1. The document discusses good practices for having productive discussions about sensitive topics like racism and stereotyping. It emphasizes differentiating between conscious racists and those with unconscious biases, focusing discussions on those who are open-minded, and avoiding labeling others as racist which can trigger defensiveness. 2. Key strategies include increasing awareness of unconscious biases, getting to know individuals from other groups through contact, finding common goals, emphasizing empathy, and shifting discussions from accusations to understanding other perspectives. 3. Receiving feedback effectively is important - shifting from defensive to open attitudes, avoiding blaming others, and giving up fixed identities in favor of more complex understandings that are open to change. Games and artistic activities that enhance non

1. 1
Good practices and bibliography – The Netherlands
Project: Talking About Taboos (2013-1-FR1-GRU06-49587-6)
Organization Ezzev Foundation
Theme The Black Pete discussion
Introduction
The Dutch discussion on Black Pete is a discussion in which many frames are used to approach the theme. One dominant frame used by those who criticize
the current representation of Black Pete is racism. This frame was used by representatives of the United Nations and by those who restarted the discussion
on the theme in the Netherlands recently (like Quinsy Gario).
The current handling by these opponents of this frame has resulted in a counterproductive defense reaction within broad layers of Dutch society. The
reason for this seems the following: there is no differentiation between conscious racists and those who employ unconscious racism or stereotyping.

2. 2
Basic assumption
# Source (f.i. literature) Event
(trigger)
Good practice description Desired effect
1 Leonard Mlodinow – How Your
Unconscious Mind Rules Your
Behavior (2012: 153)
Racism Differentiate between conscious
racists and unconscious racism/
stereotyping
Avoid a defensive reaction by those who are
unconsciously stereotyping individuals
Mladinow (2012: 153) writes: “Even well into the 1980s many psychologists viewed discrimination as a conscious and intentional behavior, rather than one
commonly arising from normal and unavoidable cognitive processes related to the brain’s vital propensity to categorize.”
Naturally, conscious racists do exist. It is unclear what the percentage of racists is among Dutch defenders of the current representation of Black Pete. But
these ideologically driven individuals are not reachable in a dialogue.
Tim Wise (http://identifeye.wordpress.com/2013/12/26/addressing-racism-tim-wise/ 16:50) states: “If we are actually in a place where there is such overt
hostility and bigotry of the nature of hate group activity then nothing I can say … or anyone can say is going to solve that problem.”

3. 3
Basic assumption
# Source (f.i. literature) Event
(trigger)
Good practice description Desired effect
2 Tim Wise – Authors at
Google, White Like Me
Conscious
racism
Do not discuss with racists/ only
discuss with good willing people
looking away
Focus on those who are reachable
Labeling those who unconsciously stereotype as racists triggers a defensive reaction and works counterproductive. Tim Wise
(http://identifeye.wordpress.com/2013/12/26/addressing-racism-tim-wise/ 15:18 ff): “If you hear that there’s going to be a conversation and it’s about
racism you automatically have certain assumptions about what we are going to discuss and what that means and naturally, as good people, we don’t want
to think we’re implicated in racism. … We’re thinking of racism in a very sort of traditional way. … People get very nervous when they think we’re going to
talk about this and the reason is they think they’re going to be called a racist. … And, if they are somehow called a racist, that we mean … that they’re going
to the neo-nazi rally and that they are actually skinheads in disguise … People make those assumptions and so as a result they get very defensive. Nobody
wants to be thought of as that.”

4. 4
Basic assumption
# Source (f.i.
literature)
Event (trigger) Good practice description Desired effect
3 Tim Wise –
Authors at
Google, White
Like Me
Unconscious racism/
stereotyping: in-group versus
out-group (us vs them), putting
people into categories
Do not interpret or label
these good willing people in
terms of racism but in terms
of moral blindness
Avoid defensiveness
So, how should these stereotyping individuals be approached if not by calling them racists? Leonard Mladinow (2012 :158/ 159) has an answer: “We can all
personally fight unconscious bias, for research has shown that our tendency to categorize people can be influenced by our conscious goals. If we are aware
of our bias and willing to overcome it, we can. … A good way to start is by taking a closer look at those we are judging … Our personal knowledge of a
specific member of a category can easily override our category bias, but more important, over time repeated contact with category members can act as an
antidote to the negative traits society assigns to people in that category.”
Mladinow (2012: 171) also explains that there are no minimal requirements necessary “for a person to feel kinship with an in-group. … It is not necessary
for you to share any attitudes or traits with your fellow group members, or even for you to have met the other group members. It is the simple act of
knowing that you belong to a group that triggers your in-group affinity.”

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If there are already negative attitudes between groups one tactic works according to Mladinow (2012: 174): setting up “a series of difficulties” that the
groups have to overcome together.
These insights by Mladinow do not only apply to defenders of the current representation of Black Pete but also to its critics.
Basic assumption
# Source (f.i. literature) Event (trigger) Good practice description Desired effect
4 Leonard Mlodinow –
How Your Unconscious
Mind Rules Your
Behavior (2012: 157,
159, 171, 174)
Unconscious racism/
stereotyping: in-group
versus out-group (us vs
them), putting people
into categories
Becoming aware of
categorizing
Start seeing individuals:
Getting to know one
member of the out-group,
repeated contact with
members of the out-group
Create a common group
label for in- and out-group
Overcoming difficulties
together/ common goals
A feeling of belonging to a common group

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Good practices
# Source (f.i.
literature)
Method - description Owner, place and time of the
implementation
Actual impact
1 O2O – practicing dialogue. Two individuals, one
representative of an in-group and one
representative of an out-group, face each other.
One individual is in the lead. This individual has to
establish within a very limited amount of time (one
to three minutes) what they have in common with
the other individual about a specific theme – and
where they differ. They are to ask the other about
their thoughts and emotions but not fall into the
role of a journalist – they should also tell about
their thoughts and emotions and check the
similarity and difference of the thoughts and
emotions mentioned.
FCP and EF have tested this method
out in Gdansk, Poland in 2013 during
the national Polish project
Dynamiczna Tozsamosc 2013 – both
in a workshop setting and in a
conference setting.
Individuals stopped feeling
representatives from rivaling
groups but started – under
time pressure - bonding
together within the dialogue
setting.
2 Recording two or more individuals from different in-
and out-groups together for a reason beyond their
differences – for instance to create a project trailer.
FCP and EF have tested this method
out in Gdansk, Poland in 2012 and
2014 during the national Polish
projects Dynamiczna Tozsamosc
2012 and 2014 – in a workshop
setting.
Individuals stopped feeling
representatives from rivaling
groups but started bonding
together within the recording
setting.

7. 7
3 Trying to feel empathy for the Other while talking to
you and decide from empathy whether to accept a
story. Whether accepted or not one is to sit next to
the Other at the same level while maintaining eye
contact.
The Dutch Railway Company (NS)
trains their controllers to use this
method to avoid aggression.
A drop in incidents of
aggression by people not being
able to show a valid ticket
while checked in a Dutch train.
If we now zoom in from group level to individual level, there are more steps we can take. According to Mlodinow, Timothy Wilson and Daniel Kahneman
our unconsciousness rules the majority of our behavior and decisions. This unconsciousness is an effective way to deal with the complexity of everyday life
but has some nasty side effects. Stereotyping leading to unconscious racism is one of them.
The complexity of everyday life only becomes more complex. Zygmunt Bauman (2005: 1) calls our current times “liquid”: “’Liquid life’ is a kind of life that
tends to be lived in a liquid modern society. ‘Liquid modern’ is a society in which the conditions under which its members act change faster than it takes the
ways of acting to consolidate into habits and routines. Liquidity of life and that of society feed and reinvigorate each other. Liquid life, just like liquid society,
cannot keep its shape or stay on course for long.” The changes occurring in liquid times are radical, “modifying many ‘traditional’ concepts that have
structured our way of giving the world we live in, and our own lives, meaning”. (EGE, Opinion 26, http://ec.europa.eu/bepa/european-group-
ethics/docs/publications/ict_final_22_february-adopted.pdf)
The result is that individuals have developed a kind of moral blindness. Time Wise (http://identifeye.wordpress.com/2013/12/26/addressing-racism-tim-
wise/ 13:20 ff): “if you are a good caring, compassionate person you look at the ugly and then you realize you’re on the hook. You actually have to do

8. 8
something about that. Because you’re a good person. Now you feel like crap. … For people who really are compassionate, we turn away from it almost as
quickly as we turn towards it. Because to be reminded of it, and to be reminded that we are sort of in the midst of that, is to put us on the hook, and we
really don’t like to be on the hook. Because there is only 24 hours in a day, seven days a week, 365 days in most years. So as a result, we just don’t have
extra time to deal with all the problems that we have. And so we turn away from it.”
On top of this our brains take an approach (Mlodinow, 2012: 201)that is called “motivated reasoning” which helps us “believe in our goodness and
competence, to feel in control, and to generally see ourselves in a positive light. It also shapes the way we understand and interpret our environment,
especially our social environment, and it helps to justify our preferred beliefs.” This approach distorts our sense of reality as a strategy to survive
(Mlodinow, 2012: 217): “studies show that the people with the most accurate self-perceptions tend to be moderately depressed, suffer from low self-
esteem, or both. An overly positive self-evaluation, on the other hand, is normal and healthy.”
Are we then doomed to be insensitive to others? Fortunately not. Mlodinow (2012: 125) tells us that our unconsciousness is very good at understanding
others by picking up their nonverbal cues. “Our sensitivity to other people’s signals regarding their thoughts and moods help make social situations proceed
smoothly, with a minimum of conflict.” This means that if we open up to other people by just sensing unconsciously we diminish the chances on conflict.
Basic assumption
# Source (f.i. literature) Event (trigger) Good practice description Desired effect
5 Leonard Mlodinow – How
Your Unconscious Mind
Conflict
between
Make way to our sensitivity to
other people’s signals (nonverbal
Smooth social situations

9. 9
Rules Your Behavior (2012:
125)
individuals cues) regarding their thoughts
and moods
Good practices
# Source (f.i.
literature)
Method - description Owner, place and time of the
implementation
Actual impact
4 Recording individuals together in an
artistic performance setting in which
nonverbal communication is leading.
FCP’s Beata Staszynska and EF’s Onno
Hansen have tested this out in Poland
since 2009 in various settings.
Concentrating on nonverbal
communications leads to a more
subtle kind of interaction where
there is more reflection and
sensitivity.
Not only our unconsciousness can bring a way out - our conscious behavior can too. In a way, the discussion on the current representation of Black Pete
can be seen as critical feedback of one group (opponents) to activities of another group (advocates). Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen argue that while many
trainings are organized to teach individuals how to present feedback, it is actually the receiver who can improve the effectiveness of the feedback process
most.
The first thing the receiver can do to better receive feedback is to shift from a “That is wrong” defensive reaction to a “Tell me more” attitude. One should
acknowledge that one has blind spots – and feedback is a great tool to help identify them. The defenders of Black Pete should change their attitude from
“Leave our Black Pete alone” to “Tell me more about why you think Black Pete is offensive”. Combined with an opening up to the nonverbal cues given off
this could be a very powerful instrument to start a real dialogue.

10. 10
Basic assumption
# Source (f.i. literature) Event (trigger) Good practice
description
Desired effect
6 Douglas Stone & Sheila
Heen – Thanks for the
feedback (2014: 27ff)
Reaction after feedback:
That’s wrong/ not
helpful/ not me
Separate appreciation,
coaching, evaluation
Shift from That’s
wrong to Tell me more
See one’s blind spots
Less resistance to feedback
A second thing the receiver can do to better receive feedback is to not blame the messenger. If there should be unease about the individuals giving
feedback one should identify the relationship problem according to Stone & Heen. This opens up questions about the context: about stereotyping from
both sides, about in-groups and out-groups and about how to overcome this. This is in line with what have been written above. One thing the receiver
should avoid though is switchtracking: changing the original topic to another one. The second topic is triggered by the first topic but is a separate topic. If
switchtracking occurs (Stone & Heen, 2014: 103) the partners in the dialogue “are each heading in their own direction, moving farther and farther apart”.
The best way to deal with it is to be aware that there are now two topics. “At the point at which you realize there are two topics running simultaneously,
say that out loud and propose a way forward.” Stone & Heen (2014: 117) call this “signposting”. “The template for signposting is this: “I seen two related
but separate topics for us to discuss. They are both important. Let’s discuss each topic fully but separately, giving each topic its own track. After we’ve
finished discussing the first topic, we’ll swing back around and discuss the second one.”

11. 11
Basic assumption
# Source (f.i. literature) Event (trigger) Good practice
description
Desired effect
7 Douglas Stone & Sheila Heen –
Thanks for the feedback (2014:
99ff)
Reaction after
feedback: You are the
problem
Don’t switchtrack
Identify the
relationship
problem
Better response to feedback
A third thing the receiver can do better is more fundamental. According to Stone & Heen defensiveness stems partially from the possibility that the receiver
has a fixed identity. If this is the case all feedback about a part of the identity becomes threatening for the identity as a whole. This defensive process is
being supported by simple labels that help interpret the world rather than complex labels. Simple labels have a black and white quality too.
Dutch observed have interpreted the current representation of Black Pete as one of the few pillars of tradition on which Dutch culture rests. In the
confusion that accompanies liquid times it is tempting to resist liquidity and the modification of everything around us and cling to traditional concepts. This
way it looks like we can trick ourselves in believing that we have a semblance of a stable identity. According to Bauman ”choosing to hold fast to inherited
and/or ascribed identity, is a natural and legitimate offspring of planet-wide enforced individualization”. If more than a few people hold on to the same
traditional concepts these then function as building blocks for a collective identity - on a group or even a national level.

12. 12
Basic assumption
# Source (f.i. literature) Event (trigger) Good practice
description
Desired effect
8 Douglas Stone & Sheila Heen
– Thanks for the feedback
(2014: 145ff)
Black and white
interpretation of
identity
Give up simple labels
and cultivate
complexity
Change from a fixed
mindset to a growth
mindset
Less resistance to feedback
Giving up the idea of a fixed identity and simple labels and trade those in for a dynamic identity and complex labels seems the hardest of all options
proposed. The question to answer here seems: Why would the defenders of the current representation agree to anything like this – and agree to
experience the unmitigated anxieties of the liquid times?
In the workshops Dynamic Identity Fundacja Citizen Project and Ezzev Foundation have experimented with this extensively.

13. 13
Good practice
# Source (f.i.
literature)
Method - description Owner, place and time of the implementation Actual impact
5 Group-wise playing the Augmented Reality
game IDentifEYE in combination with various
lesson plans. The AR game is in effect an online
multiple choice questionnaire with one
difference: the game reacts to each answer by
means of dedicated visual, text and sound
elements. The multiple choice options are
represented by four markers (a, b, c, d) that are
shown to a computer laptop camera.
Tested extensively by FCP and EZ in 2011 – 2014 in
Poland, Greece, on Cyprus and in the Netherlands
during the European projects IDentifEYE and
Dynamic Identity and the Polish national projects
DT 2012, 2013 – both on youngsters (aged 8 – 18)
and on adults in workshop settings.
More openness to feedback,
less dogmatic thinking, less
simple labeling, less barriers to
open up.
6 Constructive confrontation in Augmented
Reality – individuals being traditionally recorded
answering the question “Who are you until
now” and then view the recording by means of
an Augmented Reality app – they show a marker
to a computer laptop camera. The AR app forces
them to be co-responsible for the viewing and
be concentrated.
Tested extensively by FCP and EF in 2010 – 2014 in
Poland, Greece, on Cyprus and in the Netherlands
during the European projects IDentifEYE and
Dynamic Identity and the Polish national project
Obywatel Solidarnosc and Dynamiczna Tozsamosc
2012 – both on youngsters (aged 8 – 18) and on
adults in workshop settings and in interview plus
follow-up settings.
Experiencing one’s self in
Augmented Reality leads to
reflection. Experiencing one’s
self answering the question
“Who are you until now” leads
to experiencing the dynamic
nature of one’s identity.

14. 14
Good practices - overview
Good practices
# Source (f.i.
literature)
Method - description Owner, place and time of the
implementation
Actual impact
1 Own projects O2O – practicing dialogue. Two
individuals, one representative of an in-
group and one representative of an out-
group, face each other. One individual is in
the lead. This individual has to establish
within a very limited amount of time (one
to three minutes) what they have in
common with the other individual about a
specific theme – and where they differ.
They are to ask the other about their
thoughts and emotions but not fall into
the role of a journalist – they should also
tell about their thoughts and emotions
and check the similarity and difference of
the thoughts and emotions mentioned.
FCP and EF have tested this method out in
Gdansk, Poland in 2013 during the national
Polish project Dynamiczna Tozsamosc 2013
– both in a workshop setting and in a
conference setting.
Individuals stopped feeling
representatives from rivaling
groups but started – under time
pressure - bonding together
within the dialogue setting.
2 Own projects Recording two or more individuals from
different in- and out-groups together for a
reason beyond their differences – for
FCP and EF have tested this method out in
Gdansk, Poland in 2012 and 2014 during
the national Polish projects Dynamiczna
Individuals stopped feeling
representatives from rivaling
groups but started bonding

15. 15
instance to create a project trailer. Tozsamosc 2012 and 2014 – in a workshop
setting.
together within the recording
setting.
3 Interview
with a Dutch
Railway
Company
trainer
Trying to feel empathy for the Other while
talking to you and decide from empathy
whether to accept a story. Whether
accepted or not one is to sit next to the
Other at the same level while maintaining
eye contact.
The Dutch Railway Company (NS) trains
their controllers to use this method to
avoid aggression.
A drop in incidents of
aggression by people not being
able to show a valid ticket while
checked in a Dutch train.
4 Own projects Recording individuals together in an
artistic performance setting in which
nonverbal communication is leading.
FCP’s Beata Staszynska and EF’s Onno
Hansen have tested this out in Poland since
2009 in various settings.
Concentrating on nonverbal
communications leads to a
more subtle kind of interaction
where there is more reflection
and sensitivity.
5 Own projects Group-wise playing the Augmented Reality
game IDentifEYE in combination with
various lesson plans. The AR game is in
effect an online multiple choice
questionnaire with one difference: the
game reacts to each answer by means of
dedicated visual, text and sound elements.
The multiple choice options are
represented by four markers (a, b, c, d)
that are shown to a computer laptop
camera.
Tested extensively by FCP and EZ in 2011 –
2014 in Poland, Greece, on Cyprus and in
the Netherlands during the European
projects IDentifEYE and Dynamic Identity
and the Polish national projects DT 2012,
2013 – both on youngsters (aged 8 – 18)
and on adults in workshop settings.
More openness to feedback,
less dogmatic thinking, less
simple labeling, less barriers to
open up.
6 Own projects Constructive confrontation in Augmented Tested extensively by FCP and EF in 2010 – Experiencing one’s self in

16. 16
Reality – individuals being traditionally
recorded answering the question “Who
are you until now” and then view the
recording by means of an Augmented
Reality app – they show a marker to a
computer laptop camera. The AR app
forces them to be co-responsible for the
viewing and be concentrated.
2014 in Poland, Greece, on Cyprus and in
the Netherlands during the European
projects IDentifEYE and Dynamic Identity
and the Polish national project Obywatel
Solidarnosc and Dynamiczna Tozsamosc
2012 – both on youngsters (aged 8 – 18)
and on adults in workshop settings and in
interview plus follow-up settings.
Augmented Reality leads to
reflection. Experiencing one’s
self answering the question
“Who are you until now” leads
to experiencing the dynamic
nature of one’s identity.

17. 17
Short background bibliography
 Zygmunt Bauman – Liquid Life (2005)
 EGE - Opinion 26, (2012)
 Daniel Kahneman - Thinking, fast and slow (2011)
 Leonard Mlodinow – How Your Unconscious Mind Rules Your Behavior (2012)
 Douglas Stone & Sheila Heen – Thanks for the feedback (2014)
 Tim Wise – Authors at Google, White Like Me (2013)

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Specific Dutch/ Black Pete bibliography
- ECRI REPORT ON THE NETHERLANDS (2013): http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/monitoring/ecri/country-by-country/netherlands/NLD-CbC-IV-2013-039-
ENG.pdf
- Amnesty International on Dutch police racial profiling (2013):
http://www.amnesty.nl/sites/default/files/public/rapport_etnisch_profileren_ainl_28_okt_2013.pdf
- Letter by the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights on the topic (2013): http://www.scribd.com/doc/177303852/De-brief-van-de-VN-over-
Zwarte-Piet
- Black Pete & Sinterklaas: UN experts encourage respectful national debate on Dutch tradition:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=14013&LangID=E
- Letter by Amsterdam mayor Eberhard van der Laan on the topic (2013): http://www.scribd.com/doc/180245550/Brief-Eberhard-van-der-Laan
- Ongoing publications and programs in the Dutch press