8. LETTER FROM AN ARAB/BLACK/GYPSY/SOUTHERNER/...

Aims: To make the participants reflect about:

Their own attitudes and behaviour towards the differences of minority groups;
The attitudes and behaviour of the majority towards difference;
The possibilities of relations between people from a different culture, origin

Running:

During ten minutes, the participants complete, individually, the "uncompleted" text that is presented below; it is an imaginary letter addressed to them by person from another culture/society. By completing the sentences, the participants must express what they, as members of a majority in society, believe this "different" person would tell them.

In groups of 6 to 8 people, the participants compare their answers and, by consensus, elaborate a single letter which reflects – according to the general opinion – the most common attitudes in our society towards people from another culture or origin.
They will have approximately 40 minutes for this..

This will be followed by bringing together the results of the groups. The facilitator will take note of the conclusions to make a final synthesis by drawing the attention to the most noticeable commonalities and differences.

To finish, the facilitator will launch a debate putting forward questions such as:

• Do we see each other as equals, superior or inferior to the people from other cultures/societies?

• How would we like to be treated if we were in a situation in which we would be the "difference"?

• Do we know at all the values, customs, meaning of the world and life, etc, of people from other cultures? If yes, how have we learned it? In school, through TV, movies?...

• Do we consider that those values, customs, meaning of life and the world, could teach us something, bring us something positive, or, on the contrary, do we believe they have no interest or anything positive for us?

The synthesis of the group work and of the discussion might take 45 – 60 minutes.

Contents / themes to be dealt with:

• The disinterest and ignorance for/of other cultures , ways of life, values, etc, is a general reality in our societies;

• Ethnocentrism, usually we tend to judge cultures and societies that we do not know by using the schemes and criteria prevailing in our own society, without taking into account that each culture is a product of a particular reality;

• Ignorance, combined with an ethnocentric vision, are the root for many prejudices and stereotypes about other cultures;

• Prejudices are often translated through scorn, discrimination, injustice and exploitation, etc, which constitute some of the social responses to the difference;

• Difference is a positive and enriching factor for our society. The relationship and interaction with people from other cultures/societies is a means of opening up our minds to other ways of understanding life and the world;

• Difference is a factor for social change and evolution. Society gets better and changes as a result of the contrasts of the different visions and ideas about life and the world. An uniform society is a reactionary society.

Approximate time needed: 2 hours.

Technical requirements:

Copies of the unfinished letter, pens and paper; if possible overhead projector to show the letters written by each group.

(Source: Equipo Claves, En un mundo de diferencias... Un mundo diferente, Cruz Roja Juventud, Madrid 1992)

Letter to someone of the majority

Dear White/European/National:

When we cross each other in the street you look at me and you think . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . and I have also the feeling that, in relation with my needs, my problems and my areas of interest you . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Of me, my feelings and my way of thinking what you know is . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

You think you are . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . of/from/than me and, so,

you may/can . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

with/for/from/of me.

Perhaps you have never imagined that you could be, like I am, a foreigner, someone different in a world where the rest of the people have a different colour, speak another language, have other ways of life. If you were, what you would wish, like I do now, is that . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , and that your values, your knowledge, your capacities would be . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ; and then you would feel, like I do now, that you had the right to . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

That, what you would wish for yourself, is what I expect from you now.

You will not be surprised that/if . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . my best wishes.

Someone different

If you want a follow up activity you may like to do the activity, "All equal all different" in Compass. It is a sort of quiz, short and provocative enough to be interesting, but a great basis for discussion about perception of difference.

The technique of letter writing is very useful if you want to encourage people to share opinions, ideas and feelings that they find it difficult to talk about. If the group enjoyed writing the letter from an Arab, then you may get inspiration for another way of using the technique in "Dear Friend" in the all different all equal education pack.