Teach GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP Network Newsletter no. 19
”I am your friend” project: An
inspiring example of welcoming refugee children
Refugee children, especially from Syria, who have arrived recently in
Western countries are striving to become integrated into local schools and
neighborhoods. Their experience with terrors of war while fleeing their
country, however, is, unfamiliar to their new hosts, except through media
reports.
Following is an inspiring example of an educational initiative being
used to inform local children about the realities of war and refugee-situations
for newly arriving children. The activities are enabling local children to
develop a welcoming attitude to refugee children - while helping them overcome
their traumas:
“I am Your Friend!”- Campaign
/ (in Danish: “#Jeg er din ven! – kampagnen”)
Students in 12 schools in Denmark have produced paintings as gifts to
children in Danish refugee centers. At
the end of each project week, the children hand over their pictures to groups
of refugee children. Before leaving for the centers however, all the children
are filmed while showing their art and shouting loudly, ”I am your friend” (see
photo below), which is also the title of this project. This occasion is
videotaped at each school, as shown at the Facebook-page:
 |
|
School children showing their
artworks while shouting “I am your friend!”
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Hanna Sleman, a Dane with Syrian roots, took the initiative. She says to
our local weekly newspaper:
” Children have a huge need to
know and understand what goes on in the world.
It is very difficult for children
to talk about such complicated topic as war and refugees, and there is not much
time to do this in schools.
I contacted the Danish Red
Cross when I got the idea to the “I am Your Friend!”-campaign in order to find
out if they would open the refugee-centers so children could meet each other,
and they were ready right away”
Since September 2015, Hanna Sleman has taken this project to 12 schools.
Her working time and all art materials have been sponsored by her place of
work, Lekolar-Leika, which is a Scandinavian provider of materials for
children´s activities. The 12th school is the final one right now,
but she says that she hopes the campaign will go on because there is such a
great need for this kind of activity. The project was implemented with children
from second grade through ninth grades.
The starting point at each school project has been the thoughts and many
questions from the Danish children, which have been addressed by Hanne Selman
and other visitors. Next, the children develop ideas on how to welcome the
refugee children to Denmark by paintings that are understood across language
and cultural barriers.
Examples of childrens´ art
gifts
In the photo below, the boy to the right explained to the reporter from
our local paper: “The boy is welcomed by two children as well as an elk!”
Meanwhile, the girl to the far left, Caroline, has painted a girl who
hands a flower to a boy while the sun is shining and the national flag is at
full mast. She explained, “The boy gets the flower, because he has fled, and
the flag means “Welcome!”
Left of center, Sebastian looks forward to handing over his painting of
a clown: “When you see a clown, it makes you happy, because a clown is funny.
If you are afraid of something, then just look at my painting!”
Parents of the children have followed the projects with great interest,
and they have been able to see the results on …
- Facebook: Jeg er din ven (community) https://www.facebook.com/jegerdinven
- Videos on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jegerdinven/videos
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/jeg_er_din_ven/
… which you may do, too. The two sites are in Danish, but the video and
photo content is easily assessable to everyone.
Here is a link to morning news in Danish TV: “They send mowing drawings
to refugee children: We want to be friends”. The initiator & 2 students are
being interviewed in Danish. (07.20.2015)(video)
Translation of the 4-page campaign
presentation folder from Danish
Page 1:
#I AM YOUR FRIEND
Link to the Danish version, front page: (jeg_er_din_ven,
Instagram)
------------------------------------------
Campaign folder, page 2:
– about children embracing children, which they just are so good at. The
aim of #Jeg er din ven is to send loving,
encouraging thoughts from Danish children to children who are fleeing from war.
In this way Danish children are able to spread joy to refugee children while
they put into words some of the thoughts and feelings that the war awakens in
them.
Twelve schools will get the opportunity to participate in the campaign,
and these schools will receive guidelines for preparing “art gifts”. The
overall theme of the art gift is friendship, sympathy, and joy. Through images,
language, and colors, each student will
develop his or her artwork, e.g., in the form of a painting or poem.
Each artwork will subsequently be donated to and exhibited for war-traumatized
children in selected asylum centers in Denmark. From child to child, children
will learn they can help make a difference: A difference that will provide joy
for “war-children” as well as “peace-children”.
Children are the worst victims
of war
Children who flee from war are deeply traumatized and in need of love,
encouragement, and friendships. They arrive here with cruel memories and
experiences. Danish children may help them calm their state of mind.
#Jeg er din ven also focuses on Danish
children. Lately, the war has moved closer, and children have no doubt seen or
heard about wars in other countries – either on TV, social media or because
adults talk about it. Children are by nature very empathetic, and it affects
them to know that children (especially) are suffering.
This campaign may be used to inform children about war and answer
questions while at the same providing opportunities to formulate in words and
express in actions the emotions it arouses in them.”
--------------------------------------
Link to the Danish version, campaign folder page 2: (jeg_er_din_ven,
Instagram)
Campaign folder, page 3:
War is a difficult and - for many people - an abstract topic. Therefore
it may be nice to paint or write about your feelings. A kind of therapy, #I am
your friend, may make a difference for peace-children as well as war-children.”
About the Initiator
“My name is Hanna and I am Syrian. Syria is a matter near to my heart,
and which I am passionate about. Like many other people I cherish great hopes
that there will be a solution to this humanitarian disaster.
Furthermore, I am a mother and I work at Lekolar-Leika This means, that
I am in every way passionate and focused on children and well-being – childrens
need of security, learning, joy creativity, activity, and friendships.
I have taken the initiative to develop this campaign, with support from
my employer Lekolar-Leika, because I see a fantastic opportunity: We are able
to create the preconditions for the above mentioned for Danish as well as
refugee children. THE NEED IS REAL.”
………………………………
Sherin Kankan, leader of
“Exitcirklen – Nej til psykisk vold”:
“The campaign #Jeg er din ven contains elements of
cognitive therapy as the project focuses on the links between children´s
thoughts, feelings, behavior, and physiology.
Children transform their thoughts, emotions and bodily sensations into
action. The process of shaping and creating art for refugee children is a
fantastic way to restructure children´s anxious thoughts, feelings, and bodily
sensations of war into something positive.
The campaign gives knowledge about a complicated topic and may help to
restructure something violent and negative to something positive. The campaign
builds a bridge between cultures and religions and is based on social
solidarity, trust, and friendship between children.”
Link to the Danish version, campaign folder page 3: (jeg_er_din_ven,
Instagram)
---------------------------------
Campaign folder page 4:
Anna Prip. Social educator,
trauma & family therapist:
“To create something creative is one of the ways children express their
love. We know it as grown ups: When we are in contact with children, then they
generously give away drawings etc.
Children, who have been subjected to shocking and dramatic events, may
need to process the violent impressions, so they restore their autonomy and
sense of mastering life little by little.
They need to know at the same time, that they are connected to someone,
who wishes them well. This helps them to rediscover calmness.
When children experience that others suffer, then they react naturally
by wanting to give care. If this is not possible, then they suffer, too. Actually, this is a known method of torture
to let children attend that other people are being exposed to violent acts
without being able to help. It may create a sense of powerlessness that is so
pervasive that they can become depressed, react with aggressive behavior or it
may affect the child’s development. Some of the refugee children that come to
Denmark have that kind of experiences. And some Danish children have seen and
heard media news, which they have found it difficult to react to.
#Jeg er din ven is a unique opportunity to
combine creative expression with a basic sense of cohesion, which calms the
autonomic nervous system. Thus all participants’ moves on after being
strengthened and enriched. Change in children is best created in communities of
children that are grounded in creativity and kindness.”
Contact & information for
those of you who consider doing something like this
The project guidelines for preparing “art gifts” will be available in
English as well as Danish.
Further resources on children
and traumatic experiences
- “Talk to your kids about refugees”
Five pieces of
advice from Danish Red Barnet (Save the Children):
Talk to your kids about TV-time
Listen attentively to your kids
Give children reassurance
Be open
Let the children help
Source: In
Danish: “Tal med dit barn om flygtningenes situation” (article, website)
“How to talk to your kids
about refugees”
In this Time article the focus is differentiated: There´s advice on how
to talk to elementary age kids, middle school kids and high school students.
Finally, it´s emphasized that “… at all ages, perhaps the most
important thing a family or child can do is to make friends with refugees—the
best way to both learn, and give something of ourselves.”
Link (article,
website)
Talk about it... with every child: - a book about anxiety, depression,
stress and trauma
See page 18-19 on traumas in this
extract:
English version: (amazon.com)
German version: “Was ist bloß mit
Mama los?: Wenn Eltern in seelische Krisen geraten. Mit Kindern über Angst,
Depression, Stress und Trauma sprechen”
Link: (amazon.com)
Danish version: “Snak om det … med
alle børn”
Uddrag, focus på traumer på side
18-19 (uddrag.pdf)
Psychological first aid: Guide for
field workers
This guide from “World Health Organization” “…
covers
psychological first aid which involves humane, supportive and practical help to
fellow human beings suffering serious crisis events. It is written for people in a position to help others
who have experienced an extremely distressing event. It gives a
framework for supporting people in ways that respect their dignity, culture and
abilities.”
Download the guide and choose between
17 languages: (64 pages, pdf)
………………………….
Last words
We live in times of migration, and there´s more refugees in the world
than ever since The Second World War. Our children, our societies and we have
to develop new and respectful ways to deal with this now and in the future.
All links were retrieved January 2016
______________________________________________________________________
Teach GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP network
newsletter no. 19
To read any
of the previous 18 newsletters/ simply visit the blog (link) or click below.
The content is thematic introductions
& curated learning possibilities.
January 2016,
Copenhagen, Denmark
Egon
Hedegaard
Email: eghedegaard@gmail.com
_____________________________________________________________________
Everyone,
who is engaged in developing global citizenship, is welcome to receive these
newsletters/ teaching resources. Please request via email, and network by
forwarding me questions, inspiring links, and texts to use in future
newsletters.
Overview of all “Teach Global Citizenship” Thematic Introductions &
Curated Learning Possibilities:
No. 17: How Many Slaves Work for You? click
No. 16: Who Makes our Clothes so Inexpensive? click
No. 15: A Language Dies Every 14 days click
No. 14: On Life in Slums click
No. 13: Up-to-date African Perspectives click
No. 12: See “Where Children
Sleep”, What´s Your Thoughts? click
No. 11: What is Good “Citizenship Education” Today? click
No 10: Place-Based Education Projects as Part of Global Engagement click
No. 9: ‘The third Planet from the Sun’ – a Global Dimension Case click
No. 8: Use School Partnerships to ELL,
IT-learning & Competences of Intercultural Citizenship click
No. 7: “You´re Either Part of the Solution or
Part of the Problem” (On genocide / folkedrab) click
No. 5: Human Rights Education click
No. 4: Practicing Global Citizenship
Education for Students Aged 3 to 19 click
No. 3: Global Perspectives in
Challenging Ways of Learning from Kindergarten to High School click
No. 2: Why Poverty? click
No. 1: Introduction & How to
Play an Active Role in Local & Global Society click
I offer lectures and half-day professional development courses on all of
these themes in English as well as Danish
