Key Facts:
NO SCHOOL BULLYING in Australia and across the world
School Bullying - Australian classic going to Italy & beyond
BULLLYING WEEK 11 to 15th AUGUST.
Who can believe it? I AM JACK is in most primary schools in Australia. It's been translated into different languages and the USA. Adapted in a play by Monkey Baa theatre, it toured 8 years in Australia; 2 years in USA.
Susanne Gervay's son was bullied at school. She was devastated, even though she is a specialist in child growth & development. Her response was I Am Jack. She wrote this book with her son's support, for all kids, parents and adults. It has become a classic here, translated into other languages over the years and in the USA.
It's been 25 years since she broke the silence on school bullying. At that time, it was not generally recognised by publishers, when HarperCollins took the gamble of publishing it. So many books and curriculums have come from this initiative which is good news.
But what has happened to I Am Jack now?
25 years later, Italian publishers have just contacted Gervay. They are translating I Am Jack into Italian to be launched in Italy and beyond, with the award winning youth organisation Mabasta.
Mabasta is youth action that began in 2016 responding to a 12 year girl who tried to commit suicide.
These Mabasta kids are so impressive. Mabasta is a movement of boys and girls, between 14 and 17 years old, founded by Mirko Cazzato in 2016, that fights against bullying and cyberbullying in schools. In 2018, the "Mabasta Model" was developed where the young people of Mabasta act "from below" and make the students themselves active actors in school, with the support of experienced teachers.
In the last 2 years, Mabasta have reached over 800 classes and over 80 thousand students.
The founder Mirko was the only Italian and European in the Top 10 of the Global Student Prize Award, which is a "Nobel" prize for youth impacting the world. The students have been recognised in Italy and Europe and met the Prime Minister of Italy, the Pope and even Spider Man. Supported by countless organisations it is leading anti-school bullying. (See at the end of release)
Under the guidance of computer science professor Daniele Manni, the team adopted the "Mabasta Model" to prevent, combat and debully every class in Italy from all forms of bullying, cyberbullying, bodyshaming and sexting. This model stands out for its flexibility, which can be adapted to both individual classes and entire schools, with a particular emphasis on the active participation of students. The strategy is further characterised by its affordability, allowing schools to access a wide range of information resources, forms and questionnaires free of charge.
Australian cover I Am Jack to the new Italian cover!
Key partners of Mabasta:
Social Sector: ActionAid, Roma Cares, UNICEF, Ashoka Italia;
Institutional area: Postal Police, Puglia Region, USR Puglia, several municipalities, many schools;
Corporate Environment: Bnp Paribas Cardif, BCC di Leverano, Fastweb, Alma Roma;
Culture and entertainment: Sergio Sylvestre, Virginio, Tom Holland, Piero Pelù, SanGiovanni, Alessandro Siani, Anna Falchi, Salvo Sottile;
Political and sporting sphere: President Mattarella, Pope Francis, various Ministers, Roberto Mancini, Nicolò Zaniolo, Alessio Sakara, Massimiliano Rosolino and many others.
Sporty collaboration with patronage of:
· Sport and health (Coni)
· Italian Paralympic Committee: National Associations: Football, Volleyball, Athletics, Rugby, Gymnastics, Cycling, Rowing, Roller Sports, Dance Sport, Taekwondo, Paralympic Table Football, Badminton, American Football, Equestrian Sports, Bowls, Baseball Softball, Triathlon, Powerboating, Shooting, Billiards, Motorcycles, Boxing, Sailing, Canoeing, Kayaking, Judo, Wrestling, Karate, Martial Arts, Aero Club, Archery, Paralympic Winter Sports, Paralympic Swimming, Wheelchair Basketball, Relational Intellectual Paralympics, Water skiing;
National Leagues: Basketball League A, National Basketball League, Serie B Football League, Serie A Volleyball League;
Susanne writes for young people of all ages to share, explore and understand our complex world through story. Awarded the Lifetime Social Justice Award for her body of work and an Order of Australia she is a strong advocate of empowerment of young people to advocate for good. https://sgervay.com
