Now review the activity itself.
- How did people feel about this activity? Was it more or less
difficult than they had first imagined? What were the most difficult
aspects, or the most difficult things to represent?
- Did people learn anything new about human rights?
- Where were the similarities or differences among the groups?
Were there any fundamental disagreements over the idea of human
rights? Why?
Tips for facilitators
Unless people are entirely ignorant about the concept of human
rights, it is more interesting to carry out this activity with
a minimum of initial guidance from a facilitator. The main purpose
is to draw out the impressions and knowledge about human rights
that young people have already picked up in the course of their
lives. It is worth emphasising this point to the group before
they begin work, so that they do not feel constrained by not "knowing"
exactly what human rights are.
Make it clear to them that their task is to portray "human
rights in general", rather than to illustrate one or more
specific human rights. They may decide to take one specific right
to bring out general points, but they should remember that they
are attempting to show what is common to the different human rights.
At the end of the session spectators should be able to (or begin
to!) answer the question, "what are human rights?"
Do not let those who feel they are weak at acting fail to play
an active part! Explain that there are plenty of roles for all,
and that this must be something that the whole group feels happy
about presenting. A few unusual props may bring the performances
to life and help spark creative ideas - anything from saucepans,
toy cars, hats, pillows, stones, a dustbin lid...
Variations
You may want to carry this activity out as a drawing exercise:
get the groups to present a poster - again without using words
- to express the main ideas about human rights.
The activity could also be carried out less as an introductory
one, and more in order to organise and clarify thoughts once people
have already worked through some of the other activities in the
manual, or carried out their own research.
Suggestions for follow-up
Look at plays or other pieces of literature with a human rights
theme, and organise a dramatic performance for members of your
local community.
If the group would like to move on and look at some specific
human rights, why not look at the Convention of the Rights of
the Child through the activity "Children's
Rights".
Another way to follow-up could be for people to write short letters about what the concept of human rights means to them. See the activity, "Dear friend" in the all different all equal education pack . The aim of the letter writing would be to help people clarify their ideas and to provoke a reply and to develop a dialogue. Thus the letters could be sent to people within the group, or they could be used in an inter-school or inter-youth group exercise.
In Domino , section 4 there are "Stories told by young people" which could be used as a basis for discussion about the relevance of human rights to every day life.
Ideas for action
You could develop your mimes or make a whole group production
and perform it to other people outside the group. If you do the
poster-making variation, make an exhibition of your posters. Both
ideas could be used to celebrate Human Rights Day.
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