Living Book
The Living Library attempts to challenge prejudice by facilitating a conversation between two people: Books and Readers. Living Books are people who have either been subjected to discrimination themselves or represent groups or individuals within society that are at risk of suffering from stereotype, stigma, prejudice or discrimination. They do not become Living Books in order to tell a story, they become Books in the hope that their perspectives and experiences will challenge commonly held perceptions and stereotypes and therefore affect the attitudes and behaviours of wider society.
A Decalogue for a Living Book:
1. A Living Book may be a legal age person who is aware of his role in the project.
2. The goals and values of the Living Book may not conflict with the goals of the Living Library.
3. The Living Book should be open to other Living Books and Readers, should be communicative and honest.
4. The Living Book is referred to by title, or name, while the full personal data of the Living Book are known only to the organizers.
5. The Living Book has the right to a sense of comfort and security, which should be ensured by the organizer of the Living Library.
6. A Living Book may be a person representing minority groups or exposed to exclusion, discrimination, stereotypes and prejudices.
7. A living book cannot persuade you to recruit anything or impose your beliefs.
8. The Living Book conducts a conversation on its behalf as an individual, but should be aware of the problems of the group it represents and have should have the distance to the part of their identity because of which is beeing stigmatized.
9. The choice of the Living Book is decided by the organizer based on the ideas and methodology of the Living Library.
10. Live Books do not receive any remuneration for participating in the project.
Share your story and contribute to a more open society!
Living Library Vienna is a project of SCI Austria founded by European Solidarity Corps. Thanks to their support we can contribute to the more open society.
