Transcript Slide 1

Week Seven
Moving from unhealthy to healthy community: Belief, faith and lived experience.
Exchanging flowers at a post-Ramadan ceremony
organised by CAFOD partner, Pakigdait, in the Philippines.
Week Seven
Moving from unhealthy to healthy community: Belief, faith and lived experience.
Lesson objectives and outcomes
Students will be given the opportunity to:
• study a community-building project in an area that has suffered inter-religious conflict in the
Philippines
• hear a personal account of faith and action from El Salvador
• consider how faith and personal beliefs influence their own and others’ actions
• identify the need for, and some of the challenges of achieving, harmonious relations between
religions in today’s world.
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
• describe a community-building project in the Philippines
• describe relationships between religious belief, personal faith and lived experience in specific
contexts (the Philippines and El Salvador)
• more deeply appreciate to what extent their own faith and personal beliefs influence their actions.
Peace building in the Philippines
“When we returned to Kauswagan in November 2000
(after fleeing when violence erupted in the area) I
started talking to the older people in the Muslim
community to ask their opinions about the conflict. I
think they trusted me as I was the son of the former
mayor.
“Next to our house there was an Evangelical church.
Every morning I used to have coffee with the priest
there and we became friends. I also knew a
Protestant pastor here and got in touch with the
Catholic priest. Later I discovered that the priest was
still traumatised at that time since he had been held
hostage by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
(separatist group).”
Peace building in the Philippines
“We arranged to meet in a neutral venue with the
Catholic and Protestant and Evangelical ministers.
At first there was a lot of silence and no-one would
talk. The Catholic priest said accusingly that the
[separatist group] had been staying in my house.
Nobody said anything and there was a lot of silence.
It was as if a platoon of angels was among us.
“I spoke of the ‘Prince of Peace’ and said that
Muslims also believe in that. Jesus conveyed the
meaning of peace to criminals. The priest was a bit
tongue-tied - here was a Muslim saying that we are
all torch bearers of peace! The meeting was going
really badly and I thought we were going to have to
give up. But then the priest asked: ‘What shall we
do?’ That was enough to motivate me again and I
said we could show the people of this town that this
is not a conflict of religion; it was about land.”
Peace building in the Philippines
“We decided to get at least ten people together from
each religious group. It was approved by the Bishop
and we arranged a peace rally called the ‘Pilgrimage
of Peace’. I was so happy! We provided packed
lunches for 50, but more and more people came until
there were about 700. We had to start cooking
noodles very fast to feed everyone.
“Next we asked all the over-65s in the town to a
workshop. Everyone brought food and we shared it at
the local gym. We talked about relations between
Muslims and Christians and how the relations were
harmonious in the 1940s, 50s and 60s. We wondered
what had gone wrong. They believed the missing link
was communication. In the past if Muslims had a
conflict amongst themselves the Christians would
mediate, and vice versa.
Now the chiefs of the outlying villages all meet
together to help each other resolve conflicts in their
own areas. Many are building ‘barangay halls’ –
places where people can meet and resolve conflict…”
Peace-building in the Philippines
“...We are all human beings and children of God. My
hope is that we won’t look at each other and think
‘what is your religion or status in life?’ but rather as
fellow human beings. Everything is interrelated and
we all need one another.
“…My faith counts a lot in my work. It sustains me
and gives me stamina. It guides me on how to attain
harmony and unity of human beings and nature.
The challenge now for my faith worldwide is that
the Muslim name is seen to mean ‘terrorist’. It’s our
responsibility as Muslims, and a global challenge,
to show what our faith is really about.
“When I came to the UK I went to Southampton and
Burnley and spoke in churches there. They were
amazed that a Muslim was there talking to
Catholics about how Catholics helped Muslims. This
is the meaning of interfaith; that we transcend
‘Muslim’ or ‘Catholic’… What we need is
harmonious relations, not only among Catholics and
Muslims but among all religious groups.”
Fill in this chart
Click Here to view a short clip of Luis from El Salvador who works for harmony between
young people and the wider community.
Musa
Faith
Personal beliefs
How these
beliefs are lived
out in actions
How these
actions build
harmony between
communities
Luis
Me
Week Eight
Current Affairs – Darfur
African Union peace-keepers
on patrol in Darfur.
Week Eight
Current Affairs – Darfur
Lesson objectives and outcomes
Students will be given the opportunity to:
• study the current situation in Darfur
• consider how community relations broke down
• consider how this situation is being addressed, internationally and locally
• analyse the situation using spiritual and ethical principles.
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
• explain something of the current situation in Darfur, and its causes
• give examples of how this situation is being addressed, internationally and locally
• analyse the situation using spiritual and ethical principles.
Interview
Bdria Hamed, (18)
There
are her
two family
millionarrived
displaced
peoplerefugee
in Darfur
and near
225,000
refugees
in Chad.
Bdria and
at Dereig
camp
Nyala
three months
ago from Jwakin
village, 200km away. She describes how 700 people attacked their village on horses and
They took our cows and goats and everything. After that they
camels.
On
the way
here
we spent
three
without
We have
started
killing
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one by
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and closed
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in Nyala
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lorries
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take
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but
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we feel
safe now.
it. These
people
attacked
us and we didn’t have any choice but to
run away. We don’t have any weapons. They came in big numbers.
People are scattered in villages, so we couldn’t fight back. I was
scared.
Week Eight
Current Affairs – Darfur
Week Eight
Current Affairs – Darfur
When the basic needs of food, water and shelter have been addressed in the camps and
villages, the challenge of community building remains.
There are three very different groups of people:
• displaced people or refugees who have crossed borders from different clans and villages
• nomads (wandering cattle herders) who have also been forced away from their usual areas
• local ‘host’ communities (those already living in the area).
Problems include:
• people coping with trauma and the after effects of violence
• overcrowding and increased pressure on limited local services
• tension between people with different traditions, viewpoints and priorities.
You are part of the expanding community in the area of Nyala, Darfur.
Take one of the following roles:
• refugee widowed mother with four young children
• traumatised teenager
• refugee man with no income and a family to feed
• a local man living in Nyala who has taken in his sister and six children and is struggling to
support them.
In role, discuss your needs and decide on five actions you will take to help improve your
standard of living and to build a more peaceful community in Darfur.
What is really being done?
What is really being done?
Mohammed Abdelkarem, a coordinator at the
Psychosocial Centre in Dereig, recounts how the
project was begun: “We sat with the community,
men, women, youth, traditional healers. We asked
them the best way to create peace.”
Amina Abdullah explains: “The environment here is
really crowded, everyone is living in the same place.
These kinds of problems are here: problems
between different clans and different villages,
different areas.”
Mohammed outlines the strategies used by the
Centre: “We form a peaceful co-existence
committee. This builds trust between the people and
corrects misunderstandings and bad conceptions
and tries to change bad habits (eg. traditional singing
of songs that incite war).”
What is really being done?
“Peace-building means creating trust between
communities, like the host community and nomads.
We use social events such as football matches and
horse races. We have a meeting with co-existing
communities monthly. If any conflict appears we do
mediation. We do workshops on how to negotiate
and how to do conflict resolution.”
Amina received training at the Centre and now trains
others in using sewing machines and in macaroni
making. She also helps supervise the kindergarden.
“For me it’s a service to the community because we
are all the same and I can provide some services to
the community.”
ACT/Caritas also helps host communities struggling
to cope, eg by providing clean water points in Nyala
itself, as well as in the camps around Nyala.”
What is really being done?
Compare with your own solutions – how are they
similar/different?
Click Here to watch a 50-second clip in which the
President of Islamic Relief International, Dr Hany
El-Banna, explains the importance of interfaith
groups working together on humanitarian relief.
What is being done internationally?
“The UN Commission of Inquiry on Darfur found that international offences such as crimes
against humanity and war crimes have been committed in Darfur.”
(Report of the International Commission of Inquiry on Darfur to the UN Secretary-General, Pursuant to Security Council Resolution 1564 of 18
September 2004, 25 January 2005, p. 4)
The UN handed the results of the Commission of Inquiry to the International Criminal Court in
March 2005. Some arrest warrants were issued in 2007.
While the world watches the situation deteriorate, CAFOD is calling on the international
community to put its weight behind securing inclusive dialogue in both Chad and Darfur. Only
dialogue will provide long-term peace and address the historical root causes of the conflict.
Click Here
to find out more about the International Criminal Court.
Click Here
to visit the BBC website for the latest news on Darfur.
Click Here
for the latest on the work of CAFOD partners in Darfur.
Time out to reflect…
Time out to reflect…
Let us pray:
God of all humanity,
in a world full of fear,
open our hearts to your love.
When we walk in lonely places,
open our minds to your hope.
As we seek paths in the darkness,
open our eyes to your light.
May we turn away from hatred, towards love.
May we turn away from intolerance,
towards understanding.
We commit ourselves in compassion and love,
to our sisters and brothers in Darfur and Chad.
Together, not alone, we pray for peace.
Amen.
Week Nine
Reflection and action: What about our school/college/local community?
Orphaned at the age of 11 when she lost her parents to AIDS,
Catherine Musangi is now performing puppetry to warn
young people in Kenya about the virus.
Week Nine
Reflection and action: What about our school/college/local community?
Lesson objectives and outcomes
Students will be given the opportunity to:
• study aspects of the inspection criteria for community cohesion in Catholic schools
• consider how well their own school/college is building community cohesion
• begin to draft a strategy for building community cohesion in the school/college, or local area,
and globally.
By the end of the lesson students will be able to:
• explain aspects of the inspection criteria for community cohesion in Catholic schools
• give their own opinion on how well their own school/college is building community cohesion
• outline a strategy for building community cohesion in the school/college, or local area, and
globally.
Week Nine
Reflection and action: What about our school/college/local community?
All Catholic schools and colleges are now inspected to determine how well they are promoting
community cohesion in their local area. In order to be deemed ‘outstanding’ the school or college
must show that it is active in all areas on the list below. Mark your school/college out of 10 for
each of the following:
Week Nine
Reflection and action: What about our school/college/local community?
1.
The inclusion of all is a central goal and a shared vision.
2.
Acts of collective worship leave room for the other person’s spiritual identity, modes
of expression and values.
3.
Provision for RE results in attitudes of respect for all faiths, mutual understanding
and integrity, enabling pupils to challenge each other’s beliefs and values.
4.
Pupils’ friendship bonds cross cultural/ faith/ social/ economic boundaries.
5.
They show concern for one another, especially the weak and vulnerable.
6.
Opportunities are given to dialogue and to collaborate with people of different backgrounds.
7.
Within the school there is concern, respect and hospitality towards the other.
8.
Pupils take responsibility for one another as members of one human family.
9.
They encounter the suffering and marginalised via local activities.
10. Governors work to improve education for all pupils in the locality.
11. The school premises are used by groups in the neighbourhood.
12. Parents from all backgrounds have the opportunity to be involved in school life.
Week Nine
Reflection and action: What about our school/college/local community?
For the more closely the world comes together, the more widely do people's obligations
transcend particular groups and extend to the whole world.
The Church in the Modern World, (30).
Week Nine
Reflection and action: What about our school/college/local community?
For the more closely the world comes together, the more widely do people's obligations
transcend particular groups and extend to the whole world.
The Church in the Modern World, (30).
Week Nine
Reflection and action: What about our school/college/local community?
For the more closely the world comes together, the more widely do people's obligations
transcend particular groups and extend to the whole world.
The Church in the Modern World, (30).
Week Nine
Reflection and action: What about our school/college/local community?
For the more closely the world comes together, the more widely do people's obligations
transcend particular groups and extend to the whole world.
The Church in the Modern World, (30).
Week Nine
Reflection and action: What about our school/college/local community?
For the more closely the world comes together, the more widely do people's obligations
transcend particular groups and extend to the whole world.
The Church in the Modern World, (30).
The Solutions Tree
Draw fruits and label them
with your action ideas
Draw branches and write ways of
achieving the actions on them
Write the issue (community
cohesion) on the trunk
On the roots, write the resources
needed to do your actions
Week Ten
Summary of learning
A worshipper lights a candle in
St. Mark’s church, Belgrade, Serbia.
Week Ten
Summary of learning
Lesson objectives and outcomes
Students will be given the opportunity to:
• recap the material covered in this unit
• reflect on the importance of hope
• discuss assignment ideas.
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
• explain one message that they will take away from this unit
• say why hope is an essential part of a strategy to build community
• know the requirements of the assignment and start thinking of ideas.
Week Ten
Summary of learning
Look at these three hope-filled quotations from Rwanda,
the Philippines and the UK:
“Division is created by bad leadership. The Rwandan government is fighting against segregation. This
gives me hope.”
Rwandan survivor, Tharcisse Mukama
http://www.rwandansurvivors.blogspot.com/
“What has happened in Oldham [riots] over the past few days has been terrible. But Leicester is a city
which has actually overcome the trauma of racial conflict… we have been through it and we have
come out the other side.”
Paul Winstone, a policy officer at Leicester City Council
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/1357865.stm
“My hope is that we won’t look at each other and think ‘what is your religion or status in life?’ but rather
as fellow human beings.”
Musa Sanguila, Mindanao, The Philippines
What is your hope for your local, or global, community?
Assignment titles
Essay suggestions:
• Community cohesion – global issue, Christian call, eternal reality.
• Compare two communities in which community cohesion has been a challenge and identify
lessons from their experience that could be applied in a local situation of tension.
• “There can be no peace in the world until there is peace among the religions.” Discuss.
Artefacts could include:
• a mural depicting actions that lead to the breakdown and building up of community
• a T-shirt design that promotes community cohesion
• a triptych or set of stained glass windows for a school chapel depicting Biblical and modern
interpretations of the passage: “Those who love God must also love their brothers and sisters.”
( I John 4:21).
Time out to reflect…
Presentations could include:
• news stories about community breakdown in the UK and overseas matched with advice drawn
from Biblical and Catholic Social Teaching
• an explanation of the situation in Darfur, its causes and possible solutions, based on spiritual
and ethical principles
• a study of community cohesion in the school/college community or the local area, with a
strategy for improvement.
Projects could include:
• producing a report with photographs for CAFOD’s youth website ‘Big Deal’ on how your local
community has learnt from a community in a developing country
• a survey of attitudes in the local area toward peoples of different faith or ethnic background
• designing an inclusive liturgy expressing local, national and global community cohesion.
Time out to reflect…
Credits
Resources for action
CAFOD regularly gives opportunities for young people to express their solidarity with people in
developing countries by prayer, fundraising activities around Fast Days or campaigning. To find
out more:
Click Here
for CAFOD’s website for young people, Big Deal
Click Here for pages for secondary teachers
(For regular updates on new free resources, sign up for the e-bulletin at the above address).
Picture credits
Chris Bain, Annie Bungeroth, Simon Rawles,
Laura Storr, Marcella Haddad, Noel Gavin,
and Owen Humphries (Press Association).
Illustration: Jane Smith
One world, one family
A community cohesion unit
for post-16 General RE.
Suitable for use with NOCN framework
and Extended Project.
CAFOD is a member of Caritas International
Registered Charity No. 285776