BEYOND BORDERS a toolkit of creative and participatory approaches for exploring refuge and migration issues in secondary school classrooms Fair Use and sharing of this resource in an educational context is welcome. Please contact GOWC about onward use. Except where otherwise noted, content of this resource may be used in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) license. Except where otherwise noted, images on this site are © the attributed photographer/ artist/illustrator or representative agency. galwayowc.org “We are made for goodness. We are made for love. We are made for friendliness. We are made for togetherness. We are made for all of the beautiful things that you and I know. We are made to tell the world that there are no outsiders. All are welcome...all, all, all. We all belong to this family, this human family … and all of us are given the task of trying to make this world a little more hospitable to these beautiful things.” - Archbishop Desmond Tutu Painting: Gaza Children’s Dance (2019) by Palestinian artist, Malak Mattar Galway One World Centre has been designing and delivering workshops and educational materials for schools, youth and community groups for almost 30 years. Our work addresses a range of global justice issues, including root causes of global inequality, refuge and migration, human rights, debt, trade and tax justice and anti-racism perspectives. Produced by Galway One World Centre (2019) Kilcornan Clarinbridge County Galway www.galwayowc.org Written by Vicky Donnelly We are grateful for the input, inspiration, contributions and feedback that have been made by a wide variety of people and groups. In particular we wish to acknowledge and offer thanks to: Lisa Gallagher, Laura Cahill, Aisling McGrath, and Lizzy Noone at WorldWise Global Schools Eileen Fitzgerald and the teachers and students at Seamount College, County Galway Kevin Curry and teachers and students at St. Joseph’s College, Galway Dr. Eva Hornung, CDETB Curriculum Development Unit Aisling Behan, Maureen Keady, and teachers and students at St. Joseph’s Secondary School, County Clare Santa Sabina Dominican College, Dublin Donnah Vuma, Lucky Khambule, and the Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland (MASI) Sara Althobhaney; Elaine Feeney; John Griffin; Seán Conneally; Ruth Morrissey; Jacqueline Phri; Evgeny Shtorn; Shadi Affesa; Eyvon Bastouri; Irene O’Meara; Caoimhe Butterly; Nicki and Peju Awoyemi Toluwalase; Denise Healy of Desert to Doorus; Thomas Baker of Your Mans Puppets; Sharon Murphy; Tommy Lysaght; Seamus Diskin; Joe Loughnane; Bobbie Holbrook; Precious Jubane; Naima Baker; Luan and Oisín DW. Cover painting and illustrations by Malak Mattar Design by Darryl Vance We are deeply grateful to the artists who gave permission to include images and extracts of their work, including: Activist Adedotun Adekeye Majid Adid Hassan Alhomse Brian Bilston - www.brianbilston.com Sarah Clancy Dave Donovan Abdulazez Dukhan - Through Refugee Eyes Kate Evans - www.cartoonkate.co.uk/threads-the-calais-cartoon/ Thana Faroq - thanafaroq.com Amelia Gentleman - www.theguardian.com Khaled Juma - www.khaledjuma.net Malak Mattar - www.instagram.com/malak_mattar_artist/ Lena Merjhey - lena.merhej.com Vukashin Nedeljkovic - www.asylumarchive.com Ketty Nivyabandi Declan Pierce Wang Ping - wangping.com Sergei - aka Richard Chapman, lighbulbcartoon.com Artists at Positive Negatives - positivenegatives.com Support for the development and design of this resource has been gratefully received from WorldWise Global Schools. Disclaimer: While this project has been funded by Irish Aid’s WorldWise Global Schools, the ideas, opinions and comments therein are entirely the responsibility of the author and do not necessarily represent WorldWise Global Schools and/or Irish Aid policy. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 6 2. DEVELOPING A SUPPORTIVE SPACE Creating a Human Rights class charter ................................................................................................ 10 3. WORDS COUNT Understanding language and terminology ............................................................................................ 12 4. BELONGING Exploring our sense of home and identity ............................................................................................ 16 5. INVISBLE LINES Mapping boundaries and borders .......................................................................................................... 25 6. WHY WE LEFT Learning about the causes and impact of displacement .................................................................... 32 7. REFUGE AND MIGRATION Developing a Human Rights perspective ............................................................................................ 37 8. NOR A’S CASE Considering displacement and refuge from a historical perspective ................................................. 57 9. “YES, BUT...” The history of four excuses for exclusion .............................................................................................. 62 10. DEALING WITH STEREOTYPES ....................................................................................... 67 11. MIGR ATION MY THS Tacking misinformation about refuge and migration ........................................................................ 74 12. BEYOND STATISTICS Visualising data about migration ........................................................................................................ 87 13. UNPACKING THE MIGRATION KNAPSACK Developing empathy, and an understanding of inequality .............................................................. 95 14. NO PLACE LIKE HOME Learning about the Direct Provision system ........................................................................................ 98 15. GRAPHIC ART, COMICS, AND ANIMATION Building awareness and developing critical literacy through visual culture ................................... 103 16. ‘NAMING THE UNNAMEABLE’ Poetry and Creative Writing for Social Justice ................................................................................. 118 17. PHOTOGRAPHY Seeing the world ‘Through Refugee Eyes’ ......................................................................................... 132 18. FLAGS BEYOND BORDERS Visual Arts/Design activity ................................................................................................................... 143 19. TAKING ACTION Examples and ideas for student-led solidarity action ........................................................................ 145 INTRODUCTION This resource has been written in the context of a profound humanitarian crisis. In June 2018, the UNHCR released figures showing an increase of 2.9 million people who had been forced to flee their country to find safety – the biggest rise in a single year in the history of the organisation. The report also revealed that while the vast majority have taken refuge in neighbouring states, like Uganda, Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan and Bangladesh, only 100,000 were resettled in wealthier countries of the Global North, a drop of 40%. How do we, as educators, respond to this? This pack aims to provide a range of creative and active learning methodologies for teachers wishing to explore some of the complex and heartrending issues around refuge and forced migration with students. We acknowledge that these issues are difficult and may be contentious, and that sensitivity is required when using them in the classroom, or in any educational context. However, we are also working from a sense of urgency and solidarity, and a belief that ignorance and silence are not valid options in the face of such a crisis. The pack contains some background information and a selection of activities that reflect our commitment to the use of participatory and creative approaches to help engage young people with these complex and sensitive subjects. We have attempted to provide a balanced range of activities to explore these questions from Head, Heart and Hand perspectives, providing information to help combat myths and stereotypes and to deepen our understanding of the issues, as well as opportunities to explore some of the feelings and emotions that arise, and, crucially, to consider some solidarity actions that have been undertaken by students. It’s hoped that this resource will be useful for teachers new to Education for Global Citizenship/ Development Education, as well as those already deeply engaged with the issues. Irish Aid defines development education as, “an educational process aimed at increasing awareness and understanding of the rapidly changing, interdependent and unequal world in which we live. It seeks to engage people in analysis, reflection and action for local and global citizenship and participation by enabling learners to recognise the interconnected nature of their lives and the lives of people in the developing world.” [Irish Aid Development Education Strategy 2017 – 2023] Galway One World Centre defines Global Justice Education/Development Education as a process that • Addresses the root causes of global poverty, inequality, conflict, and sustainability issues • Assumes a level of interconnectedness – and therefore involves an analysis of power • Builds critical awareness, recognising and learning from diverse voices and forms of knowledge • Encourages informed solidarity action 6 BEYOND