Lesson 9: Building a Better World Learning objectives To learn about how some Welsh men and women have worked for a better world To consider the challenges they faced, and how they overcame them To discuss what young people can do to make a positive change today – and take an action forward Introduction for teachers Wales isn’t short of people who have worked for positive change. Going back to the 19th century, the Rvd Henry Richard, MP for Tregaron, Cardiganshire, was partly responsible for securing recognition for the principle of arbitration (discussion or negotiation between groups or countries) rather than military conflict in the case of international disputes. We have already mentioned David Davies, Llandinam (see Lesson 1) who spent much of his life working for the establishment of an international organisation that would promote and maintain world peace. Other social reformers include the Welsh politician Aneurin Bevan, who was responsible for the creation of the National Health Service. Malala Yousafzai is an example of a young person who has successfully campaigned for change. (See Lesson 3). Social change is perhaps more often brought about by group action or pressure. Examples in Wales are the Anti-apartheid movement (see: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/wales-role-ending-apartheid- recorded-4803372) and the Greenham Common women’s peace march (see: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-14693265.) Campaigns like these can be unpopular and often face opposition. What inspires people to work towards a goal, even though they may suffer ridicule, opposition and even arrest? Once students have considered some examples, encourage them to think of how young people can make a difference today. What do students feel strongly about, and what are they willing to do to help bring about positive change? Building a Better World KS3: It is suggested that students look at the stories given in the resources at the end of this pack. Ask students to read the stories, and make a list of the challenges these individuals faced, and how they overcame them. KS4: Divide the class into two groups, one to look at the story of the anti-apartheid movement in Wales, and one to look at the story of the involvement of Welsh women in the Greenham Common camp. Ask the students to read the accounts and make a note of the challenges these groups faced, what tactics they used, and what they achieved. Response activities Class discussion: 1. What can we learn from these stories? 2. How did these people / groups respond to challenges? 3. What were they aiming to achieve, and to what extent were they successful? Follow-up activity: One of the ways that young people can work towards creating a peaceful society here in Wales and beyond is by learning about and contributing towards the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 1. Introduce the SDGs by looking at this film: (https://vimeo.com/138852758) 2. In groups of 6 - 10, ask students to look at the SDGs ( see: http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/library/corporate/brochure/SDGs_Booklet_Web_ En.pdf ), to agree which ones they think are the most important, and to rank them in order of importance, using the diamond-ranking method. It is important that students really discuss the pros and cons of putting certain goals further up their ranking system than others, and try to come to a group decision / consensus. 3. Ask the groups to feed back from their discussions, explaining their ranking order and their rationale at reaching those conclusions. Can the class decide on certain goals as the most important ones? 4. Now ask the students to brainstorm their ideas as to how young people in their school can contribute towards achieving these goals. 5. Ask groups to work on a plan to present to the school’s Senior Management Team, to include some whole-school activities and scope for students of different ages and interests to contribute individual or group projects to contribute towards the SDGs. The Big Question: a topic / topics for class discussion What can young people do to help bring about a more peaceful and sustainable world? 1. Using an Agree / Disagree Values Continuum, discuss the following statement: Young people can’t do anything. We can’t even vote! 2. In groups, brainstorm what students can do to create a more peaceful and sustainable environment in their school / community. Related resources The World’s Largest Lesson: http://worldslargestlesson.globalgoals.org/ Accompanying Resources Lesson 9: Building a Better World KS3: People who changed the world Read the examples below of people who made a difference. What did they achieve and how? John Simpson Kirkpatrick Born in South Shields in North East England, Jack Simpson Kirkpatrick was accepted into the Australian army on 23rd August 1914, and chosen as a field ambulance stretcher bearer. On the 25th April 1915 he, along with the rest of the Australian and New Zealand contingent landed at the wrong beach on a piece of wild, impossible and savage terrain now known as Anzac Cove on the Gallipoli peninsula. Attack and counter attack began. During the morning hours of April 26th, along with his fellows, Jack was carrying casualties back to the beach over his shoulder – it was then that he saw the donkey. Jack knew what he had to do. From then on he became a part of the scene at Gallipoli walking along next to his donkey, forever singing and whistling as he held on to his wounded passengers, seemingly completely fatalistic and scornful of the extreme danger. He led a charmed life from 25th April 1915 until he was hit by a machine gun bullet in his back on 19th May 1915. In these amazing 24 days he was to rescue over 300 men down the notorious Monash Valley. His prodigious, heroic feat was accomplished under constant and ferocious attack from artillery, field guns and sniper fire. He has been described as “the most respected and admired of all the heroes at Anzac.” Georg Ferdinand Duckwitz George Ferdinand Duckwitz was a member of the German forces during World War II. On 11 September 1943 he heard about the intended round-up of all Danish Jews on 1 October. He travelled to Berlin to attempt stopping the deportation through official channels. When that failed he flew to Stockholm two weeks later, ostensibly to discuss the passage of German merchant ships. While there, he contacted Prime Minister Per Albin Hansson and asked whether Sweden would be willing to receive Danish Jewish refugees. In a couple of days, Hansson promised them a favourable reception. Back in Denmark, Duckwitz contacted Danish social democrat Hans Hedtoft and notified him of the intended deportation. Hedtoft warned the head of the Jewish community C.B. Henriques and the acting chief rabbi Marcus Melchior, who spread the warning. Sympathetic Danes in all walks of life organized a mass escape of over 7,200 Jews and 700 of their non- Jewish relatives by sea to Sweden. Duckwitz, apparently assuming that he had done everything he could and possibly fearing exposure to the Gestapo, went back to his official duties. Rosa Parks On December 1, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks, a 42- year old African- American seamstress and civil rights activist quietly yet firmly refused to obey the bus driver's order to give up her seat in the coloured section to a white passenger, after the white section was filled. She was arrested and convicted of violating the laws of segregation, known as “Jim Crow laws” . Mrs. Parks appealed against her conviction and thus formally challenged the legality of segregation. Rosa Parks' act of defiance and the following Montgomery Bus Boycott which her act sparked off became important symbols of the modern Civil Rights Movement. She organized and collaborated with civil rights leaders, including Martin Luther King, Jr. Malala Yousafzai Malala Yousafzai was born on July 12, 1997, in Mingora, Pakistan. She attended a school that her father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, had founded. After the Taliban began attacking girls' schools in Swat, Malala gave a speech in Peshawar, Pakistan, in September 2008. The title of her talk was, "How dare the Taliban take away my basic right to education?" In early 2009, Yousafzai began blogging for the BBC about living under the Taliban's threats to deny her an education. In order to hide her identity, she used the name Gul Makai. However, she was revealed to be the BBC blogger in December of that year. When she was 14, Malala and her family learned that the Taliban had issued a death threat against her. Though Malala was frightened for the safety of her father – an anti-Taliban activist – she and her family initially felt that the fundamentalist group would not actually harm a child. However, on October 9, 2012, on her way home from school, a man boarded the bus Malala was riding in and demanded to know which girl was Malala. When her friends looked toward Malala, her location was given away. The gunman fired at her, hitting Malala in the left side of her head; the bullet then traveled down her neck. Two other girls were also injured in the attack. Since recovering from her injury, Malala has become an international spokesperson for children’s right to education. She addressed the United Nations on this topic on her 16th birthday. In 2014 she won the Nobel Peace Prize. Questions to consider: 1. What were the challenges these people faced? 2. How did they overcome them? 3. What qualities would you say these people had? (e.g.