Unveiling the Power of Allegory: A Deep Dive into Our Newest Partnership
Fighting systemic racism and gender discrimination requires more than just a conversation; it requires a structured, collaborative, and evidence-based approach to understanding how these forces shape our lives. This is why we are incredibly proud to announce that our team at Be Human is embarking on a transformative journey through a European Union co-funded project titled "Allegories on Racism Manifestation" (ARM). This project serves as a comprehensive framework for executing, monitoring, and controlling project performance to ensure high-quality results in the fight for social and cultural equity.
What is Allegories on Racism Manifestation (ARM)?
The ARM project is an international project designed to explore the complex layers of racial and gender discrimination through the power of storytelling, art, and narrative research. Our goal is to create practical tools that support the mental health and empowerment of racialised and LGBTIQ youth.
At its core, the project looks beyond individual incidents of racism or discrimination. Instead, we’re interested in the hidden, often unspoken emotional impact these experiences leave behind — how they shape a young person’s sense of self, confidence, and well‑being.
Across Europe, race and gender still strongly influence who feels safe, heard, and valued. Yet the mental health effects of racism, gender discrimination, and internalised racism are rarely discussed, even though they deeply affect racialised and LGBTIQ young people. ARM aims to change that by creating spaces where youth can share their lived experiences and see their stories reflected, respected, and understood.
A European Consortium
We are not doing this alone. This project brings together expertise from across Europe, forming a dedicated consortium of partners:
TERRAM PACIS (Norway)
MINISTRY FOR GOZO (Malta).
Be Human (Luxembourg) – Our very own team.
VEREIN INTERAKTION (Austria).
Be Human’s role in ARM
Joining this project was a natural choice. Our mission has always been centered on the "human" experience: the emotions, stories, and identities that make us who we are.
Currently, we are tasked with conducting focus groups, workshops, and content creation to bring the community together and revise the co-created materials under this project. This includes educational manuals, activities, and more.
The First Results: The Manuals are out!
We are proud to announce that four intellectual outputs of the project have been completed and are ready to be utilized in our community work:
Manual 02-A1: on the manifestation of gendered racism as the intersection of racial discrimination, sexism, and gender inequality, and how these overlapping forces shape the social and psychological realities of racialised women and gender‑diverse youth.
Manual 02-A2: on the deep psychological impact of internalized racism on mental health, specifically how it affects the well-being and risk-taking behaviors of racialized youth.
Manual O2-A3: on the role of artivism in exposing gendered racism, showing how creative practices make structural discrimination visible while empowering racialised youth to reclaim identity and resist harmful narratives.
Manual O2-A4: on the role of art, storytelling, theatre, and podcasting as transformative practices for confronting internalised racism, and how these creative methods support racialised youth in rebuilding positive identity, critical consciousness, and psychological well‑being.
Stay Tuned: We Need Your Voice!
The work doesn't stop here. We are now entering the phase of community-based workshops. We are looking for volunteers to help us review and engage with these materials and ensure they truly meet the needs of the community.
Why volunteer for a review?
Your feedback will directly shape the final versions of these manuals. By participating, you help us ensure that the tools we develop for anti-racism activism and education are effective, sustainable, and grounded in lived experiences. We are not just looking for "test subjects"; we are looking for partners in change. Your feedback ensures these manuals are sustainable and effective for the people who need them most. Furthermore, this project will produce 40 podcasts, 40 blog stories, and 40 Instagram digital storytelling posts to amplify the voices of racialized and LGBTIQ young adults.
If you are a youth worker, educator, researcher, activist, or someone with lived experience related to racism or discrimination who is interested in making a difference and helping us refine these resources, please contact us at arm@behuman-asbl.com. Together, we can turn these allegories into real-world change.