Everyone is different, and that's a good thing. Too often though, we avoid talking about differences for fear of offending someone or being stereotyped ourselves, and that discomfort gets in the way of living and working together. But it’s possible to make these topics less taboo so we can learn from and understand each other better, by humanizing the labels that divide us, and looking beyond our differences to find labels or good deeds that we may have in common in a relaxed, non-confrontational atmosphere.

The No Evil Project is a nonprofit organization that uses art and humour to challenge stereotypes and help people find commonality and understanding despite cultural, socio-economic, religious, racial, gender, physical and mental health, occupational, political, and ethnic among other differences. Each participant poses as the Three Wise Monkeys: See No Evil, Hear No Evil, and Speak No Evil; picks three labels that describe themselves; and writes a good deed to show they’re “not evil”. Participating encourages exploring our own labels, biases, and stereotypes, without the defensiveness these topics traditionally cause; while seeing the photos and stories of others online and in exhibits humanizes the labels we may not relate to, helps us find things in common, challenges our assumptions, and starts new educated conversations.

See the collection at www.noevilproject.org