Socialist Education Toolkit

Socialist EducatiON TOOLKIT

SOCIALIST EDUCATION TOOLKIT

May 2022

CONTRIBUTORS

NATALIA KALLIO, MILLIE BURGH, KARL MUELLER-BAHLKE, BETTY REHNER, IRIS GARCIA, CHRISI SHAUER, PIA ŠLOGAR, AGGIE TAYLOR, JULIA LENNON & DELPHINE KONDA

PROOFREADING

Ruba Hilal

EDITING AND COORDINATION

CHRISTINE SUDBROCK

GRAPHIC DESIGN, ILLUSTRATIONS AND LAYOUT

ÁLVARO FERREIRA & Fabi Montiel Kleiner

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1.INTRODUCTION

WHO WE ARE

The INTERNATIONAL FALCON MOVEMENT / SOCIALIST EDUCATIONAL INTERNATIONAL (IFM-SEI) is an international educational movement working to empower children and young people to take an active role in changing society for the better andfight for their rights. We are an umbrella organisation for almost fifty child and youth-led movements all over the world, educating on the basis of our values of equality, democracy, peace, co-operation and friendship.

The UN CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD is a key document for IFM-SEI. Through our member organisations and our international movement, we aim to ensure that children and young people are well informed about their rights and are empowered to ensure they are respected. To reach this goal, we organise a variety of activities including seminars, training courses, international camps and conferences. Our work is based on peer education; we believe that young people have as much to teach as they have to learn.

BY CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE, FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPle

Children and young people are involved in all levels of decision-making in our movement, from their local groups to the world congress. It is our firm belief that children are competent at making decisions and have strong opinions on global issues as well as local matters directly affecting them. They only need genuine empowerment so that their voices will be heard in society.

In IFM-SEI, one of our mottos is ‘EDUCATION FOR SOCIAL CHANGE’ - a change towards more equality, justice, democracy, friendship and peace. We firmly believe that education is the most powerful tool to change the world. It is through education that children and young people can analyse society, understand power structures and human behaviour, can develop their own ideas about how to change the world, and be empowered to take action and actually change it.

For us, NO EDUCATION IS NEUTRAL. As a movement we are clear about the aim and the values and principles of our movement. SOCIALIST VALUES AND PRINCIPLES OF SOLIDARITY, EQUALITY, DEMOCRACY, COOPERATION, INTERNATIONALISM, ANTI-CAPITALISM, PEACE, ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AND FREEDOM underpin all our work, from local groups to the world movement. However, despite this being something that is historically connected to IFM-SEI as a whole and our member organisations, they are not always understood and applied in the same way. The socialist basis of our educational work remains too often implicit. Moreover, because of a stigma in society, many are almost afraid to call our approach to non-formal education what it is – socialist.

With the work leading towards this toolkit, and the Socialist Education Toolkit itself, we want TO DEVELOP A COMMON UNDERSTANDING OF OUR INTERNATIONAL MOVEMENT’S SPECIFIC APPROACH TO NON-FORMAL EDUCATION. This toolkit aims to help new (and more experienced) group leaders within IFM-SEI member organi-

sations and beyond to understand our values and our methodology, and should equip them with knowledge and skills, tips and tricks on how best to support children and youth groups on their way towards a more equal, just and sustainable world,

The Socialist Education Toolkit (SET) has been developed by the SET taskforce, composed of young educators from IFM-SEI member organisations in Europe and the Middle East. It is based on the input of a wider group of IFM-SEI members who came together for a seminar “Education for Social Change” in the Salvador-Allende Haus in Germany in spring 2022, and on the IFM-SEI resolution on socialist education adopted by the whole global membership at the 2022 IFM-SEI Congress. The toolkit aims to lay the groundwork for socialist education in IFM-SEI. It will be a blueprint towards developing a common understanding of the values and competencies of socialist education/educators and used by socialist educators across IFM-SEI to make their work more socialist.

HOW TO USE THIS TOOLKIT

This toolkit is aimed at group leaders (or helpers, as they are called in many IFM-SEI organisations) who wish to learn more about the foundations and the meaning of socialist education and would like to learn how to apply a socialist education approach in their activities with children and young people – be it in

group work, on camps or in the decision-making spaces of children and youth organisations. Group leaders can go through the toolkit on their own, or – and we highly recommend this – go through it as a group with other leaders, for example during training of trainers activities or inductions for new leaders in IFM-SEI member organisations. In a group, you can try out proposed activities, discuss how you understand socialist principles, and reflect together on how they are applied in your organisation and in your groups.

After an introductory part, the toolkit will look at socialist education in practice. Based on a “Resolution on Socialist Education” adopted by the IFM-SEI Congress – our highest global decision-making body – in April 2022, it will lead the reader through the different principles of socialist education and provide activities and examples on how to put these principles into practice. It will also share challenges that our group leaders encounter when applying the principles.

2.

In IFM-SEI, we consider that we do more than just non-formal education – we do socialist education. In short, socialist education is the specific approach to non-formal education that IFM-SEI undertakes whereby children and young people are educated on the basis of our values equality, democracy, peace, social justice, self-organizing and solidarity - without educating towards voting for a specific political party. SOCIALISM FOR US IS NOT DEFINED BY POLITICAL PARTIES OR BY SPECIFIC NATIONAL POLITICAL SYSTEMS, BUT RATHER BY THIS SPECIFIC SET OF VALUES.

SOCIALIST EDUCATION IS A THEORY AND PRACTICE IN WHICH CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE CAN CRITICALLY ANALYSE EXISTING POWER STRUCTURES ON ALL LEVELS OF SOCIETY AND ARE MOTIVATED AND EMPOWERED TO TAKE ACTION FOR SOCIAL CHANGE. Socialist education is a form of political education where we support children and young people to become critical thinkers, and give them the tools to be active decision-makers in their own lives and communities.

Through socialist education we do not only learn to live in and deal with the current world order, but we also think about how we can construct a better world. In our

groups and activities, participants can take part in a counter-world experience with socialist values at the forefront. We aim to create spaces where children and young people do not have to experience the discrimination and exclusion that they face in their everyday lives, but rather an experience based on cooperation, solidarity and equality.

We believe that no education is neutral and all education is underpinned by values, and is influenced by the experiences and background of the educator.

As we live in a capitalist system, most education either directly supports, or does not question the legitimacy of this particular way of organising society. SOCIALIST EDUCATION DOES NOT CLAIM TO BE NEUTRAL AND IS EXPLICITLY VALUE-BASED. SOCIALIST EDUCATION IS THE PROCESS OF EXPLORING, DISCUSSING AND REFLECTING ON THE WORLD IN LINE WITH OUR SOCIALIST VALUES OF SOLIDARITY, EQUALITY, DEMOCRACY, COOPERATION, INTERNATIONALISM, ANTI-CAPITALISM, PEACE, ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AND FREEDOM. We believe that a better world is based on these values, therefore we promote them through our educational work.

A SHORT LOOK BACK INTO HISTORY

Socialist education is as old as IFM-SEI’s first member organisations. In Denmark, for example, DUI was founded in 1905 to give children and young people the opportunity for independent development in respect for and in collaboration with other people. The founders clearly distanced themselves from the militarism of other youth movements and based DUI’s activities on the core principle of solidarity. In Austria, in 1908, working parents self-organised groups for their children.

During the first World War, the “Kinderfreunde” (child friends) became more and more active and quickly turned into a strong socialist educational movement. Also

our Israeli member organisations, the Labour Zionist youth movement Hashomer Hatzair and the HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed (Initially called Hanoar HaOved ("Working Youth") and affiliated with the trade union Histadrut) were founded as early as 1913 and 1924 respectively. In Germany, the Social Democratic Party (SPD), trade unions, workers welfare and the Socialist Workers Youth founded the German Kinderfreunde in 1923. Within just 10 years, it grew into an organisation of 100,000 children, 10,000 volunteer helpers and 70,000 parents in 1100 local groups. In the United Kingdom, the Woodcraft Folk was founded in 1925 with a strong anti-capitalist, anti-militaristic focus and ties to the Co-operative Societies and to the labour, pacifist, early feminist and trade union movements.

In all our member organisations, from the early days, the principles were similar:

Children should be educated in the spirit of the workers’ movement.

They should be free from authoritarianism, religion and militarism.

All children should be together in the same groups, no matter their gender.

Their opinions were as valid as those of adults.

Internationalism and peace were key elements.

All activities based on the values of solidarity and cooperation.

While the volunteers in these first organisations implicitly shared the same values, as all came from socialist workers’ movements – it is worth mentioning Otto

Kanitz of the Austrian, and KURT LÖWENSTEIN of the German Kinderfreunde, who, together with the socialist educato ANNA SIEMSEN, developed the educational

and political concept of socialist education.

After the First World War, socialist organisations thought that the development of a social-democratic society was the logical next step. It was for this society that they wanted to prepare their children, who would live and work cooperatively and in solidarity with each other, develop international friendships and oppose all wars.

The trademark of IFM-SEI members were the so-called “Children’s Republics”. During large camps, children could learn socialist principles not through teaching, but simply through experiencing them. Children took decisions about camp life in elected camp councils. The adults of the Kinderfreunde movement, such as Kurt Löwenstein, knew that children were able to do so much more than adults commonly thought. They just needed encouragement instead of punishment, support of their self-initiative and of responsibility for the community, and pleasure to do things together in the group between children and adults.

100 YEARS OF THE INTERNATIONAL FALCON MOVEMENT / SOCIALIST EDUCATIONAL INTERNATIONAL

As internationalism was such a key aspect for these first movements, some representatives from Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia came together as early as 1922 to found the “International Committee of Socialist Educational Organisations (SEI). By 1927, organisations from Denmark, Latvia, Hungary, Switzerland, France, Poland and Belgium had joined, and an international camp was held – the first international ‘Children’s Republic’ at Seekamp in Germany. In the 1930s more organisations joined the SEI from Norway, UK, Spain, Belgium, America and Sweden, but the organisation practically ceased to exist because of the political

suppression of the socialist children’s movements through the Nazis before and during the Second World War.

In 1946, an international camp held in Brighton, UK was instrumental in helping to restore the shattered international links between children and youth organisations dedicated to peace and social justice. An International Falcon Secretariat was set up in Amsterdam in 1947, and at a Congress in Nuremberg in 1953, the INTERNATIONAL FALCON MOVEMENT was officially founded. From the start, the basis of IFM was international co-operation, education for tolerance and respect of human rights, as well as the concept of socialist education.

IFM became more and more international in the 1960s with organisations joining from India and Israel, and the organisation began to work with the Global South and in solidarity with liberation movements across the globe. The first African member organisations Pionniers du Senegal and Pionniers du Mali were founded as soon as the countries liberated themselves from its colonial oppressor France.

IN 1970, SOCIALIST EDUCATION WAS ONCE AGAIN INCLUDED INTO THE ORGANISATION’S NAME. It now was: INTERNATIONAL FALCON MOVEMENT / SOCIALIST EDUCATIONAL INTERNATIONAL (IFM-SEI). This change of name demonstrated the willingness to cooperate with all organisations based on the same principles of socialist education – also those who didn’t have the same background as the traditional European Falcon groups.

(SOURCE: 24 STUNDEN SIND KEIN TAG NR. 31: SOZALISTISCHE ERZIEHUNG. SJD-DIE

FALKEN, 2013; WWW.IFM-SEI.ORG) 13

Understands and upholds core socialist values;

Is not neutral and takes the side of the oppressed;

Understands structural oppressions,is able to identify the mechanisms behind it and works towards change;

Upholds, protects and promotes human rights and is able to recognise violations of human rights;

Understands privileges and reflects on their own biases.

Has knowledge of and ability to implement non-formal education principles;

Actively uses intersectional principles to challenge normative practices;

Recognises the importance of meaningful and impactful child and youth participation;

Nurtures the development of collective identity as a central concept of social movements;

Is an active and empathetic listener;

A critical thinker who is open to question their own behaviours and encourages others to think critically.

Is empowering the participants

Manages to include participants from different backgrounds

and with different abilities. Provides a safe space, while preparing children for the outside struggle. Encourages activism.

CREATING SPACES FOR SOCIALIST EDUCATION

Socialist education can happen in informal or non-formal ways. INFORMAL SOCIALIST EDUCATION happens in unstructured spaces in our organisations – for example when we sit around a campfire, sing songs and discuss; when we cook and eat together in the group or just spend a relaxed evening together. We – children, young people and adults – simply learn by talking to each other and by showing our values through our attitudes and our behaviour. It is therefore important that the principles outlined in the second part of this toolkit are also applied in such informal spaces, that we really practice what we preach in our organisations as a whole!

NON-FORMAL SOCIALIST EDUCATION follows similar patterns as non-formal education activities provided by any other organisation. When we plan such non-formal educational processes, it is important to think about how we structure them. There is a flow from one step to the next, in which different parts of the EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING CYCLE should be addressed. This is the case for all our non-formal educational work – be it during weekly group nights, a weekend workshop or a summer camp.

SYMBOLIC EXPERIENCE

LEARNING THROUGH ABSTRACTIONS

ICONIC EXPERIENCE

LEARNING THROUGH OBSERVATION

DIRECT, PURPOSEFUL EXPERIENCE

LEARNING BY DOING

VERBAL SYMBOLS

VISUAL SYMBOLS

RECORDINGS, RADIO & STILL PICTURES

MOTION PICTURES

ESUCATIONAL TELEVISION

EXHIBITS

STUDY TRIP

DEMOSTRATIONS

DRAMATIZED EXPERIENCES

CONTRIVED EXPERIENCES

DIRECT, PURPOSEFUL EXPERIENCES

This means simply, we learn by making concrete experiences in the world, reflecting on and analysing them, and thinking about various types of knowledge that help us understand them. Learning by doing. Different from others, in socialist education we ask the question of how society can be organised to create human happiness and global equality. We centre our organisational and political values in these processes, seeing them underrepresented in formal education and the public sphere.

The flowchart below can help you plan educational activities such as workshops and seminars. It has different examples of activities, all with the same parts: An introduction/beginning, a middle phase, and an end phase of reflection/evaluation. Think about these phases when planning. You need to set the scene about why a certain topic is important. Then people need to feel a connection to it.

INTRO

Framing

- Ice-breaking

- Schedule

- Aims

THE FLOW OF EDUCATIONAL PROCESSES

MIDDLE PHASE

RELATION OF TOPIC TO SELF

- Reasons for engaging

- Why this is important

- How is that affects us

- Connection to organizational values

- Longer into combine it with biographical getting to know each older link it to the subject

TEAMBUILDING

GROUP AIMS IN DISCUSSION

DEEPER UNDERSTANDING

- Different means of going deeper into topic: Films, text, work discussions, lecture simulation activity.

- Work in a small groups, then present results in large group (typically)

- Choose methods based on aims and group: creative, active or playful methods also possible

SIMULATION/EXPERIENTIAL ACTIVITY

- This is also a means of participants relating the topic to themselves

- The aim is to replicate certain dynamics of the issue at hand

DEALING WITH TOPIC

- HOW TO EXPRESS?

PRODUCTION/ACTION PLANNING PHASE

REFLECTION/ EVACUATION/CLOSING

- EVALUATION

- REFLECTION

- SUMMARY

REFLECTION

- Recounting personal experience

- Relating to topic

DE-ROLLING /CLOSING

- PRESENTATION OF RESOULTS

- PLANNING NEXT STEPS

Afterwards there is an opportunity for learning more about it. And finally people should reflect on their knowledge and apply what they learned. This can work in different ways to the classic workshop (rows 1−2), such as the examples of the simulation game (row 3) or the project/action (row 4).

Remember, the best learning spaces are those where people feel comfortable and have fun, but also feel challenged and are able to discuss freely. This is at the core of socialist education as a practice to organise for social change.

3. SOCIALIST EDUCATION IN PRACTICE

THE MAIN AIM OF SOCIALIST EDUCATION IS SOLIDARITY

This is the core of child-friendly pedagogy. Löwenstein wanted to "create a solidarity environment between us and children". This demand is not only a didactic and methodical principle, but also a fundamental condition for the success of class struggle. The PROLETARIAN CLASS SOLIDARITY must include every generation of the class because adults can also learn from the collective process of life with children.

Today solidarity also means FIGHTING THE IDEOLOGY OF INDIVIDUALISATION AND FIGHTING FOR EQUALITY among all different marginalised and oppressed groups, including children. The environment that we aim to create is that of a safe(r) space. This means that the children and young people should not feel threatened, and they should have the space to express their views. WE STRESS THAT WE TRY TO MAKE A SAFE(R) SPACE, RATHER THAN A SAFE SPACE, AS WE ARE ALL PRODUCTS OF OUR SOCIETY AND PERPETUATE NEGATIVE OR PREJUDICED BEHAVIOURS BASED ON OUR PRIVILEGES. We practice solidarity, which means to feel safe in a group with the possibility to be who you want to be without being laughed at or discriminated against, and promoting empathy, understanding and acceptance of diversity and difference.

TIPS:

HOW TO CREATE A SAFE(R) SPACE?

Establish rules together with your group on how you want to treat each other, and follow them.

Establish clear boundaries - if someone disrespects the safe space through, this has to be addressed immediately - depending on the severity of it,

they might have to leave the group (e.g. in case of sexual harrassment).

Make sure that your group is truly accessible - e.g. by eliminating boundaries for people with disabilities and using accessible and inclusive language in all your communication. Check out the resources of IFM-SEI’s Dream our G-Local Movement project for more tips.

Make sure that the participants feel comfortable with each other. Allow enough time for group building and informal times together, be aware of group dynamics.

Respect everyone’s lived experiences - if someone says they have e.g. felt discriminated against because of their gender or the colour of their skin, believe them!

Ensure that the team is diverse, that the team members are aware of their own biases and prejudices and aware of the background and needs of the participants.

Sometimes it is important to create safe(r) spaces only for people who experience certain types of oppression in society, so that they can talk more freely about their experiences without oppressors being present. This means for example women* or BIPOC only (Black, Indigenous and People of Colour) only evenings.

> ACTIVITY “IN AND OUT”

> AGE: 6+ > TIME: 6-15 MinUTEs

The activity involves physical contact - adapt if the participants are not comfortable with it.

OBJECTIVES:

To show that there are differences and similarities between everyone

To experience how it feels to be in a minority

To raise awareness of accepting people into a group even if there are differences

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Ask the children to stand in a circle in a big room or outside.

2. Explain to the group that you will call out a statement and if the statement is true for them then they have to make a tight circle with the other people this applies to. If the statement is not true for them, they have to try to break into this circle. Make it clear that you cannot kick, punch or hurt other people and the game will be stopped if it becomes too aggressive.

3. Read out the statements below or make up your own (not only related to physical appearance):

Everyone who has brown hair

Everyone who has a dog or a cat at home

Everyone who is wearing trainers

Everyone who wears glasses

Everyone who has green eyes

Everyone who has a brother or sister

Everyone who drank orange juice at breakfast

Everyone who has watched TV today

4. Finish the activity with a group hug or massage circle.

DEBRIEFING

How did it feel being in the circle?

How did it feel to be on the outside trying to get in? How did you try to break into the circle?

If you succeeded in breaking into the circle, how did it make you feel?

Have you ever felt like you’re in the minority or majority in real life? If so, how did you deal with that?

This activity is taken from Rainbow Resources on addressing diversity and safe spaces in the context of gender and sexuality with children.

CHALLENGE: In the European IFM-SEI member organisations, the far majority of group leaders - and participants - is white, and most of them never had to reflect

on their own prejudices and biases. This makes it more difficult for BIPOC children and leaders to feel safe and motivated to engage.

IN PRACTICE:

IFM-SEI members ensure that their activities are affordable for everyone. The majority of activities are for free, and if families cannot afford activities that require a small fee, simple solutions are found for their children to attend.

In IFM-SEI and many of its member organisations, it is by now an established practice to start activities by not only asking the participants for their preferred name, but also their preferred pronouns - making it clear from the start that everyone can be called according to their preferences. This also raises awareness that not everyone goes by their assumed pronoun “he” or “she”.

> SOCIALIST EDUCATION IS A LIFELONG PROCESS

Socialist education is a lifelong process that does not simply take place as a one-off activity but is a long-term development of attitudes, understanding and empathy, whereby people can become critical thinkers and reflect on power structures in society, and give them the skills and tools to fight for a more equal and just world. This takes place in different settings and on different levels, through non-formal education and accompanied by informal learning. Education is not only for children. As we never stop learning in our life, educating the educators is very important for socialist education. We keep educating ourselves in pedagogical and political issues.

TIPS:

ACTIVITIES WITH PARENTS

Why don’t you organise a workshop for the parents together with the children in your group? The children could choose a topic that they would like their parents to learn about and organise a session together, including their favourite games and energizers. They could for example organise a workshop on children’s rights for their parents, and use it to discuss how they respect children’s rights as a family.

DEVELOPING COMPETENCIES

By developing your competencies, such as being a good communicator, creative thinking, being able to react to participants’ needs, you are also improving as a group helper, which means that you will be able to provide more for your group. Having a broad skill set is important for your work. Competencies are not something you are born with but rather something you can learn and train, and that mostly happens through experience

IN PRACTICE: TRAININGS OF TRAINERS

IFM-SEI regularly organises seminars for group helpers from our member organisations on specific topics, e.g. peace education or climate change. Sharing experiences is often the most valued element of these actixvities. Realising that they are not alone with their challenges both from society and inside their organisations, and that others around the world are working towards the same social changes, can be a real boost for their confidence and motivation as volunteers.

NO EDUCATION IS NEUTRAL

We believe that no education is neutral, and all education is underpinned by values, and is influenced by the experiences and background of the educator. Socialist education does not claim to be neutral and is explicitly value-based. Socialist education is the process of EXPLORING, DISCUSSING AND REFLECTING ON THE WORLD THROUGH RED GLASSES in line with our socialist values of solidarity, equality, democracy, cooperation, internationalism, anti-capitalism, peace, environmental sustainability and freedom. We believe that a better world is based on these values therefore we promote them through our educational work. Socialist education.

TIPS:

TAKE THE SIDE OF THE OPPRESSED

During discussions in your group, always openly take the side of the oppressed. Let the children and young people discuss, but don’t shy away from sharing your own opinion and encourage participants to see the world through red glasses, from an anti-capitalist perspective.

> METHOD: TAKE A STAND > AGE: 12+ > TIME: 60 min

OBJECTIVE:

To encourage discussion about any topic.

PREPARATION:

Come up with a list of controversial statements about the topic you want to address (e.g. “If you work hard, you can get out of poverty”.)

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Explain to the group that in this exercise they need to take a stand on different statements about your topic. They can only agree or disagree with a statement, nothing in between.

2. Agree with the group which side of the room stands for agreeing with a statement, and which one stands for opposing a statement. Once you have read out a statement, they need to go to the side of the room that stands for their answer.

3. Read out the first statement and wait until everyone has taken a side. Make sure no one stays in the middle of the room. Then you can invite some participants to explain their opinion – make sure you give both sides the chance to speak, and ask participants not to repeat what others have already said.

4. After hearing a few arguments, ask if anyone has been convinced and would like to switch sides, and let them explain why.

5. Then continue with the next statement. Make sure that discussions don’t drag on for too long, and that different people share their opinion during the activity. If everyone goes to the same side, you can also invite someone to play devil’s advocate and take the other side just for the sake of the argument.

DEBRIEFING:

Once all statements have been discussed, you can come back into a circle for the

debriefing with questions like:

For which statements was it most difficult to take a position? Why?

Are there any statements that you often hear from other people?

CHALLENGE:

It can sometimes be hard to let children and young people express their views if you do not agree with them politically. If their opinions clearly discriminate, you should point this out and challenge their views. Otherwise, help them reflect by asking open questions, encourage discussion in the group, and also share your opinions, but acknowledging that they are your points of view, not universal truths.

IN PRACTICE:

Working on sexual and gender identities with children is unfortunately still a taboo subject in practically all societies. IFM-SEI members take a clear stand on this issue through their work with IFM-SEI’s manual “Rainbow Resources”. The manual includes activities for children from 6−12 that explore issues of gender equality, love, different kinds of families and that challenge the heteronormative view on the world.

SELF-ORGANISATION

Adults don’t do something for children but together with them. On the one hand, it is an education aiming at productive, socially useful work. On the other hand, one of its goals is collective self-organisation of work and consumption. Group life, preparation of events, solidarity actions and above all the "Children's Republic" are possibilities to practise this. Self-organisation is the experience that we can change things if we do it together.

TIPS:

During your camps, follow the tradition of “Children’s Republics”. Let the children either vote for a camp council, or organise regular full assemblies to take decisions - e.g. on bedtime or programme. There will of course always be some rules that you have to set to guarantee children’s safety or following the law, e.g. on alcohol and drugs. Explain why some rules are non-negotiable, but live with the decisions that they take on negotiable things.

> ACTIVITY: WHO SHOULD DECIDE?

> AGE: Any (children and leaders)

OBJECTIVES:

> DURATION: 45 min

To think about participation appropriate to evolving capacities

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

1. Tell the group that you are going to read out a series of questions and they should think about who should make a decision in each situation. If they think the child(ren) should make a decision, they hold up the blue card; if they think the youth leaders should make a decision, they hold up the green card; and if they think both should make a decision together, they hold up the red card. You can see if the result changes when you ask about children at different ages. Discourage discussion at this point and leave it until the debriefing.

2. DEBRIEFING

How did you find responding to the questions? Which ones were easier to respond to and which ones were more difficult? Why?

Is there a right answer or a wrong answer to the questions? Why (not)?

What difference does the age of the child make?

Explain the concept of ‘evolving capacities’; that children require enhanced competencies for responsibility and for taking decisions. Children in diverse environments, cultures and life experiences will acquire these competencies at different ages. The contributions and decisions children can make and the capacities they possess should always be acknowledged.

Why is it important that children take decisions?

Are there areas where children should not take the decision?

About which kind of questions can children first take decisions?

Are children involved in making decisions in your organisation? Which decisions are they? Are there decisions that they take on their own?

What are some ways that children can participate in the decision-making in your group?

QUESTIONS:

Who should decide what game to play in the afternoon when you meet? At 3 years old? / At 6 years old? / At 11 years old?

Who should decide whether you should wear a raincoat when going out for a trip in the rain? At 3 years old? / At 9 years old? / At 14 years old?

Who should decide whether smoking cigarettes is allowed in the breaks of your activities?At 6 years old? / At 9 years old? / At 15 years old

Who should decide whether you can stay up later than midnight during summer camps? At 5 years old? / At 9 years old? / At 14 years old?

Who should decide whether you can use a mobile phone during a summer camp? At 6 years old? / At 10 years old? /At 16 years old?

Who should decide on the destination for the next weekend-trip? At 8 years old? / At 12 years old? /At 16 years old?

Who should decide on the transport to take for that weekend-trip? At 8 years old? / At 12 years old? /At 16 years old?

Who should decide on the activity programme of the organisation for the next semester? At 8 years old? / At 12 years old? /At 16 years old?

Who should decide on how to spend the budget of the group for the next semester? At 8 years old? / At 12 years old? /At 16 years old?

CHALLENGES:

Too often self-organisation is restricted by limited economic resources.In our capitalist world, it is difficult to organise anything without money, but unrestricted funding for youth groups - that they could use for spontaneous activities rather than things that need to be planned and applied for months in advance - is very rare.

Adults often “don’t want children to make the same mistakes” that they did when organising things for the first time. But firstly, the adults’ way might not have been the best anyway and children might find new solutions, and secondly, we all make mistakes, and through mistakes we grow. Stay calm and let the kids do their thing!

IN PRACTICE: CAMP COUNCILS

Large camps, called “Children’s Republics”, were a key feature of the Childfriend movement in the 20s and 30s. During the Children Republics, they created “camp councils”, where children were elected to represent others in the decision-making process. Already the elections were important reflection processes for the children - thinking about whether they want to take responsibility, or who they trust to represent them well. Once elected, they had to learn to keep their personal interests and the needs of the overall camp apart and take just decisions for the whole group. The earlier children learn to take such positions, in a safe environment, the more they will also do so in the outside world and feel empowered to influence society.

In the 70s, most groups of the German Falcons moved to a system of “camp plenaries”, as they deemed it more democratic when EVERYONE in the camp could take decisions together, without going through elected representatives. However, during large camps, these meetings can get so big that there is no space anymore to really discuss, and they are often just used to announce information. Also, when everyone decides together, each individual might think more of their individual needs than of the group’s needs. In reality, nowadays both models are mostly combined - plenary for the smaller camp villages, and a representative system for large camps as a whole.

Children’s councils can of course also make bad decisions, just like any council! Many adults might be annoyed when the children decide to get rid of fixed bed times, for example. The discussions about noise in the days after the decision, the arguments during council meetings, the considerations of alternatives, are however important learning moments for the children’s political socialisation. They learn from experience - through very real situations, but in a safe space.

(from: 24 Stunden sind kein Tag No 31, Sozialistische Jugend Deutschlands - Die Falken).

A WORLD FREE FROM OPPRESSION MEANS A WORLD FREE OF CAPITALISM

We strive for a world that puts people over profit and where every person can live in a world free of oppression. A world without oppression is not possible under the capitalist system, where some groups in society live lives of luxury and excess at the expense of other groups who do not have access to their basic civil, political, social, economic and cultural rights. Capitalism is perpetuated by creating divisions in society whereby the working class and marginalised and minority groups are pitted against each other. Capitalism only maintains current social order through inequality. Through socialist education we challenge the capitalist status quo and offer alternatives to capitalism in theory and practice. Only once capitalism is destroyed can we live in a world where all people are equal. We want to encourage children to act and give them confidence in the possibility of fundamentally changing the world. AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR WORK IS HELPING CHILDREN FIND TOOLS FOR ANALYSING SOCIAL AND POLITICAL STRUCTURES AND PROCESSES AND ASSISTING THEM IN REFLECTING THEIR POSITIONS IN SOCIETY AS WELL AS ARTICULATING THEIR OWN INTERESTS. We train and encourage children to solve their conflicts through negotiations and with respect to the opponent's position rather than violently or through discrimination.

TIPS:

VOLUNTEERING AGAINST POVERTY

In 2012, a group of IFM-SEI volunteers from different world regions spent one year in another IFM-SEI organisation to explore the topics of poverty and inequality together with children’s groups. Together, they created the documentary film “If

you are poor, I am poor”, showing reflections on poverty from children, young people and group helpers from around the world.

Why don’t you watch THE FILM together and then talk about it in your group in the context of capitalism and possible alternatives? Check with the IFM-SEI secretariat to receive it with subtitles in French, German, Spanish, Latvian or Indonesian.

The handbook “VOLUNTEERING AGAINST POVERTY” offers lots of educational activities on economic inequality caused by the capitalist system. For example this quick activity for younger children:

MAKING UP THE RULES OBJECTIVES

To appreciate how it feels to have no control over the rules

To understand that the rules are not the same for everyone in the capitalist system

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

1. Divide the group into two teams. Keep three people aside to form a panel that makes the rules.

2. The group should play a game of football. The panel can add new rules and change rules during the game. They should tell the players to stop and call out the new rules. The players should obey them. They should make some rules for everybody and some that just apply to one team. The same team should always face the disadvantage.

Suggestions for new rules: All players need to run with their hands behind their

backs. One team has their legs tied together in pairs. One team has a bigger goal than the other. One goalkeeper is blindfolded.

DEBRIEFING

How did it feel that other people kept making up new rules?

How did it feel to not be in control?

Why should those 3 people be allowed to change the rules?

How did each team feel to be advantaged/ disadvantaged?

Do you know of situations in real life where the rules are different for different people or where the rules are made by some people and obeyed by others?

Explain that the point of the game was to understand how it feels when you do not get a say in the rules, but you have to obey them. This is how it can feel for poor countries that have to obey rules made up by rich countries. For example at WTO (World Trade Organisation) meetings the rich countries have a lot of power, and they manage to influence the decisions that are made. Poorer countries can often not even afford to send a representative to the WTO meetings, so they do not have a voice. They still have to obey WTO rules, even if the rules are likely to have a negative effect on the poor countries.

Many countries subsidise products made by their own farmers and manufacturers. This means that they give producers money to grow or make their product. Producers from these countries can therefore afford to sell their products at lower prices, making it impossible for non-subsidised producers to compete.

After the debriefing, you can ask the group if they want to play again, but now with their own, fair rules.

CHALLENGE:

It is often difficult to live free from oppression and capitalism in our groups, when we are surrounded by an all-encompassing capitalist system. We want to give them “counter-world experiences”, but are still constrained by needs of money also for our groups and by privileges of some group members that are created in the society around us.

EMPOWERING CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE THROUGH EDUCATION FOR SOCIAL CHANGE

SOCIALIST EDUCATION MOTIVATES AND EMPOWERS CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE TO TAKE ACTION FOR SOCIAL CHANGE, GIVES THEM CONFIDENCE IN THE POSSIBILITY OF FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGING THE WORLD, AND TOOLS TO FIGHT THE SYSTEM. As a result of offering a counter-world alternative through our groups and activities, children and young people can see the changes that we want to see in wider society.

We believe that lots of small changes in society can bring about a big societal change. We believe children and young people are key actors of change in society and socialist education fosters critical thinking and encourages them to be reflective and question the society in which they live, for them to be active citizens and ambassadors of socialist values. An important part of our work is helping children and young people to find tools for transforming social and political structu-

res and processes. Socialist education supports every child and young person in developing the ability to act.

TIPS:

> MAKE PARTICIPATION REGULAR. Participation should not be an exciting one-off project, but should become something completely normal for the children and young people in your group. No matter how young your participants are, have, for example, a short evaluation round after each of your activities, asking your group how you could make activities better. If you don’t plan your programme together with the children and young people, you could introduce regular times where the group can decide what they want to do.

> TALK ABOUT WHAT’S HAPPENING AROUND YOU. No matter what the topic of your group work is, at informal moments, discuss what’s happening in your community and in the world with the children and young people. This will encourage them to seek information, and if you spot a topic that the group is particularly passionate about, you can include it in the official group programme to go deeper and get more involved.

> BE TRANSPARENT. Whatever you are planning with your group, you need to be transparent with the young people about the process. They need to know who is able to take a decision about their issue and what official role they are able to play. They also need to know from the start how much support they can get from you and others.

> PREPARE ADULTS FOR MEETINGS WITH CHILDREN. When you plan a meeting between children and adult decision-makers, make sure that you prepare the adults properly. Talk with the decision-makers in advance about the setting of the

meeting and also about the follow-up. How will they be able to take children’s opinion into account? How will the meeting be organised? In what format can the children share their opinions? Do they have to talk in front of a big group or can it be more informal? Don’t let the adults impose anything on you. You know your group and what works best for them. Make sure that all members of your group can be included, no matter their abilities, age or background.

> PREPARE CHILDREN FOR MEETINGS WITH ADULTS. The preparation with the children is of course also important. Make sure they understand who they are meeting and why they are meeting with these decision-makers. They should know what can result from this meeting and what cannot. Take enough time to prepare the topic of the meeting and inform them about the setting.

> NOT EVERYTHING IS INTERESTING. Children and young people don’t want to participate in everything. There will be lots of rather dry topics in your organisation that you don’t have to burden everyone with. Instead, find specific events where children can get involved in all aspects, from fundraising to running programme, for example at your annual summer camp. Then the children can see clear results of their participation, which will motivate them to stay active.

> BE AWARE OF THE LIMITS OF PARTICIPATION. Children also need to know they cannot change everything immediately. Don’t get their hopes up too high, but equally don’t demoralise them. You can show them examples of how things have changed in society – usually not with a big bang, but through steady engagement for a specific cause. When you plan an activity together, let the children and young people think about the limits of their participation project, and find solutions together on how they can try to push these limits.

> DON’T FORGET THE FOLLOW-UP. Children should always be informed about the

outcome of the process in which they participated and how their views were considered, no matter whether it is a positive or a negative outcome. Discuss with them why nothing happened and how they themselves can follow up the matter.

> BE PREPARED TO BE CHALLENGED. If you are ready to let children participate, then you also should be ready to be challenged. Children will tell you how you should change, and you need to be able to also support them through ideas that at first might sound crazy to your adult ears

Find more information, tips for educators and activities for children and leaders about participation in IFM-SEI’s CHILD PARTICIPATION HANDBOOK!

IN PRACTICE: Child-led advocacy example of a MO

The Superheoreos of Kids Got Rights! Project - the different groups of children from 7 organisations of IFM-SEI - worked on Children’s Rights and they were empowered on how to claim for their rights. Each group of Superheroes developed two workshops, one targeting adults and one targeting children to raise awareness about their rights. From all these knowledge and experiences they worked on complain procedure when children’s rights are being violated. Following these concrete actions, they created a social media campaign to spread these mechanisms to adults and to children.

DEMOCRACY AND MEANINGFUL PARTICIPATION OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE

Our groups and activities are not just delivered for children and young people but with and by children and young people. We promote peer education and that everyone has something of value to share with others. Within socialist education, children and young people are active players in their educational processes where they can practise collective self-organisation. Group sessions, preparation of activities and campaigns are planned with meaningful input from our children and young people.

In our work we practise what we think is a real, a socialist democracy. Everybody should have the possibility to participate in decisions on matters that concern them, no matter if they are the youngest group member or adults. We consider the needs and interests of minorities in the process of decision making. When a decision has been made everyone is responsible for its implementation.

Adults call themselves “helpers” rather than “group leaders” because we do not claim to be the big bosses who set the rules. We consider ourselves members of the group with more experience in life, whose task is to help the group on the way towards self-organisation. As an ideal, we aim at making ourselves obsolete. The advantage of being more experienced doesn’t mean that our opinions in discussion count more than those of others. After all, there may always be topics on which children are the experts, so that the adults can learn from them.

A useful exercise for your organisation is to go through the following ‘pathway to participation’, and check if you are actually ready for child participation. It follows the levels of Roger Hart’s ladder of participation, but focuses on organisational readiness and commitment. Readiness is related to the motivation for participation, and commitment is further explored in the following section on opportunities for participation when talking about power.

OBJECTIVES:

To reflect on what participants’ organisations are already doing to encourage participation and on how participants’ organisations could take further measures to improve participation and decision-making procedures

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Together or in small groups, go through the questions of Shier’s pathway to participation. For each question, the participants should think of concrete examples and write them in a footprint (drawn on paper), in one colour. You can encourage them by going through the different activities you have done during the year, or through all the aspects of one specific activity.

2. When you come to questions where you can’t find an example, you should put an empty footstep in a second colour on the path on the floor. Once you have gone through the whole pathway, try to find ideas for the steps that are symbolised by the empty footsteps. Cooperatively identify and decide on which steps

> ACTIVITY ‘FOOTSTEPS’ > AGE: LEADERS > TIME: 40 min

you would like to act upon, come up with concrete ideas to move forward and write these on the footprint outlines in a second colour.

DEBRIEFING

How was the activity?

Did you learn anything new about your group or organisation?

What did we identify that we are good at when it comes to encouraging child participation?

What did we identify that we can improve upon to encourage child participation?

Why is child participation important?

How can we measure whether we are improving? Will there be concrete results?

What challenges might arise?

SHIER’S PATHWAY TO PARTICIPATION

> LEVELS OF PAR TICIPATION

LEVEL 5 YOUNG PEOPLE SHARE POWER AND RESPONSIBILITY IN DESICION-MAKING.

LEVEL 4

YOUNG PEOPLE ARE INVOLVED IN DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES.

> OPENINGS

ARE YOU READY TO SHARE SOME OF YOUR ADULT POWER WITH YOUNG PEOPLE?

> OPPOR TUNITIES > OBLIGATIONS

IS THERE A PROCEDURE THAT ENABLES YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULTS TO SHARE POWER AND RESPONSIBILITY FOR DECISIONS?

IS IT A POLICY REQUIREMENT THAT YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULTS SHARE POWER AND RESPONSIBILITY FOR DECISIONS?

ARE YOU READY TO LET YOUNG PEOPLE JOIN IN YOUR DECISIONMAKING PROCESSES?

IS THERE A PROCEDURE THAT ENABLES YOUNG PEOPLE TO JOIN YOUR DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES?

IS IT A POLICY REQUIREMENT THAT YOUNG PEOPLE MUST BE INVOLVED DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES?

SHIER STATES THAT LEVEL 3 OF HIS MODEL IS THE MINIMUM PRACTICE NEEDED TO MEET THE REQUIERMENT OF THE UNCRC.

LEVEL 3

YOUNG PEOPLE’S VIEWS ARE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.

LEVEL 2

YOUNG PEOPLE ARE SUPPORTED IN EXPRESSING THEIR VIEWS.

LEVEL 1

ARE YOU READY TO TAKE YOUNG PEOPLE’S VIEWS INTO ACCOUNT?

DOES YOUR DECISION-MAKING PROCESS ENABLE TO TAKE YOUNG PEOPLE’S VIEWS INTO ACCOUNT?

IS IT A POLICY REQUIREMENT THAT YOUNG PEOPLE’S VIEWS MUST BE GIVEN WEIGHT IN DECISION-MAKING?

ARE YOU READY TO SUPPORT YOUNG PEOPLE IN EXPRESSING THEIR VIEWS?

DO YOU HAVE A RANGE OF IDEAS AND ACTIVITIES TO HELP YOUNG PEOPLE EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS?

IS IT A POLICY REQUIREMENT THAT YOUNG PEOPLE MUST BE SUPPORTED IN EXPRESSING THEIR VIEWS?

YOUNG PEOPLE ARE LISTENED TO. ARE YOU READY TO LISTEN TO YOUNG PEOPLE?

DO YOU WORK IN A WAY THAT ENABLES YOU TO LISTEN TO YOUNG PEOPLE?

IS IT A POLICY REQUIREMENT THAT YOUNG PEOPLE MUST BE LISTENED TO?

CHALLENGE: We promote peer education and that everyone has something of value to share, but sometimes we find that participants prefer to remain passive “takers”, instead of also sharing their knowledge with others. The “giving” can also happen through very small steps, just by participants sharing their opinions, being encouraged to propose topics they are interested in, or in informal spaces.

IN PRACTICE: The Pionniers of Mali use peer education to work on the topic of sexuality, usually a taboo subject in their society.

CHALLENGING HIERARCHY AND DISCIPLINE

Socialist education challenges the notions of discipline and hierarchy and we believe that we should strive for all members of a group to have equal status, no matter age, background or experience. HOWEVER WE MUST BE AWARE THAT OUR GROUPS AND ACTIVITIES CAN REFLECT OUR SOCIETIES AND WE MUST NAME AND IDENTIFY POWER STRUCTURES IN ORDER TO BE AWARE OF THEM AND CHALLENGE THEM. Socialist educators are facilitators of a group and a self-organisation process rather than owner of knowledge. Being more experienced doesn’t mean that your opinions in discussion count more than those of others and every person should be open to being challenged constructively. HAVING OPEN FEEDBACK AND REFLEC-

TION STRUCTURES AS A MEANS AND SPACE FOR FACILITATING CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM IS A CORE TOOL IN CHALLENGING HIERARCHY. We want to encourage children to act, and we know that an emancipated person needs to be educated. Education is crucial for participating in society and one needs to know a lot about the world we live in to explain and - most importantly - change it. Our work aims at enabling children to formulate their own standpoints and interests and at giving them the courage to stand up for them.

TIPS:

KNOW YOUR PRIVILEGE

Privileges are traits that you are born with and that put you at an advantage compared to others, such as the wealth of your parents, the colour of your skin, your gender or your sexuality. Most white, middle-class heterosexual people never think about how privileged they are, and how these privileges give them power over others. It means that there are certain things that you don’t have to experience or have to think about because of who you are. We cannot abolish these innate privileges inside our socialist education spaces, but we must be aware of them and challenge the power structures that result from them!

> ACTIVITY: “POWER FLOWER”

> AGE: 12+ > DURATION: 30 min

OBJECTIVES: To reflect on one’s own privileges

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Hand out a copy of the power flower to everyone. Explain that this is their personal power flower: It has 12 petals, each representing one facet or category of their social identity. Every petal has one outer and one inner part.

2. Ask everyone to colour the outer part, if they feel they have an advantage compared to other people in this segment of life. If they think they are not privileged or have a disadvantage, they should colour the inner part of the petal. They can also choose a different colour for each category. For instance, when completing the ‘Ethnic Group’ category, it would not be too difficult to agree that ‘white’ should go in the outer petal. The same might go if their mother tongue is the dominant & official language of the country you live in. If they are a migrant or a refugee, your ‘Legal Status’ might be a disadvantage for you.

3. Ask everyone to meet in pairs and compare their power flowers.

DEBRIEFING:

Have you ever thought about your privileges before?

Were you surprised that you have a privilege (or not) in one of these areas?

What power do your privileges give you?

What disadvantage do you have when you do not have a privilege?

What can we do to achieve more equality?

Activity taken from IFM-SEI’S MEMBERSHIP CAMPAIGN TOOLKIT.

CHALLENGE: In organisations that often bring together leaders of very different ages - from teenagers to grandparents - generational handover can be tricky! The older leaders of course have far more experience, and they don’t want young leaders to “make the same mistakes” they had done when they started out. It can be hard to let go and accept that younger leaders need to make their own experiences and that new ways can also work, or even be better than how “things have always been”.

ANTI-PATRIARCHAL AND INCLUSIVE APPROACH

In socialist education we strive for equality of outcome and need; this makes sure everyone has the same outcome depending on the needs and starting point of everyone. We recognise THAT GENDER IS A SOCIAL CONSTRUCT YET RECOGNISE THAT WOMEN AND PEOPLE OF OTHER GENDERS ARE OPPRESSED IN OUR SOCIETY, AND WE STAND UP AGAINST GENDER STEREOTYPES AND BINARIES IN SOCIALIST EDUCATION. We actively challenge discrimination on all levels and use education to challenge and transform prejudices.

> POWER FLOWER

Dream our Local G Movement

Diversity and Inclusion Checklist

TIPS:

The DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION CHECKLIST has been created to identify best practices for promoting diversity and inclusion at IFM-SEI. The checklist is a simple self-assessment guide that will guide you step by step through issues linked with diversity and inclusion in youth projects and local youth work. It will provide an understanding of compliance, cultural awareness, respect for differences, and coaching for positive change towards inclusive practices for all young people.

THE CHECKLIST HELPS ORGANISATIONS TO:

Look back: reflect on your current practices and acknowledge what you are already doing to advance an inclusive approach.

Look at: start being aware of what still needs to be done.

Look ahead: think about next steps and identify concrete actions to foster diversity and inclusion.

> ACTIVITY: SORTING SHOES > AGE: 10+ > DURATION: 15 min

OBJECTIVES:

To understand how exclusion happens.

To explain the differences between integration and inclusion

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

1. The participants stand in a circle and are asked to arrange themselves in groups depending on their type of shoe (i.e. trainers, sandals). Observe the group as they do this, noticing how they do it. Usually, they make comments like ‘No, no, yours aren’t the same… you go over there.’

DEBRIEFING1

How do you feel now?

What happened? How did you arrange the groups?

Why did you decide like this?

2. Ask the group again to divide themselves, this time depending on the colour of their shoes. The same sort of thing happens.

3. Tell those in the smaller groups that they can’t be involved in the session any longer. Then ask them how that feels.

4. Ask the group if they would be prepared to incorporate them and how they could do it. They might say things like ‘paint their shoes black’ (if black is the norm).

5. Let this continue for a while.

DEBRIEFING2

Were you inclusive this time around?

What did you do to include the smaller group?

How did the people in the smaller group feel about this?

Are there other things you could have done to include the other group?

Explain the difference between ‘integration’ and ‘inclusion’. The former integrates while the latter includes. Explain that the issue of inclusion is not about ‘integration’ (i.e. painting shoes black) but about inclusion (making adaptations ourselves to include others). What is fairer? Inclusion or integration?

What happens in our society?

IFM-SEI also has plenty of resources on inclusion - check out, for example, the ALL TOGETHER HANDBOOK, the ALL TOGETHER 2.0 INCLUSION WORKSHOP, the GENDER EQUALITY HANDBOOK and RAINBOW RESOURCES.

CHALLENGE:

Even if you are aware of accessibility and inclusiveness - making things fully accessible and inclusive can be challenging, especially when you like how things have been done in the past in your group. Some activities might not be possible anymore if you want to be fully accessible, and for some members it might be hard to swallow that things will change. Becoming more inclusive and diverse is a long and sometimes painful process of self-reflection followed by action, but it is important if you believe in IFM-SEI values, and will be rewarding for everyone involved in the end!

IN PRACTICE:

IFM-SEI always ensures that communication is done in English, Spanish and French and that translation is provided in meetings, so that activities are not restricted to English-speaking participants only.

The IFM-SEI secretariat also makes digital files accessible for people with visual impairments.

COOPERATION NOT COMPETITION

Only if people look after each other, work together and develop ideas in the spirit of solidarity will society develop in a positive way. Cooperation is powerful because we can create better things when we work together and learn from each other. And it is powerful because it is fair. When we cooperate, we don’t leave anyone behind. In cooperation, everyone contributes in whatever way they can in accordance with their needs, and everyone gets a fair share of the outcome. Socialist education promotes cooperation and cooperative activities over competition and competitive activities. Cooperation also means fighting the ideology of individualism.

TIPS:

COOPERATIVE ENERGIZERS

Energizers are fun, short activities to put energy (back) into a group at the beginning of a session during a seminar, before starting a village circle during a camp or in the middle of a group night. Let’s choose a cooperative energizer the next time

you need one:

> 4 UP: Everyone sits in a circle. Four people are asked to stand. They are only allowed to remain standing for ten seconds, although they may sit down sooner if they wish. As soon as one of the four sits down, somebody else in the circle must stand up to replace them: again, only for a maximum of ten seconds. The groups must make sure that no less and no more than four people are standing at the same time.

> GROUP JUGGLE: Everyone stands in a circle. You start passing a ball to each other saying the name of the person you are passing the ball to. You have to remember from whom you received the ball and to whom you passed it. Everyone should get the ball once (the last person throws it to the first). Once the circle is closed, start again with the same order and keep on passing the ball. Add new balls of different sizes to the circle, always respecting the same order. Try to get every round, lots of balls should fly in the circle at the same time.

> PILLOW RACE: Everyone sits in a circle. Every second person in the circle belongs to the same team. You have two pillows, one per team. At a signal, you start passing the pillow to your team members (every second person in the circle). if one pillow overtakes the pillow of the other group, the faster group has won.

> HUMAN MACHINE: One person starts by making a noise and movement and repeating this over and over. One after the other all participants will join with a new movement and noise until everyone in the group is making up a loud and powerful machine.

Find a lot more activities and information about cooperation and cooperatives in our COOPERACTION HANDBOOK!

IN PRACTICE:

During the CooperACTION project in 2013, IFM-SEI member organisations set up small youth-led cooperatives after learning about cooperative values and practices from around the world. The group from KKSP Indonesia, for example, decided to work on something related to KKSP’s work areas: outdoor education. Through outdoor activity, people develop responsibility, courage and teamwork, things that are also important in the co-operative movement. All members have been at many camps and hikes together with KKSP and know how to maintain tents and other equipment. So their co-operative ‘Kaki Langit’ (in English: horizon) sold and rented outdoor activity equipment and offered training for its members. All members of KKSP committed to use the services of Kaki Langit for all their outdoor activities. The services were also open for non-members who could order through an online form.

EDUCATION FOR INTERNATIONALISM

An important part of socialist education is challenging the idea of the nation and the promotion of internationalism. We challenge the notion of the nation because it is a category that creates boundaries, yields discrimination, and promotes the exclusion of others. However, we recognise that the reality divides the world in terms of nation states therefore within socialist education we promote the practice of ‘I am not my country’ – the practice that an individual is not responsible for the actions of their country or government. We want to see a world without borders where all humans have the right to move, live, work and love freely anywhere

TIPS:

in world with freedom from discrimination or stigma. An important part of our work is anti-racist education and education against the idea of nation. Especially for organisations inside Europe, it is useful to start A REFLECTION PROCESS ABOUT RACISM inside groups and organisations. Especially as socialists, we are often a bit too quick to say that we are anti-racist - but are you really? Do you listen to and believe the experiences of discrimination of racialised people? Do you talk about colonialism (in the past AND today) with children and young people? Do you acknowledge that your way of thinking and doing things is very much shaped by a Western world view, and not the only and best one? Being aware of white privilege and biases is a first very good step on the way to become an internationalist!

SPAN THE WORLD WITH FRIENDSHIP!

The best way to experience internationalism for your group is of course to get in touch with other IFM-SEI organisations from other countries. You can send each other videos, exchange game ideas, learn about each other’s countries and, of course, try to organise a camp together or meet at an international camp of IFM-SEI!

Other ideas to live international solidarity with your group:

Show your solidarity to the public and start a campaign, e.g. about the forgotten conflict in Western Sahara.

Actively include refugees and migrants into your organisations and empower them to become leaders.

Spice up your own camp and invite people from sister organisations.

Run a group night on a relevant international topic, e.g. the death penalty worldwide, Fair Trade, socialist experiences in different world regions.

Get involved in IFM-SEI’s global projects, attend our seminars and network meetings.

Organise a street action against racism and discrimination in your town.

Learn more about the topics of migration, refugees and racist visa policies through our ON THE MOVE handbook.

Find more ideas about how to live internationalism with IFM-SEI in our IFM-SEI

MEMBERSHIP CAMPAIGN TOOLKIT

IN PRACTICE:

At camps and festivals, participants often like to display all kinds of flags. That’s fine during IFM-SEI camps, too - but there is a strict policy not to display any national flags. Even when nationalism means a struggle against oppression in countries of the Global South, as opposed to an abuse of power in the Global North, in IFM-SEI we practice “I am not my country”. Participants never represent their country, just their organisation. They should not be criticised for the actions of their country’s government, but should also not celebrate national borders and the flags that symbolise them.

CONFLICT AS A TRANSFORMATIVE PRACTICE

Peace education is fundamental to socialist education. Conflict is not inherently a negative thing; it is a natural part of a group process, but we must be aware of the potential of a conflict evolving into violence. We educate and encourage children and young people to solve their conflicts through dialogue, negotiation and with respect to another person’s position rather than violently or through discrimination. Not every conflict has a solution, and we recognise that there will always be diverging opinions and needs between individuals and groups.

TIPS:

> ACTIVITY: ANIMAL STRENGTHS > AGE: 10+ > DURATION: 45 min

OBJECTIVES: TO FIND NEW WAYS OF RESOLVING CONFLICT BY DISCOVERING BEHAVIOUR MODELS

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Give participants examples of animals and their behaviour models. Ask participants to think about whether they can relate to any of these animals:

> OSTRICH: I hide my head into the sand until the conflict is over

> Dog: I scuff away quietly and chew on furniture when no one is watching

> Hawk: I fly above everything and pick my target for attack

> COYOTE: I use my brain to win

> Dolphin: I stay to fight if it is necessary but I would rather swim away

2. Ask participants to write down other animals and their features that could solve conflicts.

3. Ask participants to mark down the features that they think they have

DEBRIEFING

How could you use some of these features in a conflict situation?

How could you use these features in everyday situations?

Have a look at IFM-SEI’s handbooks “PEACE EDUCATION” and “BUILDING BRIDGES”. They are full of tips and educational resources on the topic. Also the following challenges are taken from the Peace Education handbook.

CHALLENGES:

As peace educators, we should also recognise the limits of peace education. Besides learning about conflict and peace, peace education is above all a learning process to change habits and attitudes. These cannot be changed overnight with one educational activity, but need considerable time and lots of patience. In cases where you work in the context of an ongoing armed conflict, you can often face push-backs coming from the society around you. Young people meet the other side, get to know each other, but are then faced by new shocks of violence. You might feel as if you take one step forward and are then forced to take two steps back. But remember that with peace education you are always one step ahead of where you would be without it.

Here, we want to give you some ideas on how to deal with challenges that you

could meet in your everyday work as a peace educator:

> A CONFLICT ‘CLASHES’ DURING YOUR ACTIVITY: When two sides become aggressive during the discussion of a conflict, you should give them some time out to calm down and end the discussion for the time being. Talk to them separately about why they clashed - was it because of personal experiences, or another unrelated conflict with the same participant? Separate from the group, bring them together so that they can calmly exchange their points of view, but also find things that they have in common. Realising that the other is not so different from themselves will help them to deal respectfully with each other, even if they are still in conflict. Come back to the conflict discussion in the group a bit later, establish clear rules for debate and give the clashing participants the chance to express their view once again, following these rules.

> SOMEONE SPREADS STEREOTYPES AND PREJUDICES: As educators, we should be aware that most people have stereotypes and prejudices against others. When you hear these comments, challenge them right away. It is best not to simply tell the participants that they are wrong, but rather ask questions that make them challenge themselves. The participants will not always be willing to self-reflect, so it is also important to speak against certain attitudes when they disrespect fundamental values. You can practice transforming stereotypes into questions, which will help to break them.

> YOU AS FACILITATOR HAVE A VERY STRONG OPINION IN A CONFLICT: Be honest. You can explain why it is difficult for you to remain neutral, and what shaped your personal view on the conflict. This can also help the participants to understand how opinions are formed and to understand that you speak from your own subjectivity, so there are other opinions and points of view. This will help them to use critical thinking and develop their own ideas.

> THIRD PARTIES SPEAK ON BEHALF OF OTHERS: Often in conflict situations, people who are not part of the conflict want to help and advocate on other people’s behalf. While seemingly wanting to be supportive, they often push the conflict parties into corners, not letting them explain their own perspective, feelings and needs. This can happen when, for example, you have participants from both sides of a conflict region in a workshop, together with participants from other countries. Make sure you give space to the participants in the conflict to tell their narrative, and talk with the group about what it means to show solidarity in a respectful way.

> THE SOCIETY AROUND YOU OPPOSES YOUR WORK: Not everyone wants peace, as bizarre as this might sound. When you face opposition to your work from parents, invite them to your activities and explain what you are doing. Maybe you can even organise a peace education process for them, where they can learn more about the other side and reflect on their own prejudices. When wider society puts pressure on you, you can also get support and solidarity from other organisations in the peace movement.

IN PRACTICE:

From the educational guidelines of IFM-SEI’s Beit Jala project between Israeli and Palestinian youth movements:

“We meet to create an alternative world to take action and decide about our role as youth movements. We don’t ignore the reality around us; on the contrary, we analyse, discuss, realise and talk about our roles. We choose a way of actions built on our values. During each meeting we discuss one topic related to the conflict and the current reality and analyse it, try to understand it and to take action in order to achieve the alternative life we want. By meeting each other we build trust.

We l> earn not just to hear but to listen and understand the other side and their point of view without fear. We don’t manipulate each other; we create an atmosphere of solidarity and learn to tackle each other’s fears and problems. We don’t just meet to meet; we meet to make a change, to have trust in each other in order to make sure peace is possible. We try to create an alternative way of life in the region, how it could and what it should look like. Because all of us search for real peace, the only one that will last”.

ADDRESSING THE CLIMATE CRISIS

Recognising that any kind of climate justice efforts should use a systemic and intersectional approach by encouraging young people to politicise the climate crisis and to challenge the individual-focused approach that is multiplied by popular culture and the media. Environmental sustainability should be promoted from a socialist educational perspective while empowering and supporting young people in their crucial role towards climate justice efforts by providing them opportunities for engagement.

TIPS:

It is very easy to fall into the trap of discussing only individual solutions to the climate crisis, such as how to decrease one’s individual carbon footprint. We fell into this trap and developed plenty of such activities in our ALL TOGETHER AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE project in 2011. As socialists, we must however put an emphasis on the systemic and intersectional approach of addressing the climate crisis!

Use IFM-SEI’s Resist! Toolkit to dive deeper into this topic. Discuss for example the connection between the climate crisis and racism in your groups.

Think about racial justice, intersectionality and decolonisation and reflect on the links between them and climate change through the workshop “If you didn’t know, now you know” (page 36) developed by Jorge Gómez from Integridad Absoluta as part of Resist! The Global Climate Divide:

> ACTIVITY: IF YOU DIDN’T KNOW, NOW YOU KNOW > AGE: 12+

> OBJECTIVES: TO EXPLORE RACIAL JUSTICE, INTERSECTIONALITY AND COLONIALISM

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Give everyone a person description individually and have them share this character (examples in annex I)

2. Ask them to place themselves on a line looking at who would be affected the most by climate change and who would be affected the least.

3. Discuss:

Can you order people? Is it easy or hard?

Is everyone affected by climate change?

Who in general is affected the most/least?

What are the structures in place that put some people more at risk than others?

Is it possible to have a climate activism that unites all of these people? How?

EXAMPLES OF ROLES:

> FIRST NATION TRIBE. You are a member of an indigenous tribe. Your community is dependent on natural resources and moving around. Increased weather extremes and variability impacts domestic and wild plants and animals making your food and lifestyle unsustainable. Environmental degradation erodes the quality of life dependent on the purity of the land, water, flora and fauna, and affects your cultures, languages and spiritual health and well-being.

> INDIVIDUAL IN FLOOD RISK AREA, UK. You live in the North of the UK. Changes in the weather have led to flood risks becoming more frequent in your area. You cannot get insurance for your house, you have to reduce your working hours when the flooding comes which reduces your income and puts you and your family under the poverty line.

> BLACK WOMAN IN THE USA. You live in an Black majority area as racist housing policies prevent you from getting a mortgage in “desirable” areas. Your area has extremely high exposure to environmental hazards with the water contaminated by uranium making it unsafe to drink. You have tried to protest and bring this to the attention of policy makers in your area however this is dangerous as the police use tear gas, beat up and kill black people.

> BUSINESSMAN FROM JAPAN. You are a businessman from Japan involved in the sales of Toyota electric cars. Intense and extreme weather events such as typhoons and tsunamis are becoming more frequent and are a real risk to you, your young children and to your business that you rely on to feed your children.

> FARMER ON THE EDGE OF THE SAHARA. You live on the edge of the Sahara and farm for a living. Rising temperatures are increasing desertification which is reducing

the amount of fertile land to live off. In order to increase the yields from crops you decide to grow tobacco as it is a cash crop. This increases your profit when the weather is right for growing but also cannot feed your family. When the weather is bad you cannot grow tobacco or food.

> POLITICIAN FROM VIETNAM. You are an economic minister in Vietnam. Developmental strategies for economic growth are made more difficult by following global warming policies. Vietnam could lose 11% of its GDP as climate change could affect agriculture, tourism and fishing in the region. If you choose to invest in industries that are profitable it is good for your country's economy and brings up the quality of life in Vietnam but investing in these same industries contributes to global warming. You think whatever happens you will be voted out and lose your job.

> REFUGEE FROM SYRIA. You are a refugee fleeing the conflict in Syria with your family, this conflict was exacerbated by droughts in the region caused by climate change. You and your family are now in a refugee camp in a much colder winter than normal. Your camp has covid-19 cases and testing kits and medication are not available, as supplies cannot get to you as there are unprecedented storms at sea.

> LITHIUM MINER IN BOLIVIA. You mine lithium from salt deserts for phone and electric car batteries. The mining is increasing droughts which threatens livestock farming and leads to vegetation drying out. New green methods of mining lithium threaten your livelihood as you have invested in the mining of lithium.

IN PRACTICE: The Pionniers of Mali have planted a tree nursery for the protection from erosion and advancing of the sea, which they reforest every August.

4. TALKING ABOUT SOCIALISM AND SOCIALIST EDUCATION

ACTIVITIES ON SOCIALISM

While IFM-SEI members clearly base their educational work on socialist values, many organisations rarely speak about socialism as such. This is mostly due to socialism seen critically in their societies - either because of the strong liberal mainstream and a fear that parents or funders would see the organisation negatively, or because the socialist or social-democratic parties in their countries do not fully reflect our socialist values, and we do not want to see associated with them. However, in order to promote the socialist world we want to live in, we should definitely not be afraid to talk about its concept!

Therefore, this last chapter includes educational activities about socialism for different age groups, as well as a couple of activities about socialist education as such that you can use in trainings for new and old group helpers in your organisations!

SOCIALIST HUMAN STATUES

> AGE: 10 YEARS AND OLDER > TIME: 60-90 MIN OBJECTIVE: TO DISCUSS OUR UNDERSTANDING OF SOCIALIST VALUES AND SOCIALISM AS SUCH.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Ask the group to shout out the values of their group and organisation. Collect the terms on a flipchart. In the end, you should have terms such as equality, friendship, peace, solidarity, justice and sustainability, but it is also okay if the group adds other words that are important to them.

2. Divide the group into smaller groups of 4−5 people. Give each group a different term from those collected and ask them to develop a human statue of this term: with their bodies, they should form an image that portrays this term. Give them 15 minutes to come up with their statue.

3. After 15 minutes, come back together and show the statues to each other. After each, ask the rest of the group to explain what they have seen. How do they interpret the statue? Do they agree on how they have defined the term through the statue?

4. Once everyone has presented their statue, ask the groups to go back into their small groups and now think about a statue that portrays the whole set of these values - socialism - as such. With older participants, you could also skip the first step and start right ahead with statues about socialism.

5. After 15 minutes of preparation, once again present the statues to each other. After each presentation, first ask the others to describe what they see. Then ask the presenting group to explain how they came up with their statue and what it signifies to them.

6. After all groups presented, debrief. The following questions can guide you, but you can also come up with your own depending on the age and experience of your group.

Was it difficult to come up with the statues? Why, or why not?

Have you ever thought about the term socialism before?

How do other people in your school, or family, would describe socialism?

Is there one socialist value that is more important to you than the others? Or less important?

WHAT MAKES MOVEMENTS AND PERSONALITIES SOCIALIST?

> AGE: 12 YEARS + > TIME: 90 min

OBJECTIVE: TO GET TO KNOW SOCIALIST MOVEMENTS AND PERSONALITIES AND TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS SOCIALIST ABOUT THEM.

MATERIALS: Information about selected movements and personalities from the internet, or internet access and devices.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Ask the group to name social movements and personalities they know from history or today from around the world. Write all of them on a flipchart.

2. Then form small groups of 3−5 people. Depending on the time available, the age and experience of your group, either ask them to each pick one movement or person that they have named themselves, or distribute cards with movements or persons prepared by you. If you let them pick, make sure that you have collected movements from around the world and from different time periods (you can add some yourself in the brainstorming). Possible movements/people to research are:

> BLACK PANTHERS

> FRIDAYS FOR FUTURE

> MOVIMENTO DOS TRABALHADORES SEM

TERRA (MST) - LANDLESS WORKERS

MOVEMENT, BRAZIL

> SUFFRAGETTES

> FLORA TRISTAN

> SALVADOR ALLENDE

> ROSA LUXEMBURG

> ALEXANDRA OCAZIO-CORTEZ

> JAWAHARLAL NEHRU

> SIRIMAWO BANDARANAIKE

3. Now, depending on time available and level of experience, ask the groups to either research freely on the internet, or through material prepared by you, about the movement/person, their political goals and methods. They should prepare a poster with information about their movement/person. They

should point out what made these movements socialist, or why they might not be socialist. Give 30 minutes if you provide the information, or 60 minutes if they search on their own.

4. Then, each group presents their movements/individuals. After each, ask first the presenting group and then the others:

What do you think about the movement/person?

Do you agree with their goals? Do you agree with their methods?

Were they successful? Why (not)?

THE MIGHTY SONG OF PEACE

> AGE: 6+ > OBJECTIVE: TO INTRODUCE SOCIALIST VALUES THROUGH MUSIC

MATERIALS: Poster with the song lyrics and a translation, possibly internet access to listen to it.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Explain that you will learn a new English song together, sung by our friends from the Woodcraft Folk: THE MIGHTY SONG OF PEACE. Play the recording (of a part of the song) or sing part of the song to them.

2. Then show the lyrics and read them together in English and in your language.

3. Sing the song together.

4. Talk about the values mentioned in the song: freedom, friendship, justice, unity and peace. Ask if they understand the terms? What do they mean to them? Do they exist in your group and organisation?

THE MIGHTY SONG OF PEACE WILL SOON BE RINGING

SOON BE RINGING, SOON BE RINGING.

THE MIGHTY SONG OF PEACE WILL SOON BE RINGING

ALL OVER THIS LAND.

ALL OVER THIS LAND, THIS LAND.

ALL OVER THIS LAND, THIS LAND.

THE MIGHTY SONG OF PEACE WILL SOON BE RINGING

ALL OVER THIS LAND.

THE MIGHTY SONG OF UNITY AND PEACE WILL SOON BE RINGING

SOON BE RINGING, SOON BE RINGING.

THE MIGHTY SONG OF UNITY AND PEACE WILL SOON BE RINGING

ALL OVER THIS LAND.

ALL OVER THIS LAND, THIS LAND.

ALL OVER THIS LAND, THIS LAND.

THE MIGHTY SONG OF UNITY AND PEACE WILL SOON BE RINGING

ALL OVER THIS LAND.

THE MIGHTY SONG OF JUSTICE, UNITY AND PEACE WILL SOON BE RINGING

SOON BE RINGING, SOON BE RINGING

ALL OVER THIS LAND, THIS LAND

THE MIGHTY SONG OF FRIENDSHIP, JUSTICE, UNITY AND PEACE WILL SOON BE RINGING SOON BE RINGING, SOON BE RINGING

ALL OVER THIS LAND, THIS LAND .

THE MIGHTY SONG OF FREEDOM, FRIENDSHIP, JUSTICE, UNITY AND PEACE WILL SOON BE RINGING SOON BE RINGING, SOON BE RINGING…

ALL OVER THIS LAND, THIS LAND….

THE MIGHTY SONG OF NAME OF YOUR ORGANISATION, FREEDOM, FRIENDSHIP, JUSTICE, UNITY AND PEACE WILL SOON BE RINGING

SOON BE RINGING, SOON BE RINGING…

ALL OVER THIS LAND, THIS LAND…

IMAGES OF SOCIALISM

> AGE:12+ > OBJECTIVE: TO DISCUSS WHAT SOCIALISM MEANS TO PARTICIPANTS THROUGH IMAGES

MATERIALS: Printed and cut images that display socialist values, or violations of socialist values (e.g. about inequality, working conditions, environmental destruction, peace, etc.)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Distribute the images around the room - either on the floor or pinned onto the wall. We strongly recommend that you add more images that are adapted to the age and context of your group. They should

2. Ask participants to slowly walk around and look at the images for five minutes.

3. Then, ask participants to stand at or take the image that they feel most strongly about - either because they find what is portrayed very important, or because they find it most beautiful - it should speak strongly to them.

4. Then ask participants - depending on the number of participants all or just some - to talk about their image: What does it show? How are people feeling? What do they like about it? What do they not like about it?

5. Once people have spoken, ask them to think about: If they could, would they want to change the situation in the photo? How? Ask some participants to share their ideas.

6. Then, ask what their ideas have in common. You can write notes on a flipchart. Discuss how their ideas are socialist - bringing more equality, peace and justice for the people.

IMAGES:

1. OPRE ROMA: PROTEST OF ROMANI PEOPLE IN A SEGREGATED NEIGHBOURHOOD. OPRE ROMA = ROMA RISING

2. DEFORESTATION OF THE AMAZON RAINFOREST

3. WOMEN GETTING OUT OF LUXURY CAR TO GET INTO PRIVATE PLANE

4. WORKERS IN A MEAT PACKING FACTORY

5. SCALE WITH RICH MAN ON ONE SIDE, MANY PEOPLE ON OTHER SIDE

6. FREE PALESTINE

7. CHILD LABOUR

8. SYSTEM CHANGE, NOT CLIMATE CHANGE

9. CHILD WITH MONEY

10. MINING IN AFRICA

WHAT MAKES MOVEMENTS AND PERSONALITIES SOCIALIST?

> AGE: 12 YEARS + > TIME: 90 min (depending on group size)

MATERIALS: Statements from Annex 1 written on A4 posters and stuck on walls in room

This activity has been developed using the statements that the participants of IFM-SEI’s Resist! project generated in a workshop of the same name.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Stick the statements up on the walls or spread around the room. If you have a larger space available, you can spread them over a large area/different rooms.

2. Ask the participants to walk around and read each of the statements (in no particular order). If they are reading at the same time with someone else, they can discuss the meaning and their thoughts about it. (20 mins)

3. Once everyone has read each statement, tell people to stand by the one that interests them most (it can be because they strongly agree, do not agree, or maybe don’t quite understand it).

4. Then split into small groups based on which statements people have chosen, if people are alone, group them together so that the groups are of a roughly equal size.

5. Ask the groups to arrive at an understanding of capitalism and anticapitalism, beginning the discussion with their quotes. They should produce a poster explaining their ideas. (20−30 mins)

6. Present back and discuss people’s different ideas (20−30 mins)

What are the common ideas about capitalism/anticapitalism?

How are the presentations different?

Why are there so many people who support a capitalist economic system

Can we reach a common understanding?

Why is anticapitalism connected to climate justice?

STATEMENTS:

Creating a fairer world.

Opposing societal norms that lead to inequality and injustice.

Fight against a society which is built on the exploitation of nature and labour and a society that splits us into two genders and that is inextricably linked to racial inequalities.

To recognise the inherent flaws and failures of capitalism, and to suggest better ways of organising an economy.

Pushing back against a system that is built upon financial/economic growth and instead taking an approach that values other aspects such as our envi-

ronment, health and social connections as opposed to a consumerist disposable “time is money” mentality.

Breaking down exploitative, oppressive systems that capitalism upholds in its continued striving for financial gain.

Resisting a political and economic system that favours a small percentage of society whilst oppressing and marginalising the majority. Being anti-capitalist means recognising and fighting against inequalities on all scales, local to global.

Anti-capitalism to me means freedom and having equal opportunities in life.

Being anti-capitalist means that you acknowledge your position in society and use your privilege to challenge an undemocratic and unsustainable system.

ACTIVITIES ON SOCIALIST EDUCATION FOR LEADERS

TAKE A STAND ON EDUCATION

> AGE: 30-60 min, depending on the number of statements discussed

> OBJECTIVES: TO REFLECT ON OUR EDUCATIONAL VALUES

MATERIALS: Posters with YES and NO, displayed on opposite sides of the space. We encourage you to add your own statements, depending on your organisation’s context.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Explain to the group that you will read out a series of statements about education. For each statement, they should decide whether they agree or disagree with it, and then go to the side of the room with the YES poster if they agree, or to the NO side if they don’t agree.

2. Once everyone has chosen a side (no one should be in the middle - even if they are not sure they should pick one side, but can change it later), ask some people to share why they have chosen this side. Let first a person of the “YES” side speak, then someone from the other side etc.

3. If someone is convinced by an argument of the other side, they can switch sides. If no one joins one side, a facilitator can also join in to play “Devil’s advocate”.

4. After a few minutes of discussion, continue with the next statement.

STATEMENTS:

As an educator, you should remain neutral in discussions between participants.

Children should be able to decide what they want to learn.

We should not talk about political parties with children, as this could be seen as political indoctrination.

As educators, we should try to avoid conflicts between participants.

As educators, we need to prepare the children to be successful in the world we live in.

During our camps, we should let children make all decisions through camp councils.

Nonformal education cannot take space in formal education settings.

It is important, that in our activities, we also give spaces that are reserved for discriminated groups, such as only women* and girls* or only People of Colour.

DREAMING OUR PERFECT EDUCATIONAL SETTING

> OBJECTIVES: TO REFLECT ON THE CONDITIONS WE NEED FOR EDUCATIONAL WORK AND TO START PLANNING BETTER EDUCATIONAL SPACES

MATERIALS: Lots of craft materials - toilet paper rolls, cardboard,wool, paint, paper, scissors, glue, etc. - whatever you have available.

> TIME: 90 min

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Explain that we so often think about everything that restricts us and our organisations. Instead of thinking of restrictions, today we want to dream about the perfect setting for our educational work.

2. For this, split the participants into smaller groups of 3−4 people. In their small

groups, they should think about how the perfect setting would look for their groups: What kind of space would they have? What kind of support? What activities could they do with children and young people? Who would be in their groups? They can build a model of the perfect socialist education space, paint their “dream Falcon group” or even prepare a play about their dream. Give them ample time to prepare, 45 minutes at least.

3. Come back together and present the “dreams” to each other.

4. Discuss:

What in your dreams do you already have in place?

What do you think is possible to achieve, what is impossible?

What can you change to come closer to the dream? What are you willing to change?

Did you think about aspects such as becoming more inclusive or offering a safer space for children and young people?

If your dream was a reality, what would this change for the children and young people in your group?

MORE RESOURCES ON OUR SOCIALIST VALUES

IFM-SEI has a wealth of educational handbooks and toolkits about socialist values. They can be useful for any educator, in non-formal and formal settings, who is looking for activities following non-formal education methodology. Most toolkits also have great tips for facilitators on the topics addressed and on nonformal, socialist education in general.

CHECK OUT OUR RESOURCES ON THE FOLLOWING TOPICS ONLINE:

> COOPERATION AND COOPERATIVES:

> CooperAction (ENGLISH, FRENCH, SPANISH)

> ANTI-CAPITALISM:

> Volunteering against Poverty (ENGLISH, GERMAN, SPANISH, FRENCH)

> CHILD PARTICIPATION:

> Child Participation Handbook (ENGLISH, SPANISH, GERMAN)

> ADDRESSING THE CLIMATE CRISIS:

> Resist! The global climate divide (ENGLISH, FRENCH, SPANISH)

> All Together Against Climate Change (ENGLISH, GERMAN)

> PEACE EDUCATION:

> Peace Education Handbook (ENGLISH, FRENCH, SPANISH, GERMAN, ARABIC, HEBREW)

> Building Bridges Toolkit (ENGLISH, SPANISH)

> Children On the Move: Emotional wellbeing in displaced young people, and how you can support it (ENGLISH)

> Peacemakers of Tomorrow: Toolbox for peace and conflict education (ENGLISH)

> INTERNATIONALISM:

> On the Move: Educational resources on migration, refugees, visa and regional youth work (ENGLISH, FRENCH, SPANISH)

> IFM-SEI Membership campaign (ENGLISH)

> Equality:

> Rainbow Resources (ENGLISH, FRENCH, SPANISH, GERMAN, FINNISH, LITHUANIAN, ITALIAN)

> I Act - Manual for the prevention of sexual violence (ENGLISH, FRENCH, SPANISH)

> Gender Equality Handbook (ENGLISH, GERMAN, SPANISH)

> Inclusion:

> All Together Handbook (ENGLISH)

> Dream our G-Local Checklist (ENGLISH, FRENCH, SPANISH)

> Dream our G-Local Movement Handbook

(ACCESSIBLE DIGITAL ENGLISH, ROMANES, SPANISH, FRENCH)

> Let’s Talk about Sex Zine (ENGLISH)

Socialist EducatiON TOOLKIT

With the support of the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union

"Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.”