Brussels response

It can be very difficult to broach discussions with young children following terrible atrocities such as the terrorist attacks in Brussels today. Below is a script that can be used either in a class or an assembly. It uses the phrase No Outsiders, which is how we in my own school talk about diversity - we are all insiders, no one is an outsider; we are all different but we all get along. The terrorist attacks can be discussed using this analogy by acknowledging that some people in the world do not believe in No Outsiders because they want everyone to be the same. Children must understand that their job is to make sure the No Outsiders message is loud and clear so that different people around the world can live together in peace.

Photograph: Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP/Getty Images

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/22/brussels-square-covered-with-chalk-drawn-messages-after-attacks

Following attacks in Brussels, Belgium on March 22nd 2016, people in the city were told to stay at home to be safe. However, the main square in Brussels was quickly covered in chalk as people continued to visit and contribute to a huge message board of support on the ground. 

What's happening in the picture?
Where was it taken?
Does anyone know what happened in Brussels yesterday?

Yesterday there were terrorist attacks in Brussels and many people lost their lives. The people carrying out these attacks do not believe in the same ideas that we do here. They want to have one race of people, one faith. They want all people to be the same. We want lots of different races, different faiths, different people. That's why we say there are No Outsiders. We want everyone to be welcome. We like to live alongside people who are different.

- Who wrote the messages?
- There are lots of different languages in the picture; what does this show?
- Do you think people who wrote the messages were all from one faith, one ethnicity?

This shows that different people all over the world agree with us. They, like us, want a world where different people with different faith and race, live together in peace.

Close your eyes and think about what we can do to make sure our No Outsiders message is spread around the world so that all people can be safe.

Gender equality

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/royal-brunei-airlines-first-all-female-flight-deck-crew-lands-plane-in-saudi-arabia-where-women-are-a6931726.html

Royal Brunei Airlines landed a plane in Saudi Arabia with an all-female flight crew for the first time, to celebrate Brunei's National Day on 23rd February. The plane landed in a country where women are still not allowed to drive a car.

Captain Czarena said, "Being a pilot, people normally see it as being a male dominated occupation. As a woman, a Bruneian woman, it is such a great achievement. It's really showing the younger generation, or the girls especially that whatever they dream of , they can achieve it."

What's happening in this photo?

explain the photo

- What jobs do these women have?

- Why was this story in the news?

- Would this story still have been in the news if the plane had landed in the UK? Why not?

- What law in the UK makes discrimination against women illegal? (The Equality Act 2010)

- What message do these women hope to give to people in Saudi Arabia?

- What does this photo show about the world today? 

- What can we learn from these women? 

This picture works as a great starter discussion activity to the lesson plan for "The Flower" by John Light, in "No Outsiders in our school: Teaching the Equality Act in Primary Schools"

Working Together

Photograph: Jason Peters/AP

On 31st July 2015 164 members of the international skydiving team broke the world record for skydiving formation, over Illinois USA. This was their 13th attempt to build a shape resembling a giant flower. The previous record was 138.

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/gallery/2015/jul/31/world-record-skydiving-formation-in-pictures

-What is happening in this picture?
- The skydiving team are an "International" team, what does that mean?
- How did the team make this happen?
- Do you think anyone on the team said, "I'm not holding his hand because we are a different religion," or, "I'm not holding your hand because we are from a different country". Did anyone say, "We have skin that is a different colour so we can't hold hands"?
- What was the consequence when everyone worked together?
- How do you think the team felt when they were skydiving?
-You can see one skydiver is apart from the group and has not made the formation. What do you think the others are shouting to that skydiver? Do you think someone let the skydiver in?
- What are we going to do in school this year to make sure we can work together like this?

Traffic lights - No Outsiders!

Photo: Bas de Meijer / Hollandse Hoogte
http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2016/03/86496-2/

Dutch city Utretch has installed two sets of traffic lights featuring gay couples, showing two men and two women holding hands.

Concillor Kees Geldofr says, "They show Utretch as a many sided city, and they do give cause for reflection as you are waiting for the lights to change"

A number of cities in Austria also have traffic lights showing gay couples. When they were installed in 2014 some people were unhappy and tried to have the lights changed but the council decided to keep them. 

What do you see in the picture?

What is different about the lights?

Explain the photo

-Why do you think the Council in Utretch has decided to install traffic lights showing gay couples?

-When the lights were installed in Austria, why do you think some people wanted to have them taken down?

- This shows there are still some people who do not agree with No Outsiders. But the council kept the lights in Austria, so what does this tell us? (that more people supported the lights, more people do agree with 'no outsiders') 

- What do the traffic lights demonstrate about the council in Utretch?

- How does this relate to what we say about No Outsiders?

No Outsiders in Table Tennnis

Photograph: Manan Vatsyayana/AFP/Getty Images

http://www.theguardian.com/news/gallery/2016/mar/06/photo-highlights-of-the-day-donald-trump-turkish-riots-and-paris-fashion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDdh2439hnU

Ibrahim Hamadtou lost his limbs in an accident when he was 10 year old. He says he loved table tennis and stopped playing after the accident but three years later he decided to play again and worked out a solution. He first put the bat under his arm but then used his mouth, Watch the youtube clip above to see how Ibrahim plays.

Ibrahim says, "I hope this shows people that nothing is impossible as long as you work hard."

This photo shows Ibrahim serving at a match in the World Team Table Tennis Championships 2016, held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

What's happening in the photo?
What do you notice about the player?

Explain the photo

- Why is Ibrahim's leg extended? (balance/ force during the serve)
- Why did Ibrahim give up table tennis following his accident?
- What do you think made him change his mind?
- What can we learn from Ibrahim?
- What are the World Table Tennis Champions demonstrating by including Ibrahim in the games?
(they believe, like us, that there are no outsiders in the games)

No Outsiders in Rio 2016

AFP staff via Getty Images
http://www.vox.com/2016/3/3/11151870/olympics-refugees-2016-rio
http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/mar/03/olympic-chiefs-give-go-ahead-for-refugee-team-to-take-part-in-rio-games

For the first time a team of refugees will compete at the Olympics in Rio 2016. This is because some athletes have no flag and no country to call their own and the Olympic committee want them to feel welcome in the games. They will compete under the IOC flag - the official Olympic flag.

There are currently 43 athletes competing to be in the refugee team and around 10 are expected to take part in the games. These include a swimmer from Syria (now living in Germany), a taekwondo athlete from Iran (now living in Belgium) and a judo competitor from The Congo (now living in Brazil). 

Refugees will also take part in the torch ceremony through Europe. A refugee will carry the torch through a refugee camp in Athens.

The President of the IOC said, "We have all been touched by the magnitude of this refugee crisis. By welcoming this team, we want to send a message of hope to all the refugees in the world."

-What is happening in this picture? In what part of the Olympic ceremony was this taken?
- Why does the sign for these athletes say "Independent participants?"

tell the children the story

- why can't some athletes compete for their country?
- Why has the Olympic Committee decided to allow a refugee team?
- What does this tell us about the Olympic Games this year?
- How does this relate to "No Outsiders"?