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Who
we are and What We Do
The are millions of people who want to make the world
a better place, many of them are under 18 years old. Since
2002, Others Are Us programs
have been helping young people in more than ten countries
have a voice in shaping the discourse on the future of
our planet and its people.
Technology enables Others Are
Us to bring children and teens from different
countries and cultures together in an extended international
exhange of art and written communications. Our program
model consists of guided activities that help young people:
*
identify misconceptions and stereotypes
* examine their own lives and cultures
* recognize challenges they share with
other young people around the world
* develop drawings focused on content, detail
and effective visual communication techniques
* read and analyze exchanged drawings to discover
common ground and understand cultural
differences
* extend their insights to others through exhibitions,
presentations, social media, and film
The result is a more tolerant population of young
global citizens who understand their place in the world
and are prepared to play a significant role in positively
shaping the future.
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Stakeholders
in the 21st Century
As our future leaders, children are perhaps
the ultimate stakeholders in how the 21st century
unfolds. Their ability to lead will depend on
the training they receive as they mature and develop
life-long attitudes and values. By instilling
in young people a sense of social responsibility
and shared consequences, we promote the kind of
future that we desire for our children.
Given
the right opportunity, children and teens see
and say things with honesty and openness according
to their own experience, as they have no agenda
to advance. Thus, they provide us with an accurate
picture of the world, a picture that cannot be
found in books.
Our World-Class Programs
Others Are Us
is in its seventh year of bringing children and
teens together to give them a deep and authentic
understanding of the real world, its people and
our problems. Technology today allows the world
to come into the classroom. With this capability,
Others Are Us
engages students from different places and backgrounds
in the kind of shared learning experiences that
build understanding, tolerance and community on
a local, national, or international level.
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Talking
Pictures
Others Are Us
programs employ art as our primary language.
Because art is universally understandable,
young people are able to speak directly to
one another from their life experiences and
share what it is like to be part of a country
and culture -- all without any need for adult
intervention.
Art becomes the voice of our children and
youth, a voice that can also be heard by adults
no matter where they come from or what language
they speak. Nothing gets lost in translation.
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Our
Program in Pictures!
Others Are Us programs begin with children and youth
drawing what they think about each other’s life, country
and culture. For American children, the Middle East and
North Africa are all about camels and desert. For Arab children,
the United States means Disney and cowboys, tanks and soldiers
or iconic symbols. These drawings are always populated with
misconceptions and stereotypes but rarely with real people
living in the 21st century, whether in the Middle East,
Latin America, China, Africa or the United States.
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