BLACK on WHITE aims at offering to middle schools the possibility to share social and civic problems through the drawing up a school newspaper, made by students for students. The approach to achieve the skills to create a newspaper will be offered by the editorial staff of the prison's newspaper “Dietro il Cancello”. This collaboration offers the opportunity to the students to know and to talk about guilt and that the deprivation of freedom do not prevent the rehabilitation and restore.

Latina, Lazio, center of Italy

The activities of the Gruppo Idee Association in the region Lazio have been realized most of all in Rome and Frosinone. It has been always difficult to realize actions in Latina, the second city in Lazio, since the dimension of the prison in Latina, is too little to propose projects to realize in. The idea of the project BLACK on WHITE to realize in Latina gives the opportunity to inform people, and most of all youth, about the importance and the results of the rehabilitation of prisoners. Since in Latina there many bullying cases, talking about this topic gives the opportunity to teenagers to face problems about mistakes, guilt, respect and most of all civic education.

The project BLACK on WHITE is aimed at teenagers between 13 and 14, age that correspond to the end of the pre-adolescence period. This period is characterized by an acceleration of growth and the consequent psychological resonances, both intellectual and emotional-social. In this period is important the direct knowledge of civic reality and social problems. The topic that the project BLACK on WHITE gives is the possibility to secondary school students to learn about a good experience of rehabilitation for prisoners, the professional experience of the prisoners of the editorial staff, and gives the opportunity to learn several aspects of guilty, punishment, awareness.

BLACK on WHITE provide for the creation of a newspaper for teenagers by several steps: two remote meetings to talk about guilt and punishment; three remote meetings to share knowledge between the editorial staff of “Dietro il cancello” and the student’s editorial staff helped by the support of teachers; editorial activities realized in seven months (from October to April); one visit in Rebibbia Prison to meet the prisoners editorial staff; printing of 2.000 copies of the newspaper for one school.

By the project BLACK on WHITE it will be given to teenagers the possibility to write about problems that characterize their age and to print a newspaper, created by the editorial group organized by the school/s involved. The students will have the opportunity to wright and to talk to peers about the social and civic problems that they have to face. The print of the newspaper gives the opportunity let know their experience to a great number of peers. What is also important is that this project can be handed over to the students of the next school year.

The project BLACK on WHITE is important for two reason. One is that secondary school students will learn the drawing up of a newspaper, they will create their own one to hand out to peers and promote the reading. The second reason, and the most of all, is that the project gives the occasion to collaborate with prisoners and gives the students the occasion to learn about an important social problem: what means the rehabilitation of prisoners. This collaboration will give the possibility to learn about the consequences about wrong civic behavior and also that people have the possibility to renew their lives and restore.

"To help others to help ourselves, to be useful to don't feel useless", this is the motto of the Association Gruppo Idee. Following this principle, Gruppo Idee operates every day, with its volunteers, within the Prison Institutes to help those who want to rehabilitate, trying to recover a role within civil society. This is achieved through the implementation of activities such as training courses, support activities and accompaniment of prisoners on leave and family members, reintegration activities for prisoners in alternative measure, cultural and sports activities, support for disadvantaged persons and groups and events such as prison conferences. Gruppo Idee wants to let to know to young people the importance of a correct civil behavior and that it is the aim for whom has been guilty.

Project’s elaboration and coordination: 3.050,00
Promotion: 1.250,00
Operation, management and capital equipment: 7.600,00

The Gruppo Idee Association would be grateful for feedback that recognize the importance to develop reading among youth, the reading of news and the importance to be informed, and most of all the importance of the prisoner’s rehabilitation for the society.