
Exhibition: countering “everyday” racism
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What do genetics say about the diversity of the human species? Where does xenophobia come from? How can we understand racist ideas and behaviour? Which model is best for living together, respecting equal rights? These are some of the questions raised by the “Us and Them – From Prejudice to Racism” exhibition at the Musée de l’Homme in Paris, from 31 March 2017 to 8 January 2018, under the patronage of UNESCO.
Based on studies in anthropology, biology, sociology and history, the exhibition follows the same logic for deconstructing racism as that which guides UNESCO in one of its primary missions − to use science and public information to combat prejudices and stereotypes about human categories, rigid identities and otherness as a symbolic barrier between “us” and “them”.
To do so, the exhibition offers visitors an interactive journey which allows them to reflect on the individual and collective mechanisms that lead to the rejection of the other. It also highlights the role of the International Coalition of Inclusive and Sustainable Cities (ICCAR), a UNESCO initiative to promote the peaceful coexistence of people within societies.