Cooperation strengthens existing practices and attitudes, as well as creating new ones. Streets aligned comes out from a comparison between very different realities: although all the organizations have gained experience in the production of tools and updates for educators on LGBITQ+ Gender and Inclusive Education , they are placed in three national contexts that address the Community agenda for LGBTIQ+ inclusion in very different ways.
The choice of partners was consequently motivated both by their significant experience and by the fact that all the organizations operate in contexts considered not entirely inclusive. The cooperation aims to strengthen the attitude of solidarity, producing tangible results and impacts for the benefit of equality policies. The particular physiognomy of the partnership will allow the project to have a significant impact, fully replicable even in countries other than those of the partnership.
The Italian public debate is currently focused on the long-awaited amendment to the penal code that sanctions homophobic acts and crimes: an amendment that would expand the provisions of the penal code relating to incitement to hatred and hate-inspired crimes. Nonetheless, beyond the frameworks of public debate, an increase in crimes with a homobitransphobic background has been noted in Italy, especially in the family sphere (ILGA-Europe's Annual Review of the Human Rights Situation of LGBTIQ people covering events that occurred in Europe and Central Asia, 2020)
On the occasion of the world day against homobitransphobia in 2020, Maria Stylianou Lottides (Commissioner for Administration and the protection of Human Rights) underlined that Cyprus has achieved important progress regarding LGBTIQ+ equality, although acts of discrimination are still a reality . Furthermore, political representatives seem to show little interest in the matter (Accept LGBTIQ Cyprus; Queer Cyprus Association, 2020).
Hate speech against LGBTIQ+ people continues to be a serious problem in Czechia, perpetrated by politicians, religious leaders and anti-LGBT activists. During Pride in Prague (2020) many public figures expressed concern about the "promotion of gender ideology and homosexual culture", condemning the capital for having supported the event. Furthermore, neither the parliament nor the government of Czechia have publicly distanced themselves from the discriminatory policies of Poland and Hungary (ILGA-Europe's Annual Review, 2020).
Furthermore, none of the government bodies of the countries involved have promoted LGBTIQ+ inclusion and equality for the education sector, for example by engaging in the production of tools, updates and awareness programs for educators, trainers, curricula and educational plans. The worthy initiatives in this sense are attributable to the will of the single educating contexts, committed to the promotion of solidarity and inclusion policies.
The organizations involved here fully fall into this category: this partnership therefore highlights the opportunity and the possibilities to work virtuously in support of community values thanks to international exchange and cooperation, thus overcoming any barriers and ostracisms, inspired by the promotion of democracy and human rights and against stereotypes. Cooperation will also tend to represent a model for developing new actions aimed at strengthening the culture of respect within a wider pool of fundamental values, starting from the care of language and thought.
Streets aligned represents for Idrisi Cultura e Sviluppo an important opportunity for growth: the strengthening of one's educational attitude, the strengthening of one's link with wider local and international educational communities and with the professionalism of the sector, also increasing the
I.I.S.S Pio La Torre fully shares this attitude, reinforcing its identity as an educational agency. In fact, the project represents an unprecedented opportunity to enhance the skills of its educators above all, with the ambition of acting as a model for as many communities and educational centers.
For the thematically expert partner Genderové Informační Centrum NORA o.p.s, the planning is both strengthening and complementary: limited to the Erasmus+ projects, the "Towards Gender Sensitive Education" and "Fair Play at Schools" projects funded by the Czech Agency have allowed Nora to gain extensive experience in the field of Gender Sensed Education. Nora puts her experience at the service of new organizations by strengthening her international and European dialogue, opening herself up more to European democratic participation.
Arista Deka increases the impact and relevance of its activities in support of young educators, already oriented towards making them facilitators to support the participation of young people in the community political debate. Indeed, Arista Deka has produced innovative European training strategies for educators and trainers, focusing on the political dimension of the work of youth educators. Streets aligned therefore represents a structured and ambitious growth opportunity, moving from a research perspective to a coherent immersive implementation.