Workrooms
São Paulo, Brazil
Day 1 – Wednesday, 29 November 2023
Launch of the English and Portuguese Language Versions of Volume X of the General History of Africa
13:30 – 15:30
Featuring 74 authors from 20 countries across continents, the book comprises 72 chapters categorized into 3 sections. A panel discussion at the event aims to introduce Volume X and explore its potential as a resource to address socio-economic and political challenges affecting Afro-descendant communities, particularly in Brazil.
Building National Anti-Racism Strategies
13:30 – 15:30
Targeting policymakers and practitioners at national and local levels, the workroom aims to provide guidance in establishing anti-racism action plans and strategies, as well as enhancing those that are already put into place. Experts from national equality bodies, city authorities and policy researchers will guide participants with the UNESCO Anti-Racism Toolkit to explore key concepts and applications.
“HERstory”: For an inclusive gender perspective on the Southern African liberation history
16:00 – 18:00
Southern Africa is collectively defined by its values of Ubuntu. We do not exist alone but with others, in an interdependent community. That solidarity defined the resistance to colonial occupation and later the liberation struggle against colonial domination, racial discrimination, and institutional apartheid. This session will tell the new perspective of how women participated in liberating the region to bridge the intergenerational gap.
The Lancet Commission on Gender-Based Violence and the Maltreatment of Young People
16:00 – 18:00
Violence against women and children is a persistent and perverse pandemic that affects a staggering amount of the global population. The Lancet Commission on Gender-based Violence and Maltreatment of Young People brings together leaders and experts from fields such as law, epidemiology, economics, health systems, artificial intelligence, children’s rights, and public policy. The Commission has an underlying objective: to better understand the causes and consequences of violence against women and children, and provide decision-makers across the globe with concrete policy and research recommendations informed by survivors and advocates to ultimately eradicate this global pandemic. Dr. Knaul, Co-Chair of the Lancet Commission, will lead this panel session alongside Ms Ramos, Assistant-Director General for the Social and Human Sciences of UNESCO and Commissioner, to gain insights on how best to coordinate a multisectoral policy response that takes into account the numerous intersections at stake.
Day 2 – Thursday, 30 November 2023
Creating International Bonds: Good practices for successful mentorship
10:00 – 12:00
Gender inequalities continue to be fueled by income disparities and discrimination in hiring and promotion. In partnership with UNESCO, La Puissance du lien created a mentorship network to connect women with mentors amongst leaders of the public and private sectors. This workroom will be the opportunity to invite key stakeholders across different continents to join forces in sharing their good practices for gender equality in the workplace, and to demonstrate the power of self-confidence for women's personal and professional empowerment.
Brazilian black movements: challenges, strategies and the fight against racism
Session 1: Pathways to Fighting Racism in the 21st Century
10:00 – 12:00
This workroom plans to create a platform for discussing strategies to address racial inequality in Brazil. Civil society institutions will share their initiatives while exploring actions to advocate for democracy and foster an egalitarian society that promotes racial and gender equality. Discussions will cover how racism shapes economic and gender disparities, its impact on the labor market, and ways to resist racial inequality in education, science, and culture. Sessions will focus on projects of Brazil's Black Movements and anti-racist education policies.
Launch of the UNESCO Report "Enhancing youth participation in urban governance through city youth councils"
13:30 to 14:00
City youth councils offer a formalized arrangement for continuous dialogue with policymakers. They have played a key role in fostering the next generation of leaders and encouraging youth to be contributors and agents to social change and dialogue. UNESCO is publishing this report to ensure that the actions and solutions proposed by youth can be applied and scaled up worldwide. It encourages local governments to create spaces for youth to participate actively and genuinely in decision-making processes. As a first-of-its-kind global compilation featuring the history, typologies, compositions, and functions of city youth councils, the report also seeks to underline promising practices of city youth councils informed by evidence-based methodology to determine their impact and effectiveness in inclusive urban governance. It proposes ideas to foster collaboration, amplify youth voices, and present recommendations to develop partnerships with Member States, local governments, youth associations, civil society, and other stakeholders to create inclusive communities.
Media and Information Literacy Cities: Innovating for inclusion
13:30 – 15:30
UNESCO's Global Media and Information Literacy Cities Framework places citizens and vulnerable groups at the center of new information flows, innovation and technological transformations. This session will present the UNESCO Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Cities paradigm by illustrating the specific process to become a MIL City that can empower individuals, foster civic engagement, and create sustainable communities.
Writers against Racism and the Power of the Written Word
13:30 – 15:30
The UNESCO Writers against Racism Network gathers writers from across the globe who have used their pens to pursue the fight against racism and discrimination. This Workroom will feature the Network members to share their artistic journeys and conduct a hands-on session with participants that will teach them the methods and techniques to use creative expression as a tool to push for anti-racism narratives.
Brazilian black movements: challenges, strategies and the fight against racism
Session 2: Anti-Racist Education – Public Policies as a Tool for Transformation
13:30 – 15:30
Description to be confirmed
Conversations on Black Resistance in Brazil
16:00 – 18:00
Description to be confirmed
Day 3 – Friday, 1 December 2023
Walking tour: Sites of Memory and consciousness of slavery and transatlantic trafficking of enslaved people in São Paulo
9:00 – 11:00
Description to be confirmed
Master Class of Xueli Abbing (UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for the Fight against Discrimination and Racism)
10:00 – 12:00
This Master Class will focus on how to end discrimination of persons with albinism and the need for more inclusive policies featuring the voice of UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for the Fight against Racism and Discrimination Xueli Abbing and representatives from albinism organizations in Brazil.
Transforming MEN’talities Barbershop
10:00 – 12:00
While women and girls bear the brunt of gender stereotypes, men also grapple with harmful consequences of outdated gender expectations. This workroom, in partnership with the Permanent Delegation of Iceland to UNESCO, will facilitate an open exchange on how men and women can work together to deepen their understanding of the impact of gender norms and prevent them from limiting people’s and societies’ potential. The workroom will provide a relaxed and safe environment to devise innovative ways to motivate men to advance their commitments against gender prejudices.
The Black Cinema and the construction of the positive affirmation image of minority majorities
10:00 – 12:00
Description to be confirmed
Fostering Participatory Intergenerational Dialogue to Heal the Wounds of Enslavement and the Slave Trade
13:30 – 15:30
Organized with the Guerrand-Hermès Foundation for Peace and Fetzer Institute, this workroom will promote good practices developed by UNESCO and its partners in addressing psychological trauma inherited from the history of enslavement. Young adults from impacted communities in Latin America will lead the dialogue to reclaim their dignity through the valorization of traditional coping mechanisms and contributions of communities to whole societies.
