Changing minds, saving lives and building resilience through values based education for all
Michael Meyer
Head of International Law
British Red Cross
mmeyer@redcross.org.uk
Yes
Overall contribution to the pledge:
- We promote values based education work with children and young people aged 6-19 years old. Education is delivered through a variety of learning routes including: online teaching resources, face to face workshops, self-directed learning by young people and through press and media including social media. Our education marketing team gain research and market insight into the education sector to further promote and target our education work to achieve positive outcomes. Please see some examples of promotional content below:
BRC Blogs
January 2017
http://blogs.redcross.org.uk/first-aid/2017/01/meet-children-love-learning-first-aid/
September 2016
http://blogs.redcross.org.uk/first-aid/2016/09/back-school-dont-forget-first-aid/
Third party
Global dimension listing of our resource (on-going) and guest blog September 2016
https://globaldimension.org.uk/resource/natural-disasters-earthquakes/
https://globaldimension.org.uk/earthquakes-and-their-impact/
Times Educational Supplement resource listing – on-going
https://www.tes.com/resources/search/?&q=red%20cross
BRC marketing content
Newsletters for external education providers – a selection from 2017
- We collaborate on the development of humanitarian education work through partnerships with other organisations such as the Geographical Association (GA) – this partnership is based on the use of a significant piece of research with teachers which led to a decision to work with the GA to support our strategic intent and further develop our values based education work within the UK curricula. Please see the resource produced as part of this partnership here:
- Natural disasters: earthquakes. Every year the Red Cross helps people from around the world who have been affected by natural disasters. This resource provides a unique perspective on how individuals and communities prepare for, respond to and recover from these life-changing events. http://www.redcross.org.uk/~/media/BritishRedCross/Documents/What%20we%20do/Teaching%20resources/Teaching%20packages/GA%20resource/Natural%20disasters%20earthquakes_complete%20resource.pdf
- We provide humanitarian education and values based education work through the topics of:
- Humanitarianism and Red Cross
- Conflict and its consequences
- Disasters and emergencies
- First aid including the bystander effect
- Refugees and migration.
Online teaching resources and teaching packages published and workshops delivered between 2015 – 2017 include:
Humanitarianism and the Red Cross resources
- Introduction to humanity: The word and idea of humanity is central to understanding the work of the Red Cross as a humanitarian organisation. The activities in this resource build an understanding of humanity for younger learners by starting with what it means to be human before moving on to explore the key concepts underpinning wider notions of humanity. http://www.redcross.org.uk/What-we-do/Teaching-resources/Lesson-plans/Introduction-to-humanity
- What is humanitarianism? The Red Cross is a humanitarian organisation, but what does that mean? The activities in this resource help learners unpack the concept of humanitarianism, beginning with what it means to be human and building on this in sequential stages. http://www.redcross.org.uk/What-we-do/Teaching-resources/Lesson-plans/What-is-humanitarianism
- Humanitarianism and the Red Cross. Humanitarianism is at the heart of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, guiding all that it does and everything it stands for. The activities in this resource support young people to learn about the formation of the Movement, before looking at the principles underpinning its work and real-life examples of its actions. Learners then consider why people might not feel able to intervene to help those in need and how any barriers to helping might be overcome; finally they consider the role of humanitarianism in their own actions and lives. http://www.redcross.org.uk/What-we-do/Teaching-resources/Lesson-plans/Humanitarianism-and-the-Red-Cross
- Humanitarianism in action. Humanity is one of the Fundamental Principles underpinning the work of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The activities in this resource consider how humanitarianism can be put into action, by placing learners in the position of decision-makers, enabling them to explore the choices surrounding helping people in need. The activities go on to investigate the factors that might limit or support the choice of individuals to act as humanitarians. http://www.redcross.org.uk/What-we-do/Teaching-resources/Lesson-plans/Humanitarianism-in-action
Refugee resources
- The Long Road. To create The Long Road album, vocal artists paired up with people who had been forced to flee their home and seek safety in the UK. Choose from transcripts of three songs featured on The Long Road album to help young people engage with refugee stories. A set of critical questions open up a space for conversation, discussion and debate and help build young peoples’ understanding of the humanitarian impact of the current refugee crisis. http://www.redcross.org.uk/What-we-do/Teaching-resources/Lesson-plans/The-Long-Road
- Refugee week 2016: welcome. Young people gain a better understanding of the humanitarian impact of the refugee crisis. Activities build learners’ empathy for the real people affected by the crisis and encourage young people to consider the difference a welcome could make to someone seeking asylum and refuge. http://www.redcross.org.uk/What-we-do/Teaching-resources/Lesson-plans/Refugee-week-2016
- Refugee week 2017: our shared future. Learners see refugees as “someone like me”, at the same time as recognising and accepting our differences. The resource explores universal human values and mutual respect and understanding, building empathy towards refugees and asylum seekers, looking at how refugees have contributed to the communities they live in, encouraging young people to take positive action to create a shared future. http://www.redcross.org.uk/What-we-do/Teaching-resources/Lesson-plans/Refugee-week-2017
First aid resources:
- First aid learning for young people: develop the skills and confidence to help in a first aid emergency. http://firstaidlearningforyoungpeople.redcross.org.uk/
Pillowcase project
- Helps children aged 7-11 understand, cope with and prepare to respond to weather related emergencies. The project received registration from schools to reach over 30,000 children in the UK. 15,000 pillowcases were sent to schools to act as a ‘grab bag’ along with evaluation forms to measure project effectiveness. The BRC will be reporting on this project to the initiator, the American Red Cross, and to the funders, Disney, in August 2017. http://www.redcross.org.uk/What-we-do/Teaching-resources/Teaching-packages/The-pillowcase-project/The-Pillowcase-Project-resources
Newsthink
- We produce resources in response to the news to help teachers unpack some challenging content on real issues using a humanitarian perspective and critical questions. As well as monthly distribution to a database of teachers, we have the ability to be reactive to major news events such as the recent UK terror attacks: this year we produced content within 48 hours for the Manchester attack and the London Bridge attack; please see our resources here: http://www.redcross.org.uk/What-we-do/Teaching-resources/Newsthink
Crisis education – direct delivery
- BRC educators run workshops in schools in areas where young people are deemed to benefit most from first aid education around drug and alcohol use; and refugee and asylum seeker issues. National data is used to determine where workshops are delivered, and this evidence is used to support operational decision-making. Education outcomes work towards young people taking positive actions to help others. http://www.redcross.org.uk/What-we-do/Teaching-resources/Education-workshops
Contribution to the specific pledge action plan:
- Identify, develop and deliver programmes, projects and activities which nurture and develop the skills, knowledge and attitudes of children and youth to help and care for themselves and others, interact peacefully and reduce the vulnerability of their community. This includes conducting a Global base line mapping on humanitarian education initiatives of National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
BRC contribution:
Our programmes as outlined above are based on evidence of need, for example the refugee week resources are based on research into children’s and young people’s views of refugees and asylum seekers and build on a pedagogy of critical thinking. Education supports young people’s development of the skills, knowledge and attitudes to help and care for themselves and others, interact peacefully and reduce the vulnerability of their community.
2. Share values and skills based education initiatives on the Humanitarian Education Learning Portal (HELP community) and other online platforms, to learn one from another and develop action-oriented initiatives and projects together.
BRC contribution:
The BRC have uploaded education resources to the HELP portal for the use of sister National Societies on the topic areas as outlined above. The BRC has also attended HELP webinars and have presented on the following webinars:
25-05-2016 Value-based Education: Guiding the Next Generation towards Humanitarian Principles – also in Emergencies
04-08-2016 Learning from evaluating humanitarian education projects
27-10-2016 Why does education in disasters, emergencies and crises matter?
31-01-2017 How can Humanitarian Education foster a culture of non-violence and peace.
3. Include humanitarian values and skills based education in relevant national policies, strategies and operational plans, and promote its integration into formal and non-formal educational curricula. Targets for the pledge/what do we want to achieve?
BRC contribution:
Through our online teaching resources we reach young people with values based education through formal education by mapping our topics to the subjects taught in schools. We have identified these subject areas based on an in-depth review with over 600 teachers into their preferences for teaching resources; and through a comprehensive exercise mapping all the UK curricula to our topics. Focus subject areas include: English and literacy, Geography, Citizenship, History and PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education), and whole school initiatives.
We have an on-going advocacy campaign to promote the inclusion of first aid education in the national curriculum for children and young people in the UK; we have formed a coalition for this campaign with St John’s Ambulance and the British Heart Foundation and work closely with the PSHE association to try to influence government and gain advocacy routes through supporters such as teachers and young people.
Previously we have discussed with relevant government departments – individually and in the framework of the UK National IHL Committee (the Interdepartmental Committee on IHL) – the inclusion of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) in the Citizenship curriculum. We are very pleased to say that IHL now features as part of the formal curriculum documentation for citizenship – a statutory subject taught in schools in England.
4. By 2019 all Red Cross Red Crescent National Societies reach out to children and young people with values based humanitarian education through formal, non-formal and informal education channels.
BRC contribution:
As a member of the Humanitarian Education coordination group chaired by the Federation, the BRC is contributing through sharing resources and learning via the HELP portal.
5. By 2019 at least 50% of National Societies and the International Federation have partnerships with public educational authorities and other stakeholders in the area of education. Criteria for successful implementation (by 2019)
BRC contribution:
The BRC works closely with a range of stakeholders in education (as outlined in earlier responses) and is set to develop this work over the course of the next two years through establishing a new Relationships Manager role within the Education Directorate at the BRC.
6. The Movement components and States are committed to values based education within their respective country, including through the inclusion of humanitarian values into relevant educational policies, strategies and operational plans, as well as curricula.
BRC contribution:
We create educational content that can be delivered through formal education by aligning our content to subject areas – creating opportunities for teachers to use our resources as part of their delivery of UK curricula. This work is based on significant evidence from national data, insight from teachers, and research with young people into their views.
7. More than 50% of National Societies are actively involved and collaborate on values based education initiatives and share these on the HELP community.
BRC contribution:
The BRC develops all education work through a humanitarian lens i.e. contributing to building humane and resilient communities through creating less suffering from harm. All of our work is bound by our Fundamental Principles and we are guided by these and our strategic intent in the development and delivery of our education work. We regularly share these resources and programmes with other National Societies, as part of the HELP community and as a member of the Humanitarian Education coordination group.
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There is a challenge for the BRC to embed our education content and approach into government education curricula – the design of our parliamentary system means that we do not have the same access as some other National Societies to influence major change to curriculum. We do however work with partners to promote matters we believe are integral to children and young people’s development as humanitarian citizens such as including first aid as a mandatory part of curriculum delivery.