World Peace Game, local violence and Fantsuam Foundation April 23, 2011
World Peace and other (USA) 4th Grade Achievements - see email below about a one hour film about “The World Peace Game.” The film follows nine- and ten-year-old students over an eight-week period as they assume roles as world leaders responding to an ongoing series of military, economic, and environmental crises. This interactive experience triggers a transformation in the students from children of a neighborhood public school to citizens of the world.
Applicable in Kafanchan?
Are there lessons to be learned from that activity that could help John in his response to the present political, sectarian violence around Kafanchan? - see Post Election Violence Update from North Central Nigeria
If so - what are the lessons, and how could they be implemented, and what resources would it take and where would the resources come from?
All ideas welcome - email me pamela.mclean@dadamac.net with "World Peace Game" in the title
The politics behind the local violence
I have given more details about the politics behind the local violence below the email about the film
Smalll steps and what is already on the ground
The film is about nine and ten year old playing a peace game that teacher them about world politics. What if John could introduce similar activities to local school children - maybe to adults too. Structured role play of some kind to raise their perspective form immediate frustration on a local level to wider, longer term issues and positive activism instead of destructive local violence and ethnic cleansing?
- Fantsuam Foundation (FF) has used children's drama to put across strong messages - children accused of withcraft
- FF links with local schools - both informally and through the DFID ESPIN programme
- FF already has huge outreach networks on the ground through its well-established microfinance programme and its health work (HIV-AIDS work and sickle-cell screening programme )
- It is currently establishing local Community Action Committees - initially only related to health, but now with a wider focus.
- It has the Internet (through Zittnet - an offshhot of FF) which and is also providing internet services to other locations.
It is uniquely well placed to help launch all kinds of peace initiatives - if funding could be made available. John is already putting in place what he can. You can support John's work by donating online here http://www.dadamac.net/foundation
From: George Mokray Date: 23 April 2011 05:27 Subject: <Coalition> World Peace Game
Film screening of World Peace and other 4th Grade Achievements
WHEN Tue., Apr. 26, 2011, 5:30 – 7 p.m. WHERE 13 Appian WayCambridge, MA 02138
CONTACT NAME Amber Haskins CONTACT EMAIL askwith_forums@gse.harvard.edu
(snip)
Winner of The Audience Award at the Bergen International Film Festival, the one-hour film, World Peace and other 4th Grade Achievements portrays public school educator John Hunter and his 4th-Grade students’ participation in an educational exercise that Hunter developed called “The World Peace Game.” The film follows his nine- and ten-year-old students over an eight-week period as they assume roles as world leaders responding to an ongoing series of military, economic, and environmental crises. This interactive experience triggers a transformation in his students from children of a neighborhood public school to citizens of the world. The film screening will be followed by a panel discussion and audience Q&A.
John Hunter has created and refined the World Peace Game during his 34-year career as a method of teaching children global perspectives, collaborative learning, and problem solving. As a child, he was raised in the still segregated African-American schools of rural Virginia where his mother was his own 4th-Grade teacher. He then was part of the first group of seven students to integrate his area’s previously all-white middle school. As a young man he traveled extensively through China, Japan, and India while studying the Eastern religions that provide the philosophical underpinnings of the World Peace Game. Upon becoming an educator Hunter brought his depth of interest and understanding of other cultures to his students. In particular, Gandhi’s principle of nonviolence led him to wonder how his profession could in some way contribute to world peace. The World Peace Game and World Peace Game Foundation is his response.
John Hunter’s talk at the TED conference: http://www.ted.com/talks/john_hunter_on_the_world_peace_game.html
The politics behind the local violence in Norh Central Nigeriae
The local violence is a response to the results of the presidential election. Kaduna state has a history of political/ethnic/religious conflict. Usually it flares up in the cities of Jos and Kaduna. This time it has also reached Kafanchan.
Locally the vote went to Muhammadu Buhari, but the overall winner was Goodluck Johnson. Goodluck Johnson was the PDP candidate.
The PDP is not popular (during one of my first trips to Nigeria I was told it stood for "People Deceiving People") Commentators say that many people have voted for the man, not for the party. Goodluck Johnson is now the elected president, and so has more authority than previously, (when, as vice president, he took the role of president after the death of the previous president). Commentators are saying that the election results do reflect the will of the people.
Local frustration and violence is also tied in with the collapse of the informal "zoning" arrangement whereby presidential power alternated between North and South - by that arrangement the Northerners would have expected "their man" to be taking his turn this time around.
More background