“If You Were Me – Se Tu Fossi Me” is an initiative revolving around the idea of transforming the generic fight against violence into a positive and concrete scheme of action. The project made it to the finals on the Italian national contest #NoViolenza #Donne (#NoViolence #Women), organised by AIED and Cocoon Projects (March- May 2013. See:www.noviolenza.it ). The notion of contrasting violence is often associated to negative feelings, such as fear, grudge and vengeance: for this reason the creators have chosen to focus on prevention and in acting for the good. This aim is pursued by promoting the cooperation between man and woman as much within their family as in society.
“If You Were Me” is a mission with an educative purpose: the goal is to enact the so called feeling of the opposite as described by writer Luigi Pirandello. Instead of lingering on the superficial opinions we form on others, we are encouraged to deepen our reflection on the situations through a process of identification.
“If You Were Me” sees in humour and in playing the hope for effective change in real life. Swapping roles as an exercise of the imagination and as part of the everyday goes along with walking in another person’s shoes and changing one’s usual thinking pattern. In this mindset, individuals become aware of their responsibility and can effectively neutralise any argument that validates discrimination and violence.
This approach places lesser known examples of violence (not necessarily having a physical impact) perpetrated by women on men in a playful context. Moreover, it brings to light other unjust measures inflicted upon other groups of people (who may differ from the dominant group because of religious beliefs, ethnicity, sexual preferences, social status, culture etc)
The project was launched in Milan at the Galleria Amy-D Arte Spazio of Anna Maria D’Ambrosio on the 12th of September 2013, during the finissage of the exhibition “The Game”. On November, 25th of the same year, “If You Were Me” participated to the “Giornata Internazionale di Contrasto alla Violenza sulle Donne” (“International Day to End Violence Against Women”) within the event “Contro Questa Mattanza” (“Against the Slaughter”), organised by the Cesena town council and doctor Cristina Barducci.
The project has also become a book, by the title: “Pilot research: on educating to the respect of gender diversity within equality” (it. “Ricerca Pilota – Sull’educazione al rispetto della differenza di genere nella parità dei ruoli”). The volume was penned by RaiNews24 anchor woman Maria Vittoria De Matteis, while the foreword is courtesy of prof. Franco Ferrarotti. The essay was first presented on March 7th, 2014 at the “Associazione Stampa Romana” (“Roman Press Association”). The event included the screening of a commercial born from the combined effort of roman film-makers and actors.
Since July 2014, “If You Were Me” acts as an Organ for Social Advancement, focusing on Secondary Education through interactive workshops dedicated to a variety of topics: bullying, youth problems, racial discrimination and gender-based violence.
This year, the project will be involved with AIED Rome and Cocoon projects in giving visibility to #Giovani #LiberiDiAmare – Spazio alle donne: una gara di idee (#Young #FreeToLove – Make room for women: a competition of ideas ). The latter initiative invites young people between 18 and 35 to foster in new and original ways a conscious approach to sexuality, while cultivating prevention and good health. The output can be of whichever form: an event, a game, a workshop, a viral video, a comic,a piece of advertising, and why not, a song! Each project has to meet a few requirements: it must target teenagers, it must be feasible and it must prove its concrete impact by the level of interest prompted in the public.
The overall contest is divided in different phases: in the first instance an on-line voting system will be put into place. During this stage the contestants will promote their projects and reach out to as many people as possible. Subsequently, a special committee will pose their votes on the proposals and proceed to selection. Each woman at the head of each competing team will play a crucial role: in case she will make it to the first five positions, she will have to pitch the team’s plans in only 3 minutes. This final selection will take place during a lecture in Rome (on the 28th of November 2014) in the presence of experts on the topic. At the end of the event, the winner will be announced.
The prize consists of 3.000 euros in cash, while 7.000 euros will be granted by Cocoon Projects over the span of three months, in order to support the realisation and the start of the awarded proposal itself. The winning team will have the chance of turning their idea into something real and kick the wheels of change in motion, for good.
