The day the Berlin Wall came down – children’s mediation of the news

On November 9th 1989, an email message arrived at the Tynings primary school in Bristol,UK. It was from a 9 year old  girl living in East Germany who daily had to travel through the checkpoints to get to school in West Berlin. She was complaining to her ‘friends’ in Bristol that it took so long to reach school because of the crowds trying to get through the checkpoints.

Berlin checkpoint

This is how the Bristol children, and their parents, learned about the reality behind the news that would later unfold before their eyes.

Before and after the fall of the wall

During the next few days, the ’spark’ of the email message from their friend in East Berlin set off another ‘chain reaction’ of interest in the news by the children in Bristol. Their teacher , Keith Johnson, did not have to find ways of interesting the children in learning about what is going on in the world,they were ravenous to find out why the news did not provide ‘a child’s view’ of the world. They had some knowledge of European  cities, from curriculum topics, and something about history and Germany (of course an anglo-centric view based on stories of WWII), but these topics never excited them or developed the enthusiasm that was apparent now, and Keith was a great teacher.

What was to unfold during the next few days was even more momentous, to Europe and the World, but it was happening in the classroom in Bristol.

Keith wondered why anyone would want to send the school a piece of drainpipe!

On opening the ‘parcel’, pieces of concrete dropped out of the pipe and with it, a large poster. Of course the concrete was painted and was in fact  a part of the broken Berlin Wall. The poster was a carefully drawn picture of the Brandenburg Gate with comments, ‘graffiti’ , by the children in the school in Berlin.

As the Bristol children saw the pictures on television of people breaking down the wall they could actually handle pieces of the wall and read the comments made by the children in Berlin. A wonderful way to learn about the world, the news , differing perspectives, media bias and history in the making!

More news breaking – Finland and Bristol 1986

On the same theme, children’s understanding and mediation of the news, 3 years earlier in April 1986, I, (as a Bristol primary school teacher!) also received an email message, addressed to the children of my class. It was from a school in Finland with which we had been corresponding, finding out about reindeer and life in the Arctic. This time the message was a bit more serious, but curious. The children were saying that birds had been dropping out of the sky on to their school. They did not know why.

Later we found out about the  tremendous explosion at a huge nuclear power plant, followed by a gradual meltdown of the reactor No. 4. in Chernobyl, in the Ukraine. Of course we were ahead of the news because the explosion was kept a secret for some time.

As was stated in the Times (May3rd 1986) “In matters nuclear, one thing is certain: there is no protection in an iron curtain”.

Aerial view of Reactor no4 ,Chernobyl nuclear power pant,1986

The nuclear fallout which was to cover much of Europe and even effect sheep farming in North Wales, had hit the birds in Finland and this was one of the first signs of the large scale effects of the explosion.

As a teacher,like Keith, I did not have to develop a lesson plan on environmental issues or understanding the media, or geography, or politics or health education…the children were diving in to the atlas, reading ,listening and watching the news  and asking all sorts of questions of their friends in Finland.

remains of Kindergarten in abandoned village,near Chernobyl

My students wanted to design a newspaper of their own so that they could express what they have been finding out and to report on something that was really ‘breaking ‘ news. As a teacher, you can only marvel at the depth of understanding, cooperation and motivation to learn, from children as they find their area of interest.

By the end of the week we had our newspaper, every child had participated, some had been journalists, some designers, some graphic artists, some sub editors and editors (suddenly there was a real reason to look up a dictionary,check spelling and punctuation, and measure distances on a map!). Their enthusiasm was infectious  – the whole school was now interested to follow the news, know about Finland and the Ukraine, about nuclear contamination, about children and cancer and much more. Of course their parents were also ‘educated’ about new aspects of the news.

Monument in Chernobyl to those killed during the ‘close down’ of nuclear reactor No 4 Chernobyl.

after treatment ,Ukraine 1997

I am sure those students from my class, 23 years on , with children of their own, still watch the news of children in the Ukraine suffering from Leukemia and other cancers , and think to themselves that they know the real story behind these devastating stories.

Kesmia and her doll 2005

School Links International was a Bristol based project, started in 1985, linking primary schools in the Avon area and the rest of the world, to counter prejudice, increase international understanding, and to develop environmental awareness and action.

Article 13 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child states:

1. The child shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of the child’s choice.

Human Rights Education – Crimes of War

Demobilised Child Soldiers DRC. Time

 

We have a duty to build capacity in people so that they know what their basic human rights are, how to find support for protection of these rights and to understand how they can take action to protect other people’s human rights.

 

Check out UNICEF’s Voice of Youth site for more information about children’s rights.

Unicef -Sudan

 

Instead of heeding lessons of the past, we seem to be reading more and more in the news about child soldiers, sexual violence being perpetrated as a weapon of war, civilians being injured, tortured, killed as a way of ‘undermining governments’ policies’ and as a general threat to innocent civilians. This is also in the context of a wide availability of more sophisticated weapons in the poorest of countries and a general plundering of natural resources , particularly minerals such as diamonds leading to a wider range of conflicts.

 

UNICEF

 

The next generation will already be receiving this situation, handed down by their parents -education of the next two generations is necessary to get a real change in attitudes and behaviour and and for all children , no matter where they live, have their basic rights protected and enforced.

The text below comes from  the HREA Quarterly Newsletter (  July-September 2009)

The Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE/ODIHR), the Council of Europe, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) have jointly published Human Rights Education in the School Systems of Europe, Central Asia and North America: A Compendium of Good Practice. HREA was retained to develop the Compendium under the guidance of these partners.

Designed for primary and secondary schools, teacher training institutions and other learning settings, the new tool, which collects 101 exemplary practices from Central Asia, Europe and North America, is a valuable resource for teachers and education policymakers.

It provides resource materials relevant to key elements for successful human rights education, including 1) laws, guidelines and standards; 2) learning environment; 3) teaching and learning tools; 4) professional development for educators, and 5) evaluation.

The collection demonstrates creative approaches to human rights education and aims to facilitate networking and exchange of experience among education professionals. The practices can be adapted to local conditions anywhere in the world.

Below is an example of a good practice included in the Compendium:

Crimes of War – What the Public Should Know: Educator’s Guide

Intended Audience: Upper secondary school and university students (ages 16-22) and their teachers.

Purpose: The Educator’s Guide was developed to make the reality of war crimes more accessible to youth, young adults and future decision makers in a classroom learning environment.

The assumption is that if students and their teachers know the depth of the horrors of war – the same wars that are often described in mainstream media as “precise”, “modern”, or “just” – they would take a more active role in deciding when, where and why to go to war, and in influencing the way those wars are fought.

Description: The Educator’s Guide accompanies the second edition of Crimes of War: What the Public Should Know, composed of case studies written by prominent field journalists. The Educator’s Guide was developed in co-operation with the Crimes of War Project (publisher of the second edition) and the United States Institute of Peace.

In the Educator’s Guide, there are eight thematic chapters: weapons, violence against civilians, child soldiers, sexual violence, terrorism and torture, genocide, international courts and tribunals, and humanitarian intervention. Each of the thematic chapters is linked to case studies contained in the second edition of Crimes of War, as well as United States national education standards. The chapters include the following elements:
• an essential question;
• learning objectives;
• methodology;
• background information on the theme;
• discussion questions (organized from simplest to most complex);
• extension activities (that can be used for additional class work or homework);
• ways that learners can take action; and
• additional film, Web and print resources for the classroom.

In addition to thematic, case study chapters, the Educator’s Guide contains a Glossary of Terms and a “Background and Key Concepts” section that presents the history of international humanitarian law and key concepts of the Geneva Conventions and its Additional Protocols.

Child Soldiers.Uganda.Amnesty International

In order to strengthen students’ sense that they can do something positive in addressing crimes of war, each chapter provides an “action” section with practical activities, such as participating in awareness raising and action campaigns. Furthermore, two of the chapters address justice mechanisms for addressing crimes of war: courts and humanitarian intervention.

Strengths: The Educator’s Guide supports educators in addressing the themes of crimes of war and international humanitarian law, which are rarely addressed in school settings. While making use of journalistic case studies to engage students, the lessons also provide historical and technical backgrounds necessary for understanding the themes.

The resource is designed for flexible use by teachers. For each thematic issue, educators can choose from a range of related case studies in the second edition of Crimes of War. The discussion questions are organised from simplest to most complex thinking so that those most suitable for the students can be selected. The reference section of each chapter links teachers with original sources and multi-media tools that can be used to enhance the lesson.

Child Soldiers.Uganda. Amnesty International

Adaptability: The Educator’s Guide is intended for use in cross-national settings and was written to be culturally nonspecific, with regional examples from Europe, Africa and Asia. The second edition of Crimes of War is available in English and Arabic, and a French edition, as well as additional translations, are forthcoming.

Availability: The Educator’s Guide can be downloaded at http://www.hrea.org/crimesofwar. Two sample chapters, “Weapons” and “Violence Against Civilians: Sieges and Sanctions”, are included in the Compendium Annex. The main text, Crimes of War: What the Public Should Know (second edition), can be found on-line in English and Arabic at http://www.crimesofwar.org/thebook/book.html.

 

E-learning  – online capacity building

HREA is offering fourteen e-learning courses in the first trimester of 2010 (1 February-20 April), including courses on child rights programming, gender mainstreaming, human rights-based programming, human rights litigation, human rights of migrants and migrant workers, introduction to human rights education, monitoring children’s rights (in French), national human rights institutions, and the UN Human Rights Council. Find out more about these and other upcoming e-learning opportunities.

Rights of the Child -more free resources

Following on from the last post on non-discrimination and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Human Rights Education Association (HREA) have listed some new resources in their newsletter.

* Children’s rights: A series of lesson plans for children ages 8-10 (Oxfam GB, n.p., n.d.). Language(s): English. Keywords: lesson plan(s), primary school, children’s rights, Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), England, Scotland, Wales. URL:http://www.hrea.org/index.php?base_id=104&language_id=1&erc_doc_id=5115&category_id=5&category_type=3

* Developing rights: A resources for exploring rights around the world for ages 11-14 (Oxfam GB, n.p., n.d.). Language(s): English. Keywords: reference, students, youth, secondary school, children’s rights, right to development, right to education, African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), England, Ethiopia, Lebanon, Scotland, South Africa, Wales. URL: http://www.hrea.org/index.php?base_id=104&language_id=1&erc_doc_id=5114&category_id=6&category_type=3

* Doorways I: Student Training Manual on School-Related Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Response(Washington, DC: USAID, 2009). Language(s): English. Keywords: training manual, students, formal education, secondary school, children’s rights, sexual violence, violence against women, Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), Universal Declaration of
Human Rights (UDHR). URL: http://www.hrea.org/index.php?base_id=104&language_id=1&erc_doc_id=5083&category_id=18&category_type=3

* Doorways II: Community Counselor Reference Materials (Washington, DC: USAID, 2009). Language(s): English. Keywords: reference, community leaders, social workers, non-formal education, training of professional groups, children’s rights, sexual violence, violence against women, Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). URL:http://www.hrea.org/index.php?base_id=104&language_id=1&erc_doc_id=5086&category_id=20&category_type=3

* Doorways II: Community Counselor Training Materials on School-Related Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Response (Washington, DC: USAID, 2009). Language(s): English. Keywords:
training manual, community leaders, social workers, non-formal education, training of professional groups, children’s rights, sexual violence, violence against women, Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). URL:http://www.hrea.org/index.php?base_id=104&language_id=1&erc_doc_id=5085&category_id=20&category_type=3

* Education for Citizenship in the Caribbean. A study on curricular policy and teacher training in Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican Republic by Cheila Valera Acosta (Santo Domingo: UNESCO-Internactional Bureau of Education (IBE) and Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias (FLACSO), 2005). Language(s): English, Spanish. Keywords: research study, policy makers, teachers, trainers, formal education, in-service training, pre-service training, teacher training, citizenship education, civic education, education for democratic citizenship, research & evaluation, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti. URL:
http://www.hrea.org/index.php?base_id=104&language_id=1&erc_doc_id=5209&category_id=4&category_type=3

* See Me, Hear Me – A guide to using the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to promote the rights of children by Gerison Lansdown (London: Save the Children, 2009). Language(s): English. Keywords: guide, human rights monitors, NGO staff, training of professional groups, children’s rights, rights of persons with disabilities, Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). URL:
http://www.hrea.org/index.php?base_id=104&language_id=1&erc_doc_id=5116&category_id=21&category_type=3

Apart from the monthly newsletter the HREA website has a range of resources such as thos on the rights to education:

	Right to education
	Developing rights: A resources for exploring rights around the world for ages 11-14 (Oxfam GB). Language(s): English.   A Budget Guide for Civil Society Organisations Working in Education (Victoria Perry, n.p.). Language(s): English. Education Rights: A Guide for Practitioners and Activists (Kate Newman, Johannesburg, 2007). Language(s): English, Spanish. Your Right to Education: A Handbook for Refugees and Displaced Communities (Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children, New York, 2007). Language(s): English, French, Arabic. Minimum Standards for Education in Emergencies, Chronic Crises and Early Reconstruction (Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE), Paris, 2004). Language(s): English. Working with the Media on Gender and Education: A Guide for Training and Planning (Amy North, David Aduda, Andiwo Obondoh, Lutfer Rahman and Shamima Pervin). Language(s): English. Working with the Media on Gender and Education: A Guide for Training and Planning (Amy North with David Aduda, Andiwo Obondoh, Lutfer Rahman and Shamima Pervin, 2007). Language(s): English. A Human Rights-Based Approach to Education for All (UNESCO and UNICEF, New York/Paris, 2007). Language(s): English. Human Rights. YES!: Action and Advocacy on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Janet E. Lord, Katherine N. Guernsey, Joelle M. Balfe and Valerie L. Karr, Minneapolis, 2007). Language(s): English. Human Rights Education in Asian Schools, Volume Six (Asia-Pacific Human Rights Information Center, Osaka, 2003).Language(s): English. The State of the Right to Education Worldwide. Free or Fee: 2006 Global Report (Katarina Tomaševski, Copenhagen, 2006). Language(s): English. ECRI General Policy Recommendation N°10 on combating racism and racial discrimination in and through school (European Commission against Racism and Intolerance, Strasbourg, 2007). Language(s): English, French. Rights-based Education in Cambodia. Final Report of the National Consultative Meeting on Rights-based Education in Cambodia (Farice Quinio, Phnom Penh, 2005). Language(s): English. Education as an intervention strategy to eliminate and prevent child labour: Consolidated Good Practices of the International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) (Geneva, 2006). Language(s): English. Human Rights Education as Part of the Peace Process in Northern Ireland (Ulrike Niens, Jackie Reilly, Alan Smith, Bielefeld, 2006). Language(s): English. International humanitarian law and basic education (Sobhi Tawil, Geneva, 2000). Language(s): English. Rights-Based Approach to Development Programming: Training Manual (Manilla, 2002). Language(s): English. Stealing the Future – Corruption in the Classroom: Ten Real World Experiences (Transparency International, Berlin, 2005).Language(s): English. Human rights in education as prerequisite for human rights education (K. Tomaševski, Lund, 2001). Language(s): English. Preventing Corruption in the Education System: A Practical Guide (Katharina L. Ochse, Eschborn, 2004). Language(s):   We still have a long way to go in terms of application of the CRC across the globe , but these and other resources can help to simplify the complexity.

Convention on the Rights of the Child -a guide to non-discrimination.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is a beautiful piece of legislation…however, when in the field you understand how difficult it is to realise the goals of the CRC  in practical terms. Many laws and constitutions have to be re-written or amended to allow for children to have basic rights.

Teachers and other educators should have the CRC as the basis on which to build relationships with their students. However, at present, it would be hard to find overt recognition of the CRC in any teacher training curriculum in the world.

The CRIN has been working hard not only to document abuses of the CRC but also to find ways to interpret the CRC in terms of practical use in the variety of contexts in which it should be used. First, a description of the CRC for those who are not cognizant of the Convention and secondly specific reference to a new guide to  non-discrimination. Download in pdf

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, often referred to as CRC or UNCRC, is an international convention setting out the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of children. Nations that ratify this international convention are bound to it by international law. Compliance is monitored by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child which is composed of members from countries around the world. Once a year, the Committee submits a report to the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly, which also hears a statement from the CRC Chair, and the Assembly adopts a Resolution on the Rights of the Child.

Governments of countries that have ratified the Convention are required to report to, and appear before, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child periodically to be examined on their progress with regards to the advancement of the implementation of the Convention and the status of child rights in their country. Their reports and the committee’s written views and concerns are available on the committee’s website.

The United Nations General Assembly adopted the Convention and opened it for signature on 20 November 1989 (the 30th anniversary of its Declaration of the Rights of the Child).^[5] It came into force on 2 September 1990, after it was ratified by the required number of nations. As of December 2008, 193 countries have ratified it,^[1] including every member of the United Nations except the United States and Somalia.^[4][6]

Two optional protocols were adopted on 25 May 2000. The first restricts the involvement of children in military conflicts, and the second prohibits the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography. Both protocols have been ratified by more than 120 states.^[7][8]

The Convention generally defines a child as any human being under the age of 18, unless an earlier age of majority is recognized by a country’s law.(ref wikipedia)

Introduction to discrimination

Children’s rights are violated or left unfulfilled in ways in which those of adults are not. This is a result of systemic discrimination – direct or indirect – against children.

Children face discrimination in most societies in comparison to adults because they have less power. This is a result of children’s dependence on adults and adults’ reluctance to give them more decision-making power as they develop the ability to exercise it themselves.

Besides experiencing discrimination as a group (or ‘age-based discrimination’), children face discrimination on other grounds such as their gender, disability, or sexual orientation, and sometimes because of a combination of reasons. The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has so far identified 53 grounds of discrimination against children based either on their identity or the identity of their parents.

All forms of discrimination against children are exacerbated by virtue of their age and vulnerability which mean they have fewer opportunities for challenging discrimination because, for example, they do not have access to courts and complaints mechanisms on an equal basis with adults.

This document (Download in pdf ) aims to highlight the links between discrimination and the lack of fulfilment of children’s rights. It shows how article 2 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child – the right to non-discrimination – could be applied to every right as set out in the Convention. Each article includes examples both of discrimination against children as a group and against particular children.