Cooperation and Community Entire Activity
Cooperation and Community Instructions
CURRICULUM LINKS
CITIZENSHIP (KS3)/(KS4)
THEMES
Peacekeeping
Conflict resolution
Debating global issues
Discrimination and diversity
Working together to avoid conflict
Appreciating different points of view
Peace keeping and international relations
GOALS
Pupils will learn the importance of cooperation and the need for dialogue and understanding between nations.
RESOURCES
For this activity you will need to download the following documents:
- Cooperation and Community: veterans’ reflections
DESCRIPTION
The extracts used to support this activity come from veterans who have had direct experience of a major conflict between nations. They have had time to reflect on their experiences and the development of international relations since the end of the Second World War, and their attitudes sixty years later can provide important lessons for contemporary society.
Although the Second World War cost the lives of approximately 60 million people worldwide, it did not spell the end of conflict. The Cold War held its grip on the world for over forty years and today there are still conflicts all over the world.
There are many organisations that work to promote a more cohesive global community, even with all the inherent difficulties that this involves. There are also many charities that help people who have been affected by conflict, and organisations that work to bring communities together despite their differences.
Most of the extracts in this activity are taken from a section of the Their Past Your Future Reflective Questionnaire that invites veterans to give words of advice to young people. Read through the extracts when preparing a lesson on one of the following themes and use some or all of the extracts to help students to:
- Explore international relations
- Debate the importance of dialogue between nations
- Discuss the interaction of differing ideologies in causing conflict and in conflict resolution
- Understand conflicts taking place in the world today
- Evaluate the importance of international collaboration
- Assess compromise and peace keeping measures
- Appreciate the impact of the Second World War on veterans’ lives and how experiences shaped their attitudes towards conflict
Some ideas to help structure your lesson are below:
1. As a starting activity, ask the class to think about what causes conflict between nations. This may include territory, religion or ideologies etc. Make a list on the board.
2. Alternatively, invite students to consider what things are important in their lives and what they would fight for. Both these questions could be explored in the form of mind mapping sessions. These might be material goods, ideas, beliefs or people.
3. After considering one of the above questions, ask students to discuss the ways in which conflict could be settled and what elements they think are required for successful conflict resolution. Try to use everyday examples such as arguments at home or at school to get students thinking along the right lines.
4. The extracts in this activity feature older members of the community giving advice to younger people. Most of the extracts focus on accepting people for who they are, making friends and keeping the peace. Ask students to read the extracts, pull out some of the key points and recurring themes, and put the advice into their own words, as if they were communicating the ideas to someone younger than themselves. Students might like to prepare an assembly for a year 6 class, write a letter to a younger sibling or put their advice into words in the form of song lyrics, a poem or a short play.
Activity Extension
Ask students to pick a website from the list below and investigate what activities the organisation or charity carries out in their endeavours to promote international relations and collaboration and conflict resolution. Alternatively, pupils could look at the UN, NATO or the Europa website to assess the value of such bodies. This activity could be done in groups that report their findings to the class.
Websites:
http://www.amnesty.org/
Amnesty is a worldwide movement who campaign for internationally recognised human rights.
http://www.christian-aid.org.uk/
Christian Aid is an agency of the churches in the UK and Ireland that work wherever the need is greatest, irrespective of religion or race.
http://www.communitypartners.org.uk
The Community Partners website is designed to help universities, colleges and schools develop opportunities for citizenship education through community involvement.
http://www.corrymeela.org/
This community in Northern Ireland is working towards reconciliation between the Protestant and Catholic population.
http://www.coventrycathedral.org.uk
Coventry Cathedral has become a focus for international reconciliation.
http://www.europa.eu/index_en.htm
This website is the official portal to the European Union's institutions, policies, programmes and news releases.
http://www.muslimaid.org/
Muslim Aid works to improve the lives of millions of people in 50 of the poorest countries around the world.
http://www.nato.int/
The official website for the military alliance of democratic states in Europe and North America.
http://www.oxfam.org/en/
Oxfam is a group of non-governmental organisations from three continents.
http://www.redcross.org.uk/
The British Red Cross helps people in crisis and is part of a global voluntary network, responding to conflicts, natural disasters and individual emergencies.
http://www.un.org/
The UN is global association of governments facilitating cooperation in international law, security and economics.
SUMMARY
- Cooperation can play an important role in avoiding future conflict
- A high value should be placed on international collaboration
- Equality and diversity are important factors in global relations
The work of charities and NGOs in promoting international cooperation should not be underestimated
