At “For a Sea of Inclusion,” we affirmed sailing as a potent educational tool that could prevent and counter various forms of youth and non-youth distress. The sea provided an alternative context, a break from the routine, a dimension vastly different from the usual streets and cities, offering a new opportunity for self-discovery. The boat became a small world where harmony required the participation of all. To sail together for a sea of inclusion, one had to become a crew, sharing and respecting rules.
The boat, with its technical knowledge to acquire and necessary operational choices resulting from further mediation between us, the wind, and the waves, demanded respect for rules and introduced initially unknown roles. It shaped clear yet initially mysterious codes: there was another to cooperate with, another to discover.
This process allowed the formation of a new reference group, an alternative to the one in which the “disadvantaged” individual was typically placed, recognising rules and habits often without full awareness. The project “For a Sea of Inclusion” stemmed from the belief that the boat represented a different place, “a mysterious and magical horizon from which to observe things and oneself.” It was the ideal environment where every “sailor” confronted their limits and those of others, seeking to face them together as a “crew.”
The project brought together “on the same boat” individuals with and without intellectual disabilities to admire and, at the same time, personally experience the transformative power of sports. Diversity was celebrated, challenges were faced collectively, and the sea symbolised unity and shared achievement.
