Peer-to-Peer Activity: Exploring
Overview
This activity explores a variety of questions related to combating discrimination against minorities. A worksheet is provided for use by participants.
Competencies
- Participants articulate their responsibility to defend and advocate for minority groups.
- Participants discuss the role of persons of faith in combating discrimination against minorities.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Discussion Questions
Resources
Facilitator Tips
Faith Quotes
Step-by-Step Instructions
INTRODUCTION
- If desired, provide a copy of the worksheet to each participant or project the worksheet on screen. (See Resources tab.) The worksheet can be used by participants to help them organize their thoughts while exploring various questions surrounding Commitment VI.
ACTIVITY
- Choose from the list of questions under the Discussion Questions tab to guide the discussion.
- It may be helpful to allow participants some time to think about and write responses to the questions on the worksheet prior to beginning the discussion.
- The worksheet can be used as a catalyst to start the discussion based on what the participants would like to do.
CONCLUSION
- Commitment VI uses the strong pledge to “stand up” for the rights of persons belonging to minorities. If time allows, encourage participants to draw up a stakeholder map that includes the different religious communities in their society and discuss the role and responsibilities of each stakeholder, including themselves.
- Encourage participants to share their thoughts with family and friends.
Discussion Questions
- How can discrimination against minorities be redressed through religion? Through faith actors?
- What should the reaction of a religious leader be when facing a situation of discrimination against a minority?
- How should the term “minority” be defined?
- What role does “religion” play in this context?
- What is the relationship between “long established” religious minorities and those recently arrived in a given country, for example as immigrants or asylum seekers?
- Does their citizenship play a role in the context of interfaith initiatives or roundtables?
- How can law enforcement officials and immigration officers be trained on religious and belief diversity to ensure that different minorities are better represented at all levels?
- How can faith actors contribute to countering discrimination against migrants, for example by condemning any stereotyping of migrants, including on the basis of religion or belief, because they are non-citizens or have irregular status?
- How can you speak out against discrimination through social media?
- How can you speak out against discrimination through teaching and discussing with your family members and friends?
Resources
- PDF: Module VI Exploring Worksheet
- Minority Rights Need More Support and Promotion, UN article
- Principles and Guidelines on the human rights protection of migrants in vulnerable situations
Facilitator Tips
- The #Faith4Rights modules are flexible and require adaptation by the facilitators before their use. Case studies related to peer-to-peer exercises in the 18 modules need to be selected by the facilitators from within the environment where the learning takes place. The #Faith4Rights toolkit is a prototype methodology that requires contextualization, based on the text of the 18 commitments, context, and additional supporting documents.
- Not all issues raised need to be resolved. This would be an impossible and even a counterproductive target. The aim is rather to enhance critical thinking and communication skills, admitting that some questions could receive many answers, depending on numerous factors.
- Tensions may occur during discussions related to “faith” and “rights.” Most of these tensions are due to human interpretations. Learning sessions are spaces for constructive dialogue in a dynamic process where tensions can be reduced with the help of clear methodologies, including pre-emptive situation analysis and evidence of positive results in areas of intersectionality between faith and rights.
- When preparing the sessions, facilitators need to factor in the profile, age, and backgrounds of participants. Focused attention on the learning objectives can transform tensions into constructive exploration of new ideas.
- Meaningful engagement requires democratically pre-established rules. Facilitators should dedicate time with participants to elaborate these rules together at the outset and act all along the training as their custodians.
- The time frames suggested in this #Faith4Rights toolkit are merely indicative. Facilitators may adapt them freely to suit the needs of their group of participants. The key balance is between respecting the overall time frame while not cutting short a positive exchange momentum.
- To ensure optimal and sustainable benefit, facilitators may create a “training notebook” for participants during their peer-to-peer learning sessions. It would contain a compilation of templates to help participants keep track of what they have learned throughout the program and eventually use this notebook as their personalized follow-up tool.
- When technically feasible, facilitators are also advised to project the module under discussion on screen in order to alternate between discussions thereon and showing the audio-visual materials listed in each module or any other items selected by the facilitator.
Faith Quotes
- “Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder. Help someone’s soul heal. Walk out of your house like a shepherd.” (Rumi)
- “Your true character is most accurately measured by how you treat those who can do ‘Nothing’ for you.” (Mother Theresa)