OPTIMIZATION OF THE REPRESENTATION OF AFRICA

Project sponsor: VIAD - Vienna Institute for the African Diaspora - Vienna Institute of the African Diaspora
Country: Austria 
Funding amount: € 80,000.00 
Start: 01/01/2023 
End: 06/30/2024

BRIEF DESCRIPTION: 

Project goal

The focus is on improving the representation of Africa in the Austrian education system. The project would like to contribute to racism-critical educational work. The aim is to impart differentiated knowledge about the African continent, its history and present to educators, pupils and students, and to counteract prejudices/stereotypes. In this way, Austrian educational institutions should deal critically with their own courses and create a new narrative on the African continent.

The project contributes to Global Citizenship Education (SDG 4.7), as well as SDG 10 and 17.

Expected results

1. Preparation of a handout with 24 textbook analyses

The results of the 24 textbooks (secondary level I & II) for the subjects geography & economics and history are made available to the relevant textbook publishers and expert committees. The analysis and the recommendations can be taken into account when creating new textbooks (WS 2024).

2. 18 workshops, each with 15 educators/multipliers, will be held. They are then able to identify and deconstruct racist content in teaching materials and use this knowledge in the classroom.

3. Teachers (500) used the download offer and used anti-racist teaching material for their lessons.

4. Pupils and other interested parties (5,000) use the digital educational materials, thereby reaching multipliers and pupils throughout Austria.

Target group

The primary target group are people who work in the Austrian education system (multipliers/educators), indirectly students, civil society and decision-makers.

Cooperation partners are educational institutions (Ministry of Education, PHs, KommEnt), diaspora organizations (ADEFRA Roots, ADEPT, African Union), civil society organizations (VIDC, BAOBAB-Global Learning, Association Initiative for a non-discriminatory education system, Rather for All!), the Veritas publishing house and actors such as the Wien Museum, Weltmuseum Wien, etc.

Measures

18 workshops for trained teaching staff at teacher training colleges. Scientific analysis of 24 textbooks in the subjects of geography and economics, history and general knowledge. Handouts for authors, textbook publishers and expert committees of the Austrian Ministry of Education are written for the analyzed books, educators and students use the digital offer.

Background information

With a total project volume of EUR 88,900.00, the project will be funded with EUR 80,000.00 (90%) for a period of 18 months.