Teaching children about the importance of inclusion and human rights in Tunisia

Earlier this year, our Young Delegate Rawand Ben Brahim, member of the social inclusion working group, held a workshop in Emna Children’s Paradise kindergarten, Tunisia, to teach children about the importance of inclusion and human rights.

 

The workshop started with group activity – baking a cake, and was followed by a conversation on friends who were absent due to illness with special focus on how we should not exclude them and be afraid to play with them when they come back.

 

Rawand talked to the children about their favourite games, how they play them, and who they usually play them with, then tried to modify them according to different scenarios (using codes instead of words, adding blindfold, playing in teams instead of individually, jumping on one foot, etc).

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The participants tried playing the Lava game, where they had to get from one side of the river to the other, stepping only on the “stones”. At first, the game was played individually, and later modified to be played in pairs (with one person being blindfolded and had to rely on the other person to get them to the other side). After the game, Rawand asked the children which game they preferred, and they all preferred the second version.

 

The workshop finished with painting together (tree made of their hands) and a conversation about the differences, respect, togetherness, friends, compassion, scenarios of discrimination and standing up for others.

 

The headmistress and the teacher were present and enjoyed the activities. So did the parents who requested more activities like these for the kids.

 

“Truth is, in Tunisia, teaching kids about human rights and inclusion mostly happens indirectly “do this, don’t do this”. We do not consciously try to teach them these values; and I believe it’s high time this changes,” concluded Rawand.