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Leiden2022: Borrow a 'living book' from the Living Library on the national day of Empathy

Date
Tuesday 3 May 2022
Time
Address
BplusC
Rosmolen 4
Leiden

On 3 May, the national day of Empathy, Leiden University organizes a ‘Living Library’ in cooperation with BplusC. This Living Library is part of the 365 program for the curious-minded that is developed in the framework of Leiden European City of Science 2022. 

What is a Living Library?

The idea of a living library is that visitors borrow so-called ‘living books’ – that’s people – to start a conversation with. These 'livings books' are people who often have to deal with certain prejudices in their daily lives, for example a transgender person, an ex-prisoner, a teenage mother, an asylum seeker or someone with autism. By engaging in a conversation with a ‘living book’, you get the chance to exchange thoughts and get a glimpse into the experiences of someone you might not easily speak to, otherwise.

Bringing knowledge to the neighbourhood

An important spearhead of Leiden European City of Science 2022 is to bring the knowledge, that is accumulated within various knowledge institutes in town, to the neighbourhood. In her research and teaching, professor of Law and Society Maartje van der Woude (Van Vollenhoven Instituut) frequently pays attention to processes of inclusion and exclusion and the role that the law plays in them. She thinks that stimulating people’s empathy is a simple but powerful way of partly counterbalancing the increasing polarization within society.

Where and when is the Living Library?

If you would like to participate in the Living Library, you don’t need to register, you can just come and take a look on the Tuesday 3 May. The Living Library is organized between  13.00 – 16.00 hrs. in BplusC, location Merenwijk, address: Rosmolen 4, 2317 SJ  Leiden.

More information on Living Library Netherlands: https://livinglibrary.nl/

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