海角大神

This past week, something odd popped into my social media feed. It caught my eye because it highlights the value we at the Monitor place on conversations that bridge divides 鈥� the kind we featured in our Respect Project. It鈥檚 called the聽, and it鈥檚 pretty much exactly what it sounds like. In the Human Library, volunteers are 鈥渂ooks鈥� with titles like 鈥淢uslim,鈥� 鈥淪oldier (PTSD),鈥� or 鈥淵oung Mother,鈥� and visitors can 鈥渃heck out鈥� that book for a conversation.

The project started in Denmark 20 years ago, but it has since spread. Recently, major organizations such as Google, eBay, and the World Bank have turned to Human Libraries as a part of diversity training, according to聽.

The goal is to allow 鈥減eople to talk about issues that they normally would not talk about, or potentially don鈥檛 like to talk about, but that we need to talk about,鈥� founder Ronni Abergel tells Forbes.聽Volunteers are trained not to push a specific agenda but rather to let the "reader" control the conversation. Research shows these sorts of interactions are one of the most effective ways of overcoming prejudice, misunderstanding, and hate. The project鈥檚 motto is 鈥渦njudge someone.鈥�

For Bill Carney, a 鈥淏lack Activist鈥� in the library, the expectation is not instantly to change minds, but to plant a seed. The conversation 鈥渨ill at least force them to ask questions,鈥� he told Forbes last year. And many of the conversations give him and others hope. Said one participant: 鈥淚 now have the courage to go engage differently with my neighbors and my community.鈥�