Diversity in heArts: Ethnicity Ch.5

We have to

Unite In our

o l i m a C e JoS Cordoba

NOTES FROM JOSÉ CAMILO CÓRDOBA

I didn’t really know I was black until I moved to a different city where not everyone looked like me. That’s when I understood that being Afro-Colombian is a treasure. It’s a mix of culture, music, food, art, the way we talk and the way we relate to our environment.

For us, education is very important. Not everyone gets the chance to finish their studies because they have to help out in their houses, help their mothers. In my community it’s very common not to have a father figure, either because they are absent parents or because they were victims of our internal conflict. However, we do have strong family bonds, and your family will always be there for you.

It’s very important for us to acknowledge that we are amongst the most affected groups by the Colombian internal conflict.

We have been fighting for decades now to be recognized as victims of conflict, and more than slaves. We want opportunities, jobs, quality education, equality, and most importantly, we strive for truth and justice.

As Colombians and as people of the world, we have to unite in our diversity and understand that we are many nations with so many faces that work daily to build better countries and realities. We have to stand up and fight for our rights, embrace the beauty of the difference and the treasure that represents belonging to an ethnic group.

– José Camilo Córdoba

Kristine Damgaard Henriksen – CISV Denmark

DID YOU KNOW? 1

The indigenous peoples of Latin America number nearly 42 million and speak over 500 languages. [1]

2

Indigenous people hold 5% of the global population. [2]

3

4

Race and Ethnicity are two completely different things. Race is associated with the idea that there are innate biological and genetic differences between certain groups, while ethnicity is associated with culture, religion, language, and so on. [3] In the ancient world, the Greeks, Romans, Jews, Christians, and Muslims did not have racial categories. [4]

[1]

The World Bank. (2016). How much do you know about the indigenous populations of Latin America? Retrieved from http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/infographic/2016/11/22/cuanto-conoces- a-los- indigenas-de-america-latina.

[2]

FAO UN. (No date). Indigenous Peoples. Retrieved from http://www.fao.org/3/a-i6279e.pdf

[3]

5

Scientists project that in one thousand years humans will still come in many different colors, though people in the city will have a more mixed skin color rather than strikingly dark or light skin. [5]

6

Australia is home to the world’s oldest continuous cultures. [6]

7

Cultural diversity, like cultural identity, is about innovation, creativity and receptiveness to new influences. [7]

8

Whatever your ethnicity is, in this life you are going to be on a journey to discover who you are and how you feel about yourself. [8]

Roberts, D. (2011). Fatal Invention: How Science, Politics, and Big Business Re-create Race in the Twenty-First Century. New York, NY: The New Press.

[4]

Gosset, T. F. (1997). Race: The History of an Idea in America. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

[5]

Roberts, D. (2011). Fatal Invention: How Science, Politics, and Big Business Re-create Race in the Twenty-First Century. New York, NY: The New Press.

[6] [7] [8]

Australian Human Rights Commission. (No date). Face the facts: cultural diversity.

Retrieved from: https://www.humanrights.gov.au/face-facts- cultural-diversity UNESCO. (2009). UNESCO World Report: Investing in Cultural Diversity and Intercultural Dialogue. Executive summary. Retrieved from: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0018/001847/184755e.pdf.

King, M. L. Jr. (1965). Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution. Retrieved from http://www2.oberlin.edu/external/EOG/BlackHistoryMonth/MLK CommAddress.html

“WE ALL LOVE IN THE SAME COLOUR” Time, Group size & Age: (15 participants, 2 hours, 11/12-year- olds.)

MATERIALS: Paper, paint, markers, laptop, speaker.

DO: The activity is divided into three steps that are interconnected and build up to a discussion on physical characteristics, racism and racial privilege, it is therefore important to follow the instructed order.

1

Division based on physical characteristics

Make a “box” on the floor and ask the participants to come inside if they have the physical characteristic you list up (for instance: short hair/curly hair/blue eyes/brown eyes/ freckles/ moles/ tall/short). You use this “box” to symbolize the division based on the physical characteristics. Ask them how their physical characteristics describe them as individuals. Encourage the participants to share thoughts and experiences but be aware that this might be a sensitive topic for some participants. What problems can arise from such a random division of individuals and groups?

You can compliment the activity by watching our video < Being a Young indigenous Woman > 2 Video “Doll test - The effects of racism on children” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRZPw-9sJtQ Once the video is played ask the participants to draw or write their impressions on the one side of the paper. They should write their name on the other side of the paper – making it into a cone. It should look like a “chess piece” that clearly states their name on the outside, and their thoughts and feeling on the inside. The cones will be used in part three of the activity and can also be used in the debrief.

Start a small discussion by asking the following questions: Why do you think the kids chose the white/black baby? Are there any connections between the advertisements, TV series and movies you watch and the way you think? How do your friends at school, or your family, affect you?

3 Racial Privilege Tell the participants to stand on a line on one side of the room, with the cones in front of them. The facilitator will be in charge of asking the questions and statements. When the person has seen/observed or experienced the statement made, they need to move their cones one meter forward. After all the statements are read, we will be able to see some aspects of differences in privilege within the participant group.

Statements: - “I am part of a minority in my country/society” - “Last week I saw an advertisement with people the same skin colour as mine” - “I have never been the only person of my ethnicity in my classroom” - “I have heard my friends make a joke about a minority”

- “I have tried to buy something, and the cashier spoke to me in a language I did not understand” - “I have been offended by something I heard/read about my ethnic group or my origins” - “I have felt ashamed of my ethnic group or my origins”

Debrief: The debriefing starts when you have finished the racial privilege activity. You can then ask the participants to open their cones and read what they wrote or drew. They can share it with the group if they want to – try to make a smooth transition to the questions. o How did you feel when you were divided based on your physical characteristics? o Did you feel differently in any of those groups? o How did each station make you feel? o What was difficult and frustrating about the activity? o Do you feel like your looks make people threat you in a certain way? o Would be fair to treat people differently

based on their appearance?

acted that way?

o What parameters do you think are the most important for people for people to judge you (physical, personality, ethnic group/origin)?

o How can we show others that we all have something in common?

o Have you ever felt discriminated against due to the colour of your skin, your origin, or your traditions (in your social life, education, work etc.)?

If so, why did you feel discriminated? o Have you ever judged someone based on his or her origin? Why do you think you

o Do you think people treat others differently based on their origin in the world today? o Do you know anybody trying to fight stereotypes? o How do you think we can work on fighting discrimination in our communities, our schools, our families or within CISV?

TIPS for facilitator: o Be aware of that this might be a very sensitive topic for the participants that can lead to powerful emotional reactions and be careful with the language you use.

Mauricio Hirdes â&#x20AC;&#x201C; CISV Brazil

INTERACTION ETHNICITY How much do you know about your ethnicity?

Fill the pie chart with your ethnicities in percentages (eg: 10 % latin)

Draw your family tree as far as you know it