Artistic Expression
Participants have the opportunity to create their own piece of art that expresses the aims of Commitment VII.
Competencies
- Participants brainstorm ideas before beginning their design.
- They receive feedback from the group as they create their artwork.
- They share or display their completed work, where appropriate.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Discussion Questions
Resources
Facilitator Tips
Faith Quotes
Step-by-Step Instructions
INTRODUCTION
- Participants create their own artwork that expresses the aim of Commitment VII to preserve democracy, dignity, and peace and security. (From the Camden Principles on Freedom of Expression and Equality.)
- Advance preparation is necessary to ensure participants have the needed art supplies.
ACTIVITY
- Participants consider creating a drawing or sketch, painting, photo collage, website, musical piece, poem, calligraphy, etc.
- Participants may also consider using the faith quotes from Commitment VII as inspiration or as a starting point. (See the Faith Quotes tab or use the Slides under Resources tab.)
- As time allows, participants begin sketching or drafting during the session but may need to complete their artwork outside the session.
- Participants may choose to share their work within the session for feedback or may decide to work with a partner or small group to create their project.
CONCLUSION
- Participants may share or display their completed artwork within their faith communities, at a local event, or on a social media platform, where appropriate.
Discussion Questions
- There are no specific discussion questions for this activity.
Resources
- Camden Principles on Freedom of Expression and Equality, principles necessary to ensure respect for freedom of expression and the promotion of equality
- PDF: Module 7 Faith Quotes Slides
Facilitator Tips
This exercise requires advance planning and collection or purchase of art materials (such as paper, colored pencils, paint brushes, clay, scissors, etc.). A sponsoring faith group may be able to provide these materials, or you may need to notify participants in advance about bringing their own supplies.
Additional Tips for All Peer-to-Peer Activities
- 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
- “Now this is the command: Do to the doer to make him do.” (Ancient Egyptian Middle Kingdom)
- “Repay injury with justice and kindness with kindness.” (Confucius)
- “What is hateful to you, don’t do to your friend.” (Talmud, Shabat, 31,a)
- “Whatever words we utter should be chosen with care for people will hear them and be influenced by them for good or ill.” (Buddha)
- “By self-control and by making dharma (right conduct) your main focus, treat others as you treat yourself.” (Mahābhārata)
- “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against your kinsfolk. Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Leviticus 19:18)
- “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 7:12)
- “Ascribe not to any soul that which thou wouldst not have ascribed to thee, and say not that which thou doest not.” (Baha’u’llah)