“Breaking Assumptions Built On Outliers”: award-winning student project

Marika Pescosolido is a second-year student from Italy and North Macedonia who is one of this year’s Go Make A Difference award recipients. Her project ‘Breaking Assumptions Built On Outliers’ is producing a documentary titled “Breaking Assumptions, Echoing Stories” across Europe, which will shed light on the consequences of cultural marginalization in Italy.

The documentary will be filmed with the support of fellow UWC students, travelling in different regions of Europe, North Africa and Asia. It will feature interviews with experts, scholars, and victims of religious discrimination. The goal is to collect concrete evidence on the effects of the rejection of religious diversity in Italian society.

Marika also aims to submit the documentary at the “Festival dei Popoli” competition, and if selected, the documentary may be distributed in cinemas nationally. This will provide a massive opportunity to promote a petition on introducing the topic of cultural marginalisation to the Italian Parliament, and if it gains over 50,000 signatures, it may qualify for political discussion at a national level.

She explains that this project is driven by her “concern over Italy’s shifting political landscape.” According to Marika, “discrimination against religious minorities, as well as African and Middle Eastern immigrants, has been escalating, especially since the 2018 Macerata shooting” which is why she believes that now, “more than ever, this discriminatory behaviour must be officially acknowledged and eradicated.”

Launched on March 15, 2025, the project is now assembling a dedicated team for documentary production. The initiative is projected to reach and impact between 1.3 to 1.5 million Italian residents: this estimate included the reported 30-40% of the discriminated individuals in the Muslim community, the 10,000-20,000 Jewish experiencing antisemitism and hundreds of thousands of other religious minorities (including Hindus, Sikhs and Jehovah’s Witnesses) who encounter legal or social discrimination.

About the award:
GoMakeADifference was established in 2001 by Colin Habgood and Jill Longson to provide grants to UWC Atlantic College students. The concept was to allow students an opportunity to make a difference and put into practice the ideals of UWC. Learn more.