ABOUT US

Empowering vulnerable communities through participatory & artistic processes for a better, more inclusive world

Our vision

Diversity United believes in the power of people united in order to actively shape a serene, sustainable, and collective present and future, both on our Earth and in our societies. Recognizing our common essence and our interconnectivity as human beings beyond our socio-cultural diversities is a necessary condition to bring about social change.

Our mission

Our projects aim to foster social inclusion, empower vulnerable communities, and engage citizens to take action for social change – united despite their differences.

Our focus is divided into two interrelated strategies.
First, empower diverse “outsiders”, including the racially, culturally, socially, gender and age-wise unprivileged, through participatory art projects, to integrate them with the main body of society.
Second, to raise awareness within society itself with various interdisciplinary media and artistic approaches, to ensure they are respected and equally accepted.

By promoting intercultural dialogue and understanding through various artistic expressions, we facilitate the integration of our empowered communities – including ethnic minorities, refugees, and immigrants. We especially encourage women and youth participation, independent of their origins or backgrounds. We safeguard and disseminate traditional indigenous people’s intangible cultural heritage and empower them as communities to take the actions they decide. We highlight their unique sustainable bond with nature as profound teachings for our modern societies.

How we do it

Through culture and art, we aspire to awaken our collective consciousness to the identity that unites us as a global human community. To do this, we give a voice to the unprivileged and let them decide for their futures.

We strive for community engagement and community capacity building through participatory projects that use art (video, art, dance, music, poetry, physical theater) as vehicles of emotional intelligence. We aim for participants to heal, to express, and to connect. We empower individuals and communities to reach out to the world with their artistic outcomes, sharing their stories and points of view. Using communication and social innovation strategies, we develop interactive cross-media projects that bring together vulnerable communities with the rest of society, promoting solidarity and social activism. We organize cultural events that foster social inclusion, by allowing exchanges between socially or culturally diverse people through various platforms and artistic expressions.

What we do

PARTICIPATORY COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT

EDUCATION FOR DEVELOPMENT

We design and implement projects that help people develop attitudes and skills and acquire knowledge that allows them to make decisions based on their own benefit and that of others, and to put those decisions into practice. At the grassroots level, we accompany the communities in the implementation of their sustainable visions that aim social change, social inclusion, and fight against poverty and injustice.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

COMMUNITY CAPACITY BUILDING

We create Participatory Video workshops especially for vulnerable groups (women and youth refugees or indigenous and impoverished populations). At an individual level participants regain some of their dignity, self-esteem and freedom.
As community development tools, they engage and empower vulnerable communities to take the collective action they wish. With their participation, we also create various cultural events that are open to a wider audience.

PROMOTE INCLUSIVE ACTIVE CITYZENSHIP

WE TAKE ACTION
FOR A BETTER FUTURE

We partner with whomever feels concerned with improving our daily lives, to take action for our wider community’s benefit and our environment. We call for joint action the vulnerable empowered communities we have worked with (refugees, women, youth, etc…) and active citizens from the wider society, to volunteer and collaborate, united, for a greater cause. Social inclusion in action!

TRAINING & WORKSHOPS

PARTICIPATORY VIDEO
CREATIVE HUBS

We organise ad hoc Participatory Video workshops for any community or organization (non profit, public, private) to reach co-designed objectives. We also create inclusive training labs, open to anyone regardless of their origin/background. From storyline, to filming, to post production, we offer tools to filmmaking, focusing on “social content that matters”. Our aim is to develop creative hubs that share common “media languages”.

DIGITAL INTERACTIVE CROSS-MEDIA PLATFORMS

SOCIAL INNOVATION
FOR SOLIDARITY & SOCIAL CHANGE

We create interactive cross-media platforms that increase audience engagement and social impact, by applying design thinking for social innovation, solidarity and positive change. The audience is encouraged to interact both with the content and other users, creating a unique social changing connection with the vulnerable community. Depending on needs and objectives, the potential of such platforms is immense!

INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE

ICH

We contribute in the study, diffusion, conservation and revitalization of cultural heritage and specially of intangible cultural heritage. We facilitate the collaboration between institutions, experts, NGOs, bearers, and any other relevant social partner.
We provide: Inventories of intangible cultural heritage; Safeguarding plans and specific studies; Consulting; Diffusion activities/materials; Promotion of sustainable development strategies that include cultural heritage

CAMPAIGNS

CULTURAL DIVERSITY
INTERCULTURAL DIALOGUE

We create raising awareness campaigns on cross-cultural understanding and human rights, by producing audiovisuals (VR, documentaries, spots), media, social innovative and cultural events - festivals. We foster social inclusion, by allowing socially or culturally diverse people to meet and exchange during our live events or through various platforms and artistic expressions.