WEBVTT

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Cultural participation

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Why should people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities participate in culture?

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They have the same right as everyone else

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to participate in this society

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and help shape it

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and that naturally includes

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area of cultural participation and sharing.

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What is the connection between cultural participation of people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities and educational processes?

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In my opinion, these are actually

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almost inseparably linked,

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even if this was not always

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context of education.

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But education has many levels, and depending on

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which understanding of education you start from,

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there are different facets.

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In my opinion, the core of education is

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that it is about cultural appropriation processes

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and that also involves

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in the area of cultural participation,

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in other words, that over-education or

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a claim to education implies

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to culturally appropriate the world on the one hand,

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but also to simply form an image of oneself and the world through educational opportunities

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image of oneself and the world,

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so education also in the sense of

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self-education as a process,

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that sometimes does not have to be planned

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and intended, and

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nevertheless conveys a right to education.

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That's why, for me,

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the two are almost inseparably linked,

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to say that it is probably hardly possible

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to enable cultural participation

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and education

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and that would be disastrous.

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So even if it's not always

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a very targeted process,

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there are still many parallels between what

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what cultural participation intends and what

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education intends.

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These are important requirements

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in order to be able to develop as a member of this society

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and to be able to interact

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with the world.

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Cultural participation is

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is a very important platform for this.

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How can you imagine cultural participation without language?

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I think this area in particular thrives on the fact

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that language sometimes takes a back seat

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background and has little or no

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significance, or linguistic variety,

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diversity is simply exciting from the outset,

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because language can be used very creatively

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or communication in a broader sense.

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And as a result, there are countless examples,

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especially from the

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the field of art, the visual arts

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or even the performing arts, music,

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which does not require language at all and

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nevertheless has many connecting elements,

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simply because it is important to

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perceive tones and sounds,

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gather new sensory impressions,

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convey visual impressions, and

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a visual language or a musical language in

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the foreground and not what

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we mean by verbal language

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in the narrower sense of the word.

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That is why art and culture,

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in my opinion, are the predestined areas

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to dispense with verbal language entirely or

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to push it into the background.

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To what extent can people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities become cultural actors themselves?

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I believe

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they are often reduced to a more consumerist,

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receptive role

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and people often forget

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that they themselves can also make an active contribution.

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But I believe that this requires

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a very special perception of the skills,

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the skills, the interests of a counterpart,

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in order to say,

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yes, what are their strengths,

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how do they communicate,

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How does he contribute?

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How does he leave his mark on life?

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And then to give these traces visibility,

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to say, there is someone

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who in a certain way

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writes on the table or scribbles or in

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a certain way

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opens up other people with his laughter

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or producing sounds in a certain way

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or in a certain way,

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perhaps also in a stereotypical way,

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manipulates things,

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and perhaps also creating something new

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in such a creative sense and perceiving that

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and actually giving it space,

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to say,

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that someone can also actively do something creative and

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convey that to others and

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in a way, enhance the value of those people

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in their social role, so to speak,

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so each of us can make an active,

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constructive, and productive contribution

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to this society.

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You just have to give them the opportunity

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and also create the space for it

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to be recognized,

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that it is seen,

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that it can also be experienced as something positive

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and that it receives recognition.

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And sometimes

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such an outside perspective and such a framing simply the essentials,

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because that may not be recognized by the people

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themselves,

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identify themselves and

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can be marketed in that sense, too

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and I think that's very important.

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It takes a sensitive eye

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to then highlight something and

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help people

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to take an active part in cultural activities together.

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How can employees enable people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities to participate in cultural activities in practice?

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I think this requires precisely this perspective,

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in other words, first and foremost, a sensitivity to the fact that

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as already mentioned,

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each of us has something special,

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some special kind of gesture,

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facial expression, communication, message, and

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recognizing that is, I think,

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the biggest challenge.

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And then to make something out of it,

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for example, to say,

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Wow, there's someone who's really special

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with some kind of tool or with a pen

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or has a special affinity for

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working with paper, or a special affinity for

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decipher writing for themselves

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or work with things,

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plasticine, any material

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and I think the challenge is to

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keep offering new things,

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new ways of working with a material,

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which may not be so common

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in everyday teaching and supervision,

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enabling a new experience of the material,

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to then see

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what someone does with material,

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to create new communications and encounters,

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to see

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how someone responds to it,

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also to find a way in both directions,

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with people who need a lot of support,

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to go into public cultural spaces

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and visit museums,

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also opening up museums for this purpose,

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accessibility really at a

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basic level,

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more tactile opportunities for encounters

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also on the part of the institutions,

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the art and cultural institutions, for example, to create

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but also to enable

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for someone to take on a role

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and participate themselves and also

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contribute their perspective on the world.

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There are various examples

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on a slightly larger scale,

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such as the Touchdown exhibition,

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where people with Down syndrome

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with very different developmental backgrounds

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share their views on a particular topic with others

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and I find that really exciting:

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How can I enable a person to

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better communicate their perspective on themselves and the world

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to others.

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And if this happens in an aesthetically exciting

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and valuable setting,

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that appeals to and inspires other people,

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then that's already a big win.

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And as practical examples, there are

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in the field of art,

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especially the visual and performing arts,

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there are really a multitude of examples

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where people

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with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities

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have a chance

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to work as actors,

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even in completely non-verbal formats, for example,

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or where they are given the opportunity

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their own visual means of expression

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enthusiastic about a particular style of expression.

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What other offers do I make

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to the person or what other

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topics should I let them work on or materials

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or where should I take them and

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what could be an exciting offer for them?

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And that's something

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that plays a role in everyday life

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and where we actually always have the task

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and where this area of art and culture

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is once again a special occasion and

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perhaps challenges us once again in a special way

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to make that possible,

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that children, young people, or adults

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can simply, at their level of development,

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at their level of reception and according to their abilities,

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communicate with the world,

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be given a means of expression.