the church of Panayia Chrysaliniotissa in the walled city of Nicosia.