Imaginary journey
Duration
60min
Age Group
13 - 14
15 - 16
15 - 16
Objectives
Promotion of EU citizenship, EU and democratic values and human rights
Enhancement of empathy outside school (friends, family, strangers
Development of empathic behavior at school
Enhancement of empathy outside school (friends, family, strangers
Development of empathic behavior at school
Needed material
/
Emotional Intelligence Areas
Empathy
Description
Please describe the teaching source taking into consideration:
Context: There are no exact numbers of environmental refugees. There is no clear definition either, no legal clarification and no common statistical registration of any kind. It is most likely, that there is more than one reason why environmental refugees decide to leave their Homeland. Oftentimes those reasons do not fit into one category either. There is no clear dividing line between environmental and economic reasons, for example. Nevertheless, to get asylum in most countries of the world, both reasons are not enough. Environmental refugees are not recognized by the Geneva Convention and thus not protected by international laws. In addition, the Geneva Convention records only trans-border flight movements. However, most climate refugees are internal refugees, moving within their own country.
Aims: On the one hand, the activity helps the students to put themselves emotionally in the position of a refugee. They change perspective and get involved. On the other hand, they get to know the circumstances in which a flight can take place and learn more about the procedures of seeking asylum. They are able to analyse the consequences of political decisions.
Additional information:
• Before performing, it is necessary to inquire whether there is someone with a refugee background in the class. In this case, the workshop is NOT CARRIED OUT!
• Before the start, all participants should make it clear that if the visualization is for anyone emotionally overwhelmed, he or she may ‘exit’ at any time and read the description on the list (for this purpose you always make a few copies separately individual parts of the story).
• After the workshops, there should be a debate in small groups (if the group is large), this is how safe space is created.
• In the discussion, we show real numbers (your own country, the world) and discuss about reasons and impacts of migration.
Context: There are no exact numbers of environmental refugees. There is no clear definition either, no legal clarification and no common statistical registration of any kind. It is most likely, that there is more than one reason why environmental refugees decide to leave their Homeland. Oftentimes those reasons do not fit into one category either. There is no clear dividing line between environmental and economic reasons, for example. Nevertheless, to get asylum in most countries of the world, both reasons are not enough. Environmental refugees are not recognized by the Geneva Convention and thus not protected by international laws. In addition, the Geneva Convention records only trans-border flight movements. However, most climate refugees are internal refugees, moving within their own country.
Aims: On the one hand, the activity helps the students to put themselves emotionally in the position of a refugee. They change perspective and get involved. On the other hand, they get to know the circumstances in which a flight can take place and learn more about the procedures of seeking asylum. They are able to analyse the consequences of political decisions.
Additional information:
• Before performing, it is necessary to inquire whether there is someone with a refugee background in the class. In this case, the workshop is NOT CARRIED OUT!
• Before the start, all participants should make it clear that if the visualization is for anyone emotionally overwhelmed, he or she may ‘exit’ at any time and read the description on the list (for this purpose you always make a few copies separately individual parts of the story).
• After the workshops, there should be a debate in small groups (if the group is large), this is how safe space is created.
• In the discussion, we show real numbers (your own country, the world) and discuss about reasons and impacts of migration.
Lesson Plan
The students are asked to put themselves in the position of a refugee shortly before his/her escape. They should think about what they would do if they had to flee.
Step 1
Place the chairs in a circle. You invite participants on a special trip with the help of guided visualization. If they feel comfortable they close their eyes, breathe deeply and listen carefully.
Step 2
Read the text slowly and calmly. By creating time pressure (limiting time for answers) you intensify the feeling of urgency.
Imagine that in your country the consequences of climate change have been recorded and felt since many years. Only a few days ago, another flood hit your country. You know that the situation is not going to improve within the next years, it’ll rather get worse. Due to deteriorating and violent conditions more and more violent protests are taking place across the country. Often also armed protests which state fails to restrain and calm, occur. Many rebel groups feel that the government does not know how to take care for its citizens and is not up to the situation. Some are trying to take advantage of the situation for dominance in a particular area and thus take control of the natural resources that are located there. Airports are already closed, roads are becoming increasingly impassable and extremely dangerous. If you do not leave the country and you find another place to stay, you and your family can become a victim of the next floods that are announced in the next 12 hours or even victims of attacks by armed groups that are increasingly frequent and are getting closer to your place.
Your phone hasn't worked since the last flood. There is a great probability that the house you live in will collapse every time. The power grid is disconnected, as well as telephone connections and the internet. Most of the houses in your place are flooded or destroyed, many relatives and friends have already fled.
A friend of yours organizes escape from the country and tells you he has space only for three more people. You don't know much, only that you have to be at the parking space under the northern bridge at 10:15 pm. In the remaining time, you have to arrange everything for your departure.
2.1.
Think quickly and write on a piece of paper:
• Who do you run from home with?
• What do you take with you on the road? You can only take a small bag or a backpack because you don't know how you're going to travel, how long the trip will be and how long it will take carry luggage perhaps even on their own backs.
• You find out that a neighbour can do a phone call for you just before you leave. What else are you asking her to do?
You have 3 minutes!
__________________________________________
Close your eyes again and calm down. Listen carefully.
You have some money (your savings) but you can’t pick it up at the bank because banks are closed for several days. Your best friend gives you 3,000 euros in cash.
2.2.
Think quickly and write on a piece of paper:
• What would you use the money for:
• To pay a fine, you are sentenced to pay, in order to avoid trouble when leaving your country?
• For the group that organizes your flight, so the flight becomes safer?
• To buy some things?
• To organize a falsified second passport?
• Other…
You have 3 minutes!
__________________________________________
Close your eyes again and calm down. Listen carefully.
During the escape, you have to decide which country to go to, keep in mind you want to escape outside Europe. You can't go to Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada and Russia as these countries have already closed their borders to refugees.
Consider what you can tell the authorities in the country you are going to.
You have to give good enough reasons to be chosen or that the country accepts you and treats as a refugee. You realize this is a question of life or death. What to tell a stranger – a clerk worker, how to explain to him that you are afraid for your own life so that it is clear to him that you are a refuge and you have the right for the international protection or asylum.
2.3.
Consider and write on a piece of paper:
• The country you intend to escape to.
• Essential reasons affecting choice of country.
• Reasons for which you would be selected and considered as a refugee. Write them in form of a stories which will be a basis for your request for international protection in a foreign country.
You have 7 minutes!
__________________________________________
Close your eyes again and calm down. Listen carefully.
After a difficult and dangerous journey through the woods, rivers and other natural barriers, across national borders of more or less solidary countries you finally reach the goal. You are tired to death, scared, cold, hungry and thirsty. Some of your friends lost their family members.
2.4.
Think about how the residents of the country react to you there? How would you like them to react and respond?
You have 5 minutes.
After the visualization is completed, it is necessary to perform
activity for "exit" from the activity! It is best that the activity involves speaking and moving at the same time (to redirect thoughts and relax the body).
Step 3
Important part of the activity is debriefing. Here are some possible questions for discussion:
• Have you managed to get into the skin of a refugee?
• How did you feel during the exercise?
• How realistic you found your own escape preparation strategies?
• How would you spend the money you got from your best friend:
- To pay any penalty upon leaving countries or crossing other borders?
- For a group organizing an escape to be this one safer?
- To buy certain things?
- To obtain another counterfeit passport?
• What information did you have about opportunities to enter different countries and individual proceedings relating to obtaining asylum in different countries?
• What information did you have about the number and condition of refugees in different countries?
• Who or what was your source of information?
• How do you think you would be received by local population in the countries to which you would take refuge? What about the countries you’ve crossed? How would you like the people to respond to you?
• Do you think people from international humanitarian institutions, e.g.
• Red Cross, Red Crescent, IOM, UNCHR would be waiting for you there? What would you expect from these institutions?
• What kind of picture would local media paint about you and other refugees?
If there is the possibility to include reports from refugees in the evaluation, the imaginary situation can be transferred into reality.
Step 4
The teacher summarizes: A flight is not a voluntary action. However, the refugee makes his/her decision on his/her own and has to act tactically. All decisions involve positive consequences but there are also certain risks and endangerments. Every flight can be considered a life-threatening situation and, therefore, every flight cannot be recognized or measured by bureaucratic criteria, which tries to define the “real” from the “unreal” refugee.
In 2018, 50% of the worldwide refugees were children below the age of 18. (https://data.unicef.org/topic/child-migration-and-displacement/displacement/). Other relevant information you might find in the section “further documentation”.
Step 5
After the conversation (or during) you can have a look at the following:
• migration maps (http://metrocosm.com/global-immigration-map/)
• PHOTOS of the refugees bags
An emotionally powerful element is the display of photographs from the International Rescue Committee showing the contents of the refugees ’luggage. It is recommended to look at the background of the photo and the stories of the people from the photos (https://medium.com/uprooted/what-s-in-my-bag-758d435f6e62). Teacher only uses photos of people where their faces are not visible. Then he or she necessarily moves from encouraging empathy to activating individuals (trying to encourage moving from “guilt phase”)
• VIDEO: How can everything turn upside down in one year (movie Save Syria's Children) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihoYKUmJ4aU
Step 1
Place the chairs in a circle. You invite participants on a special trip with the help of guided visualization. If they feel comfortable they close their eyes, breathe deeply and listen carefully.
Step 2
Read the text slowly and calmly. By creating time pressure (limiting time for answers) you intensify the feeling of urgency.
Imagine that in your country the consequences of climate change have been recorded and felt since many years. Only a few days ago, another flood hit your country. You know that the situation is not going to improve within the next years, it’ll rather get worse. Due to deteriorating and violent conditions more and more violent protests are taking place across the country. Often also armed protests which state fails to restrain and calm, occur. Many rebel groups feel that the government does not know how to take care for its citizens and is not up to the situation. Some are trying to take advantage of the situation for dominance in a particular area and thus take control of the natural resources that are located there. Airports are already closed, roads are becoming increasingly impassable and extremely dangerous. If you do not leave the country and you find another place to stay, you and your family can become a victim of the next floods that are announced in the next 12 hours or even victims of attacks by armed groups that are increasingly frequent and are getting closer to your place.
Your phone hasn't worked since the last flood. There is a great probability that the house you live in will collapse every time. The power grid is disconnected, as well as telephone connections and the internet. Most of the houses in your place are flooded or destroyed, many relatives and friends have already fled.
A friend of yours organizes escape from the country and tells you he has space only for three more people. You don't know much, only that you have to be at the parking space under the northern bridge at 10:15 pm. In the remaining time, you have to arrange everything for your departure.
2.1.
Think quickly and write on a piece of paper:
• Who do you run from home with?
• What do you take with you on the road? You can only take a small bag or a backpack because you don't know how you're going to travel, how long the trip will be and how long it will take carry luggage perhaps even on their own backs.
• You find out that a neighbour can do a phone call for you just before you leave. What else are you asking her to do?
You have 3 minutes!
__________________________________________
Close your eyes again and calm down. Listen carefully.
You have some money (your savings) but you can’t pick it up at the bank because banks are closed for several days. Your best friend gives you 3,000 euros in cash.
2.2.
Think quickly and write on a piece of paper:
• What would you use the money for:
• To pay a fine, you are sentenced to pay, in order to avoid trouble when leaving your country?
• For the group that organizes your flight, so the flight becomes safer?
• To buy some things?
• To organize a falsified second passport?
• Other…
You have 3 minutes!
__________________________________________
Close your eyes again and calm down. Listen carefully.
During the escape, you have to decide which country to go to, keep in mind you want to escape outside Europe. You can't go to Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada and Russia as these countries have already closed their borders to refugees.
Consider what you can tell the authorities in the country you are going to.
You have to give good enough reasons to be chosen or that the country accepts you and treats as a refugee. You realize this is a question of life or death. What to tell a stranger – a clerk worker, how to explain to him that you are afraid for your own life so that it is clear to him that you are a refuge and you have the right for the international protection or asylum.
2.3.
Consider and write on a piece of paper:
• The country you intend to escape to.
• Essential reasons affecting choice of country.
• Reasons for which you would be selected and considered as a refugee. Write them in form of a stories which will be a basis for your request for international protection in a foreign country.
You have 7 minutes!
__________________________________________
Close your eyes again and calm down. Listen carefully.
After a difficult and dangerous journey through the woods, rivers and other natural barriers, across national borders of more or less solidary countries you finally reach the goal. You are tired to death, scared, cold, hungry and thirsty. Some of your friends lost their family members.
2.4.
Think about how the residents of the country react to you there? How would you like them to react and respond?
You have 5 minutes.
After the visualization is completed, it is necessary to perform
activity for "exit" from the activity! It is best that the activity involves speaking and moving at the same time (to redirect thoughts and relax the body).
Step 3
Important part of the activity is debriefing. Here are some possible questions for discussion:
• Have you managed to get into the skin of a refugee?
• How did you feel during the exercise?
• How realistic you found your own escape preparation strategies?
• How would you spend the money you got from your best friend:
- To pay any penalty upon leaving countries or crossing other borders?
- For a group organizing an escape to be this one safer?
- To buy certain things?
- To obtain another counterfeit passport?
• What information did you have about opportunities to enter different countries and individual proceedings relating to obtaining asylum in different countries?
• What information did you have about the number and condition of refugees in different countries?
• Who or what was your source of information?
• How do you think you would be received by local population in the countries to which you would take refuge? What about the countries you’ve crossed? How would you like the people to respond to you?
• Do you think people from international humanitarian institutions, e.g.
• Red Cross, Red Crescent, IOM, UNCHR would be waiting for you there? What would you expect from these institutions?
• What kind of picture would local media paint about you and other refugees?
If there is the possibility to include reports from refugees in the evaluation, the imaginary situation can be transferred into reality.
Step 4
The teacher summarizes: A flight is not a voluntary action. However, the refugee makes his/her decision on his/her own and has to act tactically. All decisions involve positive consequences but there are also certain risks and endangerments. Every flight can be considered a life-threatening situation and, therefore, every flight cannot be recognized or measured by bureaucratic criteria, which tries to define the “real” from the “unreal” refugee.
In 2018, 50% of the worldwide refugees were children below the age of 18. (https://data.unicef.org/topic/child-migration-and-displacement/displacement/). Other relevant information you might find in the section “further documentation”.
Step 5
After the conversation (or during) you can have a look at the following:
• migration maps (http://metrocosm.com/global-immigration-map/)
• PHOTOS of the refugees bags
An emotionally powerful element is the display of photographs from the International Rescue Committee showing the contents of the refugees ’luggage. It is recommended to look at the background of the photo and the stories of the people from the photos (https://medium.com/uprooted/what-s-in-my-bag-758d435f6e62). Teacher only uses photos of people where their faces are not visible. Then he or she necessarily moves from encouraging empathy to activating individuals (trying to encourage moving from “guilt phase”)
• VIDEO: How can everything turn upside down in one year (movie Save Syria's Children) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihoYKUmJ4aU
Assessment
The debriefing (step 3) after guided visualization enables participants to share their feelings as well perspectives and thoughts. It gives us a clearer picture about their feelings as well as thoughts, perspectives. Some additional questions to access further might be:
- Was it more or less difficult than they had first imagined? What were the most difficult aspects, or the most difficult things to represent?
- Did people learn anything new about human rights? Were they surprised that they actually knew more than they thought they did?
- Were there any fundamental disagreements over the idea what to do next on a journey within the group? How were these resolved?
- Was it more or less difficult than they had first imagined? What were the most difficult aspects, or the most difficult things to represent?
- Did people learn anything new about human rights? Were they surprised that they actually knew more than they thought they did?
- Were there any fundamental disagreements over the idea what to do next on a journey within the group? How were these resolved?
Links for further information
This activity was developed and updated by Humanitas based on the original material from Archenova, 2016 (http://edu-kit.sameworld.eu/mod/page/view.php?id=129).
TESTING AND ASSESSMENT