Can a coloured bench become a symbol of the fight against bullying? The answer is yes. Colouring a small element of the city can become a means of raising awareness among citizens of an extremely topical issue and firmly stating one’s refusal against any form of physical, psychological, actual and virtual abuse.
And precisely with this aim “Lodigiano in Colors” was born; it’s an initiative promoted by Il Magnete APS organisation and IBSA Farmaceutici aimed at bringing once again the attention to the need to fight the bullying phenomenon and to involve the whole city of Lodi and the neighbouring municipalities in the creation of public places where everyone can feel free from judgments, and find participation and sharing.
The bench becomes a metaphor of meeting, reciprocity and interaction also with the citizens, who are invited to be an active part of the project: indeed, the project provides for the identification – for each town in the Lodi area adhering to the initiative – of a bench located in a park or a urban area that has become a meeting place for young people; the bench will then be tinted, also thanks to the contribution of the people who frequent these places (or who even just happen to pass by).
Launched last October under the patronage of the City of Lodi and active until May 2023, the project stems from the common commitment of Il Magnete and IBSA, united in a consolidated collaboration on information and awareness projects on the issue of bullying and cyberbullying, in particular towards the younger generations, with a strong synergy with local schools. Hence, the presence of IBSA Farmaceutici employees who, full of enthusiasm and together with the volunteers of the Organisation, are ready to get their hands dirty, to bring the liveliness of colours to the parks and squares of the entire Lodi area.
However, the initiative is not limited to colouring the benches only, but creates a sort of “word hunt”: in fact, a word will be written on the surface of each bench, in a not-so-visible position, and each participant will have to perform a real “tour” on the territory to compose the final sentence dedicated to the fight against social abuses. A creative way to encourage reflection not only on the topic itself, but also on the actual value of the words we speak, which have a significant weight and impact on the people we are talking to. Furthermore, a QR code will be affixed to each bench which will refer to a set of rules both on the subject of bullying and on the informed use of technologies.
The initiative will end in May 2023 in Lodi, with the painting of the last bench: this will close the path which, by including the province as well as the city, ideally embraces all citizens, in a spirit of union and sharing, crucial elements for eradicating any form of bullying. The event will also see the participation of students from local schools who, thanks to pictures and drawings, will contribute to the creation of an exhibition, to convey once again a strong and very clear message: say all together #NOBULLYING.