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.