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Globalisation
Social rights
Citizenship
Summary of activities
Human Rights calendar
 

Key date

24 October
World Development Information Day

 

49 Practical Activities and Methods for Human Rights Education > Beware, we are watching!

Beware, we are watching!

No one made a greater error than those who did nothing because they could only do a little.
Themes Globalisation, Social rights, Citizenship
Complexity Level 4
Group size Any
Time 150 minutes
Overview In this activity, participants design a public awareness campaign about the consequences of relocation by transnational companies.
Related rights
  • The right of everyone to the enjoyment of just and favourable working conditions
    The right to form trade unions
  • The right to social security
Objectives
  • To analyse the consequences of the relocation of transnational companies, locally and globally
  • To promote human rights activism
  • To encourage creativity and imagination
Materials
  • Sticky labels that people can make into campaign stickers/labels
  • Large sheets of paper or flipchart paper for making posters
  • A4 size sheets of paper for making leaflets. (Coloured paper optional)
  • Tape and glue
  • Coloured markers and pencils
  • Scissors
  • Newspapers, magazines, brochures and any other printed material as sources of pictures.
Preparation
  • Make copies of the fact sheet and the campaign objectives, one each per participan

Instructions

  1. Explain that this activity is about globalisation with particular focus on the practice of relocation by transnational companies.
  2. Ask people what they already know about this topic and their opinion about how it is covered in the media.
  3. Brainstorm what makes a good publicity campaign.
  4. Divide the group into small groups of 3 or 4 people.
  5. Quote the case of the Eastern European Clean Clothes Campaign (EECCC) as an example of a campaign which is trying to inform the public about the consequences of globalisation and hand out the fact sheet.
  6. Set the scene for the activity. Tell the group that they are to imagine that the NGO (non-governmental organisation), The Eastern European Clean Clothes Campaign, has just received a grant from the Council of Europe. Whereas previously, due to funding problems, it had only been able to work on a small scale in a very few countries, the board of directors of the CCC have now decided to renew and expand the campaign Europe-wide. The organisation wishes to hire the group as consultants.
  7. Distribute the campaign objectives (handout 2). Say that the EECCC has asked you to transmit this basic information for reference.
  8. Each small group is to design a proposal for the expansion of the EECCC into their country. First they should draft a short, outline proposal for the whole campaign. Then they should make more detailed proposals of how to meet the first objective, that is, to inform the general public. The detailed proposal should include:
    • a timetable for activities,
    • a list of activities proposed (concerts, television and radio programmes, street theatre, leafleting, etc),
    • places where the activities will take place (schools, public buildings, etc),
    • number of staff required,
    • proofs of materials to be used (stickers, posters, etc.)
  9. Emphasise that the proposal should be clear and concise. Tell the participants that the NGO is open to any kind of proposal, especially creative ones, but that they insist that the groups meet the objectives as laid out in the objectives of the campaign and justify their means of achieving them. Later, they will be expected to present their proposals to representatives from the NGO for recommendation to the EECCC board. For now, they have 60 minutes to design the proposal.
  10. When the proposals are finished organise the presentations.
  11. Open the plenary for discussion.

Debriefing and evaluation

Start with a brief review of how the activity went. Ask each group in turn to feedback about how they organised the tasks and how they worked together. Was everyone involved? Did every one feel that they participated? Then go on to discuss the issues of globalisation and what people learned.

  • What are the positive and negative impacts of relocating a company? On local employment rates? On the national economy? On the global economy?
  • Do the workers have any real choice about accepting the conditions of work they are offered, or not?
  • Who is responsible for the situation?
  • What can and should be done to educate the workers about their rights?
  • Are campaigns like the ones proposed useful? Why?
  • What makes a good campaign?
  • Do you think that institutions working in the field of the protection of workers' rights, such as NGOs, Trade unions, United Nations agencies, organisations leading anti-globalisation campaigns, are making a difference?

Tips for facilitators

 

You will find information about the practice of relocation by transnational companies in the

background information to globalisation. Before you start this activity, check if the EECCC or a similar organisation has branches in your country.

One of the objectives of this activity is to stimulate the creativity of the participants. Thus, you should emphasise that they have complete freedom to "invent" any kind of new campaign strategies, always bearing in mind that they must meet the objectives set up by the NGO.

At point 10 in the instructions, that is, when the groups present their work, you could play the role of a member of the review panel from the EECCC. However, it is recommended that, if possible, you find other people from outside, who have not be involved in the group work. This makes the activity more exciting and it provides an opportunity to open up the discussion, especially if you can invite someone from an NGO, who works on either globalisation issues or is a campaigner.

If you can invite "experts" to visit, it is a good idea to do the activity over two sessions. Use the first session to make the campaign report and materials, and the second for the discussion.

Suggestions for follow-up

Contact the EECCC and develop the work the group has started.

If the group wants to carry on the theme of social and labour rights they could do the activity "Ashique's story", which looks at the issue of child labour.

It is inspiring to learn about people who are doing something to make the world a better place. If the group would like to share their "Personal heroes" then they may like to do the activity with that title from the all different all equal education pack .

 Handouts
 

1. Fact sheet: The Eastern European Clean Clothes Campaign

The Eastern European Clean Clothes Campaign (EECCC) is a network that started in the Netherlands in 1990, aimed at improving working conditions in the global sportswear industry. There are now CCCs in approximately 10 Eastern European countries, where each CCC is a coalition of consumer organisations, trade unions, human rights and women's rights organisations, researchers, solidarity groups and activists.

The major issues at the work place are:

  • Low remuneration
  • Casualisation of labour (no contracts, irregular working hours, forced and unpaid overtime, etc.)
  • Denial of the right to organise (intimidation of workers' activists)

2. Campaign objectives

The objectives of the campaign are to:

  • Inform the general public about what is happening in order to gain support for the campaign
  • Show through concrete examples the impact of some of the consequences of globalisation which violate human rights.
  • Put pressure on the companies to improve respect for the human rights of their workers by disseminating information about their rights.
  • Activate a network of people, organisations and institutions that fight for the same cause.

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