A group of students from IES Mencey Bencomo of Los Realejos, in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, is working together with Rose Hernandez, his teacher of the Linguistic and Social Field, in the warlike conflicts of the 21st century. They are in the second year of the Learning and Performance Improvement Program (PMAR). They handle information about the unequal distribution of wealth in the world and the overexploitation of natural resources in poor countries.
It is the month of January 2021, a moment that coincides with the arrival of thousands of immigrants to the Canary coasts in hundreds of small boats and canoes. Neighborhood conversations, media headlines, messages on social networks… More than 23,000 migrants and refugees were counted throughout 2020; of them, around 4,000 in Tenerife.
The Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration made palliative decisions, which failed to address the situation. At first, the migrants were housed in hotel complexes and later transferred to macro camps, in the case of Tenerife, to a camp set up in the old Las Raíces barracks. The students witnessed the presence of immigrants in parks, squares, streets… The confusion increased and a dangerous circle of hoaxes, misinformation and signs of rejection were created.
The educational community of the IES Mencey Bencomo was aware of the situation and considered it necessary to invite reflection. Rosa Hernández chose to approach her in class. At first, she discussed with her students the image they were forming of the phenomenon. “Stereotypes and prejudices were very present… They told me: ‘Teacherbut if they have a mobile, Profto the force that those boys do not go hungry “.
The teacher immediately realized the need to consider these comments as the object of class work. She had to review the information that the students received from her, look for other sources, analyze it from a sustained and well-founded dialogue, and forge a more real, more ethical, less visceral and biased vision of the problem. She had to move forward applying a different perspective of analysis, much more critical and in depth.
For the teacher, studying this phenomenon that affected them so much had enormous educational potential. She decided to approach him, but with a change of gaze. UNESCO, in its report Reimagining our futures together: a new social contract for education, states: “The powerful motivators of learning are authenticity (understanding the relationship of what we learn to the world we inhabit) and relevance (understanding the relationship of what we learn to our values). Project and problem-based learning provides many opportunities for authentic and relevant learning, and taps into our intrinsic interest in knowing and understanding.”
They would study the causes and circumstances associated with migration and would confront, through reflection and action, the manifestations of rejection that took over public opinion. “Migration has been a constant of all peoples throughout their history. The history of the Canary Islands has been linked to it through the thousands of Canarians who left here in search of a better life”, said Rosa Hernández on the program Educative community of Radio ECCA.
They would collaborate with neighbors, volunteers and non-governmental agencies in meeting the needs for a dignified life of migrants.
They would analyze the phenomenon in depth, they would refute the hoaxes of social networks; for this, they would elaborate argumentative infographics. They would talk with their classmates, “going class by class.” They would have to make lapbooks and posters to place them in the places of passage of the center. They would use the school radio (The Voice of the Green) and the local station Realejos Radio, to sensitize the educational and neighborhood communities. They would launch a campaign to collect food and hygiene products to alleviate the deficiencies of the macro camps; in this case, the Las Raíces camp.
Thus, a new Service-Learning project arises and takes shape, adopting the name of Rooting. We are all migrants.
The project in action
The situation was conducive to delving into learning that had already begun and that, academically, fully entered the Linguistic and Social Curriculum Area.
The study of the structural causes (geographical, historical, political, economic, cultural…) that lead thousands of people to cross the ocean, cross the desert… Make use of communication skills, oral and written expression and comprehension, and use guidelines and sequences in the preparation of good radio scripts, interviews and debates.
Likewise, the meaning of natural resources in geo-strategic decisions and the value of renewable energies would be worked on. Better use could be made of Information and Communication Technologies and use proven knowledge when uncovering and countering hoaxes and false news. Also, make use of collaborative work, inside and outside the center, as well as participate in processes of evaluation and improvement of autonomy and self-esteem.
The sequence was as follows:
Phase 1. Awareness raising (first fortnight of April 2021). with the documentary eyes of war and the analysis of some questionnaires ad hoc, initiate a collective debate on the meaning of migrations and the situation of the occupants of the Las Raíces camp. They agree on the learning to work on, define their purpose and objectives, and agree on how to approach and evaluate them.
Phase 2. Completion of tasks and learning activities (second fortnight of April 2021). On this occasion, aimed at deepening knowledge of the causes and raising awareness in the educational community about the situation of immigrants.
This phase coincided with the murder of the two Spanish journalists David Beriain and Roberto Fraile, in Burkina Faso, after their convoy was attacked by an armed group. These facts were incorporated into his reflections, valuing the importance of the work of press correspondents in conflict zones to know the truth.
They contacted the journalist by video call Nicholas Castellano, specialized in migrations, cooperation and development. They asked him to record a video and send it to them to disseminate and raise awareness. They also came into contact with the journalist José Naranjo, who lives in Senegal, and is familiar with the African migration routes in countries such as Senegal, Mali, Niger and Mauritania.
Thanks to the collaboration of the Institute’s Solidarity Committee, they were able to organize a meeting with Abdu Kaneone of the protagonists of the documentary Here we areso that he could present in class his life journey as a migrant and his humanitarian work in the association Here we are migrating, which he has created to help those who arrive on the Canary coasts.
Within the Reading Plan of the center they decided to read the book My name is Suleiman, of the writer Antonio Lozano. It tells the story of a boy who, fed up with the terrible situation of poverty that he lives in his country, Mali, decides to undertake the trip to Europe, with his friend Musa, and fulfill his dreams (work and earn money for their families). A journey that begins in the desert and, after its failure, continues in the sea. They also watched the play My name is Suleiman, directed by Mario Vega, with the Canarian company An hour less and screenplay adapted from the homonymous novel.
Phase 3. Dissemination and awareness in the educational community (first fortnight of May). They made posters for the institute, they spread images on social networks of the institute (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram…). They made specific posts on the blog of the Department of Spanish Language and Literature, loosen up; also scripts for school radio the voice of green Y Realejos Radio. They initiated and disseminated a campaign to collect food and personal hygiene products. They organized the delivery to the NGO Accem, which manages the Las Raíces camp.
Phase 4. Dissemination and celebration of the results (second half of May). Once the food collection campaign was over, photos of the process were posted on social networks and another radio program was produced in The voice of green Activities of reflection and validation and recognition of the work carried out were carried out.
At this point, we stop to continue the story in the next article. There are moments of special significance in this project that are worth stopping at.
To be continue.
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