9. THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN.

Aims: - To make the participants feel as potential subjects of discrimination.

Running:

The facilitator will read out and give a copy to the participants of the text "When famine came...", reproduced below.
The participants will then split in groups of 5-6 people and must write the text of the "petition" mentioned at the end of the text. They will be given about an hour for that.
In plenary, a speaker from each group will read out his/her groups' petition. The facilitator will take note of all the aspects common in each presentation and, at the end, will make a brief synthesis.
The facilitator will open the discussion using, if necessary, questions, such as:
Do you find any similarities between the situations in the text and the situation of "Southern" immigrants in our countries?
Are there similarities between the experiences told and experiences lived by women and men from your own country who have emigrated to other countries?
For the plenary and discussion foresee some 40 - 60 minutes.

Contents and themes dealt with:

Difference as a reason for discrimination: examples from the past and from the present, occurred outside and inside our countries, which show a rejection of difference as the attitude of the majority in a society.
The need for a different approach to the question of difference: refusal of difference has often its origin in ignorance. It is necessary to overcome the incomprehension that comes from ignorance to reach a fruitful and positive interaction between different cultures, etc.
Approximate time needed : 1 hour and 30 minutes - 2 hours.

Material needed: Copies of the text, pen and paper.

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

When famine came...

"When famine came, the fields and the fountains had dried some time ago and the men, in the square of the village, were wondering in desperation. At the end, we have decided to start marching towards the north, where everybody said there was prosperity and work available. At first only some of us would travel, Pedro, José and myself, to open the way; the others would follow us later and, when possible, our wives and children. During the march we have met many others like us, from...., ...., and from..... other countries and regions. Men and women from towns who had no jobs because their factories had been closed. Women and men from the country whose field don't produce anymore. All of them, all of us, running away from misery. But the borders were tightly controlled in order to prevent the entrance of the hungry ones. Most of our money was used to pay guides who knew secret ways to go through. Fear was accompanying our silent column all the way. Some of us, the weakest, never made it. Others only made it to meet a policeman on the other side who sent them back. A few of us managed to go through and found ourselves lost in a country which was not ours. I can't recall how many days we spent walking, eating what we could find in the fields, sleeping out ones against the others, walking again at the first light of the day, always hiding, until we reached this place with a strange name. Here we were received by those who had made the same way before us.

Now we spend our days in the public squares, afraid of the police and waiting for somebody to offer us a job. We live together packed in a small flat or hut. Sometimes we get a job for a couple of days or weeks. It's difficult to find jobs, that nobody else wants and are poorly paid. But at least we can live, poorly, and send some money home. The people from this place and country scorn at us and look afraid. They are bothered by the colour of our skin, our clothes, our language, our different customs. They say we are tramps and thieves. They are afraid we take their opportunities away from them, their wealth. Ourselves, we feel that this is very different from what we have been told. Nothing is easy here. We are not wanted. Their way of life is different from ours, they don't feel, don't enjoy themselves, they don't suffer like us. And they don't let us get close or get acquainted with them; they don't let us show them as we are, what we are. Pedro says that one of these days we'll be lucky and we shall find a good job and get the papers. And then nobody will refuse us and be afraid of us. And we can look for a small house and start a new life. A better life, with more dignity.

A couple of nights ago, a group of young people attacked José. They insulted him, said he raped women, sold drugs to their children and took their jobs. Some say that this is only the beginning, tougher ones will come and expel us back to the South. We have thought of raising our voices, to write a petition, to appeal to those in this country who are willing to help us, to the government and to those who may listen to us. To tell them what is happening to us, what we expect from them, claim our rights as human beings, different of course, but still equal.

We believe that a better society, a better world, will be built in common. We thought that you could help us writing this petition."

There are several activities about refugees and discrimination in the related materials that could be used in conjunction with this activity.

In DOmino there are "Stories told by young people" which tell of personal experiences of feeling different.

In the all different all equal education pack there is an activity, "Labels" which aims to give participants a brief experience of what it feels like to be seen as a stereotype and not as a person.

In Compass there are two role-play activities that explore reactions to refugees, "Can I come in" and "The language barrier".