At the “Human Library,” you can “loan” a person to tell you their life story, an original concept born in Denmark that is designed to challenge prejudice and which has spread around the world.
Iben — a quiet 46-year-old sexual abuse victim with mental health issues who doesn’t give out her last name — is one of eight “books” curious people can loan on this autumn day in Copenhagen.
For 30 minutes, you can ask anything you want, either one-on-one or in a small group.
Photo: AFP
“The Human Library is a safe space where we can explore diversity, learn about ways in which we’re different from each other, and engage with people we normally would never meet... and challenge your unconscious bias,” explains Ronni Abergel, the project’s garrulous initiator.
He created the living library in 2000 during the Roskilde music festival and went on to build a non-profit organization.
The concept has since found its way into more than 70 countries.
“A reading truly is a conversation,” says Abergel.
“I’m going to take a few minutes to explain my topic, my background and to make sure that you can ask me anything about being HIV (positive) or disabled, or transgender, or a refugee or Jewish or Muslim or whatever my topic may be.”
BLANK PAGES
In most cases the conversations flow freely, typically held in a calm environment like a city library, a meeting room, or as today, in the garden of the Human Library’s premises.
“Sometimes people ask a lot and the conversation flows. But sometimes I maybe need to tell them a little bit more, ask my readers questions in order for them to reflect or ask new questions,” says Anders Fransen, a 36-year-old blind and hearing impaired “book.”
People are encouraged “to ask really difficult questions,” Abergel says, stressing that nothing is off limits, no matter how sensitive the subject may be.
People who loan Iben can choose between three of her oral books: sexual abuse victim, living with borderline personality disorder or severe post-traumatic stress disorder.
She has on occasion refused to answer questions.
“I have said that that page wasn’t written yet. So they just smiled and said okay,” she recalls.
But she’s never had a bad experience in her four years.
“All my readings are different,” and they’ve evolved over the years, she says. “When I started, I was in a totally different place... I’ve been working on myself for years.”
Fransen says he’s proud to have helped people develop how they think about handicaps.
After a recent ‘reading’ with some eighth graders, he overheard them talking to their friends.
“They were saying ‘hey, this guy is a cool guy, he has a cool story to tell.’ So I made an impression on them,” he smiles.
‘NEUTRAL LEARNING SPACE’
‘Loanees’ come away with powerful experiences too.
“All the responses we’re getting indicate that it’s a high impact experience,” Abergel says.
He was recently contacted by a reader who borrowed a human book in 2004.
“She was telling us about the impact [the book had] on her view on Muslims... And she had used that information in the 17 years that have passed. So that has been to the benefit of the community, her and other people of Muslim background.”
In an increasingly polarized world, Abergel wants his initiative to help people become “less apprehensive, more open, more understanding and accepting of your right to be different.”
But, he insists, the organization is not about promoting diversity or combating prejudice.
“We run a neutral learning space where there is an opportunity for you to engage, learn about yourself and other groups,” he says.
“What you learn and what you do with your learning is entirely in your hands.”
One of those loaning a book is 41-year-old Karem.
“To see the person and listen to him or her and see the perspective, the whole story that is almost unfolding in front of you” is “very touching”, he says.
“It lets people see that at the end of the day we are a lot of titles, but the same flesh and blood and bones.”
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), and the country’s other political groups dare not offend religious groups, says Chen Lih-ming (陳立民), founder of the Taiwan Anti-Religion Alliance (台灣反宗教者聯盟). “It’s the same in other democracies, of course, but because political struggles in Taiwan are extraordinarily fierce, you’ll see candidates visiting several temples each day ahead of elections. That adds impetus to religion here,” says the retired college lecturer. In Japan’s most recent election, the Liberal Democratic Party lost many votes because of its ties to the Unification Church (“the Moonies”). Chen contrasts the progress made by anti-religion movements in
Taiwan doesn’t have a lot of railways, but its network has plenty of history. The government-owned entity that last year became the Taiwan Railway Corp (TRC) has been operating trains since 1891. During the 1895-1945 period of Japanese rule, the colonial government made huge investments in rail infrastructure. The northern port city of Keelung was connected to Kaohsiung in the south. New lines appeared in Pingtung, Yilan and the Hualien-Taitung region. Railway enthusiasts exploring Taiwan will find plenty to amuse themselves. Taipei will soon gain its second rail-themed museum. Elsewhere there’s a number of endearing branch lines and rolling-stock collections, some
Last week the State Department made several small changes to its Web information on Taiwan. First, it removed a statement saying that the US “does not support Taiwan independence.” The current statement now reads: “We oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side. We expect cross-strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means, free from coercion, in a manner acceptable to the people on both sides of the Strait.” In 2022 the administration of Joe Biden also removed that verbiage, but after a month of pressure from the People’s Republic of China (PRC), reinstated it. The American
This was not supposed to be an election year. The local media is billing it as the “2025 great recall era” (2025大罷免時代) or the “2025 great recall wave” (2025大罷免潮), with many now just shortening it to “great recall.” As of this writing the number of campaigns that have submitted the requisite one percent of eligible voters signatures in legislative districts is 51 — 35 targeting Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus lawmakers and 16 targeting Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers. The pan-green side has more as they started earlier. Many recall campaigns are billing themselves as “Winter Bluebirds” after the “Bluebird Action”
RSS