Refugees and IDPs
Here are some fun activities for you to try in class or with your friends on refugees and IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons)
Materials:
Marker pens and large sheet of paper
Get into groups. You have 5 minutes to discuss what you would take with you, but keep in mind that you may have a long journey on foot ahead of you!
You can only take 5 items. You have to list them in order of importance and present to your class the reasons why you chose each item.
You can choose from the following 16 items:
Matches Personal CD player
Football Photo album
2 Jumpers Rope
Gameboy Plasters
Mobile phone Paper and pens
Tent A loaf of bread
2 litre bottle of water Blanket
Pyjamas Books/Comics
Can you think of anything else that is more important than an item listed above?
Imagine you are living in an IDP camp. Fortunately, a school is being set up and you have been provided with some low desks. Using paper and sellotape, make a stool to sit on. Make sure that once it is finished it can take your weight without breaking.
Spend 15 minutes answering the following questions:
Teacher to present differences between needs (rights) and wants. For example, to go to the doctor when you are sick is a need (right), to watch your favourite programme on TV is a want.
Make a list about the rights every person should have.
Teacher to ask students to present their lists and discuss students' lists of rights they feel they/everyone should have.
Now compare to whether IDPs and refugees have those rights met.
What are the differences?
You are a refugee who has just arrived in New Zealand and it's your first day at school. You cannot speak any English. By yourself, think of questions you might need to ask to get through your first day. For example, you might need to ask where the cafeteria is. Try to be original.
Get into groups. Each person should take turns to individually act out your questions to see how easy it is to make yourself understood. Remember, no speaking!
Case Study 1
Name: Furdos Ali
Gender: Female
Date of Birth: 12 October 1979 (age 26)
Country of Birth: Iraq
Reason for application for refugee status: War in Iraq
How has it affected the applicant?
* Hometown destroyed by bombs; very dangerous situation.
* Mother and father killed in bombing; brother missing.
* Unsafe for applicant to continue living in Iraq as lone female.
Case Study 2
Name: Khan Mohammed
Gender: Male
Date of Birth: 21 January 1988 (aged 17)
Country of Birth: Afghanistan
Reason for application for refugee status: War and drought in Afghanistan
How has it affected the applicant?
* Forced to move to Pakistan 5 years ago when he was only 12.
* Supports his family by scavenging paper and plastic bags for 10-12 hours a day to be resold, earning 50-60cents a day.
* Wants the chance to have a better life and to provide well for his family so that they no longer go hungry.
Case Study 3
Name: Alaa Hamdan
Gender: Female
Date of Birth: 12 August, 1990 (aged 15)
Country of Birth: West Bank (territory)
Reason for application for refugee status: Fighting and poverty
How has it affected the applicant?
* Alaa has spent her entire life in a refugee camp alongside 250,000 others. There is no electricity and poor sanitation.
* Conditions are very bad for her health and she has night blindness from malnutrition (lack of Vitamin A).
* Alaa goes to school in her camp; she studies hard and wants the chance to live a normal life in a new country.
Case Study 4
Name: Abdullah Hamim
Gender: Male
Date of Birth: 7 March 1992 (aged 13)
Country of Birth: Sudan
Reason for application for refugee status: Fighting and ethnic cleansing
How has it affected the applicant?
* Abdullah was separated from his parents when they were forced out of their homes by attackers who burned down their village.
* Since then he spent over a year searching for his parents in different IDP camps; he finally found an Uncle who told him his parents were dead.
* Abdullah is orphaned and homeless; even when the war ends, he has nothing to go home to.
Case Study 5
Name: Khadeeja Moosa
Gender: Female
Date of Birth: 24 July 1958 (aged 47)
Country of Birth: Maldives
Reason for application for refugee status: Natural disaster (tsunami)
How has it affected the applicant?
* Khadeeja watched her entire family get swept away by the tsunami.
* Her home and the hospital she worked in have both been destroyed.
* The psychological effect on Khadeeja has been great; she has two brothers in New Zealand who want her to live with them so that they can help her recover.
What would you take?
It's the middle of the night and you get woken up suddenly by the sound of gunfire. War has broken out in your country. Everybody wakes up. You look out of the window and see your neighbours running with a few belongings; the soldiers are coming closer with guns. You need to leave your house as soon as possible as you are in danger. There is no-one to protect you and your family.Materials:
Marker pens and large sheet of paper
Get into groups. You have 5 minutes to discuss what you would take with you, but keep in mind that you may have a long journey on foot ahead of you!
You can only take 5 items. You have to list them in order of importance and present to your class the reasons why you chose each item.
You can choose from the following 16 items:
Matches Personal CD player
Football Photo album
2 Jumpers Rope
Gameboy Plasters
Mobile phone Paper and pens
Tent A loaf of bread
2 litre bottle of water Blanket
Pyjamas Books/Comics
Can you think of anything else that is more important than an item listed above?
Make a stool!
(Individual activity)Imagine you are living in an IDP camp. Fortunately, a school is being set up and you have been provided with some low desks. Using paper and sellotape, make a stool to sit on. Make sure that once it is finished it can take your weight without breaking.
Question time
(Class discussion)Spend 15 minutes answering the following questions:
- By yourself) If you had the chance to ask a refugee one question, what would it be? Write your answer and present it to the class.
- What do you think would be the first words you would need to learn in a new country?
- (In pairs) New Zealand resettles 750 refugees a year. Is that too many or too little? Is the help refugees get in New Zealand too much or too little? What do you think would be the best way for people to help you?
- A refugee has started at your school. What would you do to help them feel welcome?
Our rights and needs
(Class activity)Teacher to present differences between needs (rights) and wants. For example, to go to the doctor when you are sick is a need (right), to watch your favourite programme on TV is a want.
Make a list about the rights every person should have.
Teacher to ask students to present their lists and discuss students' lists of rights they feel they/everyone should have.
Now compare to whether IDPs and refugees have those rights met.
What are the differences?
Pictionary
(Group activity)You are a refugee who has just arrived in New Zealand and it's your first day at school. You cannot speak any English. By yourself, think of questions you might need to ask to get through your first day. For example, you might need to ask where the cafeteria is. Try to be original.
Get into groups. Each person should take turns to individually act out your questions to see how easy it is to make yourself understood. Remember, no speaking!
Can you decide?
Imagine that there are many asylum seekers waiting to have their cases heard in New Zealand. Look at the 5 case studies below. If you could allow just one person to be allowed to stay in New Zealand as a refugee, who would you choose? Why?Case Study 1
Name: Furdos Ali
Gender: Female
Date of Birth: 12 October 1979 (age 26)
Country of Birth: Iraq
Reason for application for refugee status: War in Iraq
How has it affected the applicant?
* Hometown destroyed by bombs; very dangerous situation.
* Mother and father killed in bombing; brother missing.
* Unsafe for applicant to continue living in Iraq as lone female.
Case Study 2
Name: Khan Mohammed
Gender: Male
Date of Birth: 21 January 1988 (aged 17)
Country of Birth: Afghanistan
Reason for application for refugee status: War and drought in Afghanistan
How has it affected the applicant?
* Forced to move to Pakistan 5 years ago when he was only 12.
* Supports his family by scavenging paper and plastic bags for 10-12 hours a day to be resold, earning 50-60cents a day.
* Wants the chance to have a better life and to provide well for his family so that they no longer go hungry.
Case Study 3
Name: Alaa Hamdan
Gender: Female
Date of Birth: 12 August, 1990 (aged 15)
Country of Birth: West Bank (territory)
Reason for application for refugee status: Fighting and poverty
How has it affected the applicant?
* Alaa has spent her entire life in a refugee camp alongside 250,000 others. There is no electricity and poor sanitation.
* Conditions are very bad for her health and she has night blindness from malnutrition (lack of Vitamin A).
* Alaa goes to school in her camp; she studies hard and wants the chance to live a normal life in a new country.
Case Study 4
Name: Abdullah Hamim
Gender: Male
Date of Birth: 7 March 1992 (aged 13)
Country of Birth: Sudan
Reason for application for refugee status: Fighting and ethnic cleansing
How has it affected the applicant?
* Abdullah was separated from his parents when they were forced out of their homes by attackers who burned down their village.
* Since then he spent over a year searching for his parents in different IDP camps; he finally found an Uncle who told him his parents were dead.
* Abdullah is orphaned and homeless; even when the war ends, he has nothing to go home to.
Case Study 5
Name: Khadeeja Moosa
Gender: Female
Date of Birth: 24 July 1958 (aged 47)
Country of Birth: Maldives
Reason for application for refugee status: Natural disaster (tsunami)
How has it affected the applicant?
* Khadeeja watched her entire family get swept away by the tsunami.
* Her home and the hospital she worked in have both been destroyed.
* The psychological effect on Khadeeja has been great; she has two brothers in New Zealand who want her to live with them so that they can help her recover.
What would you take?
It's the middle of the night and you get woken up suddenly by the sound of gunfire. War has broken out in your country. Everybody wakes up. You look out of the window and see your neighbours running with a few belongings; the soldiers are coming closer with guns. You need to leave your house as soon as possible as you are in danger. There is no-one to protect you and your family.Materials:
Marker pens and large sheet of paper
Get into groups. You have 5 minutes to discuss what you would take with you, but keep in mind that you may have a long journey on foot ahead of you!
You can only take 5 items. You have to list them in order of importance and present to your class the reasons why you chose each item.
You can choose from the following 16 items:
Matches Personal CD player
Football Photo album
2 Jumpers Rope
Gameboy Plasters
Mobile phone Paper and pens
Tent A loaf of bread
2 litre bottle of water Blanket
Pyjamas Books/Comics
Can you think of anything else that is more important than an item listed above?
Make a stool!
(Individual activity)Imagine you are living in an IDP camp. Fortunately, a school is being set up and you have been provided with some low desks. Using paper and sellotape, make a stool to sit on. Make sure that once it is finished it can take your weight without breaking.
Question time
(Class discussion)Spend 15 minutes answering the following questions:
- By yourself) If you had the chance to ask a refugee one question, what would it be? Write your answer and present it to the class.
- What do you think would be the first words you would need to learn in a new country?
- (In pairs) New Zealand resettles 750 refugees a year. Is that too many or too little? Is the help refugees get in New Zealand too much or too little? What do you think would be the best way for people to help you?
- A refugee has started at your school. What would you do to help them feel welcome?
Our rights and needs
(Class activity)Teacher to present differences between needs (rights) and wants. For example, to go to the doctor when you are sick is a need (right), to watch your favourite programme on TV is a want.
Make a list about the rights every person should have.
Teacher to ask students to present their lists and discuss students' lists of rights they feel they/everyone should have.
Now compare to whether IDPs and refugees have those rights met.
What are the differences?
Pictionary
(Group activity)You are a refugee who has just arrived in New Zealand and it's your first day at school. You cannot speak any English. By yourself, think of questions you might need to ask to get through your first day. For example, you might need to ask where the cafeteria is. Try to be original.
Get into groups. Each person should take turns to individually act out your questions to see how easy it is to make yourself understood. Remember, no speaking!
Can you decide?
Imagine that there are many asylum seekers waiting to have their cases heard in New Zealand. Look at the 5 case studies below. If you could allow just one person to be allowed to stay in New Zealand as a refugee, who would you choose? Why?Case Study 1
Name: Furdos Ali
Gender: Female
Date of Birth: 12 October 1979 (age 26)
Country of Birth: Iraq
Reason for application for refugee status: War in Iraq
How has it affected the applicant?
* Hometown destroyed by bombs; very dangerous situation.
* Mother and father killed in bombing; brother missing.
* Unsafe for applicant to continue living in Iraq as lone female.
Case Study 2
Name: Khan Mohammed
Gender: Male
Date of Birth: 21 January 1988 (aged 17)
Country of Birth: Afghanistan
Reason for application for refugee status: War and drought in Afghanistan
How has it affected the applicant?
* Forced to move to Pakistan 5 years ago when he was only 12.
* Supports his family by scavenging paper and plastic bags for 10-12 hours a day to be resold, earning 50-60cents a day.
* Wants the chance to have a better life and to provide well for his family so that they no longer go hungry.
Case Study 3
Name: Alaa Hamdan
Gender: Female
Date of Birth: 12 August, 1990 (aged 15)
Country of Birth: West Bank (territory)
Reason for application for refugee status: Fighting and poverty
How has it affected the applicant?
* Alaa has spent her entire life in a refugee camp alongside 250,000 others. There is no electricity and poor sanitation.
* Conditions are very bad for her health and she has night blindness from malnutrition (lack of Vitamin A).
* Alaa goes to school in her camp; she studies hard and wants the chance to live a normal life in a new country.
Case Study 4
Name: Abdullah Hamim
Gender: Male
Date of Birth: 7 March 1992 (aged 13)
Country of Birth: Sudan
Reason for application for refugee status: Fighting and ethnic cleansing
How has it affected the applicant?
* Abdullah was separated from his parents when they were forced out of their homes by attackers who burned down their village.
* Since then he spent over a year searching for his parents in different IDP camps; he finally found an Uncle who told him his parents were dead.
* Abdullah is orphaned and homeless; even when the war ends, he has nothing to go home to.
Case Study 5
Name: Khadeeja Moosa
Gender: Female
Date of Birth: 24 July 1958 (aged 47)
Country of Birth: Maldives
Reason for application for refugee status: Natural disaster (tsunami)
How has it affected the applicant?
* Khadeeja watched her entire family get swept away by the tsunami.
* Her home and the hospital she worked in have both been destroyed.
* The psychological effect on Khadeeja has been great; she has two brothers in New Zealand who want her to live with them so that they can help her recover.
