Page - 35 - in Reflective Cosmopolitanism - Educating towards inclusive communities through Philosophical Enquiry

TINA AND AMIR (MANUAL) 35 Activity: Who am I? Children can spend some time thinking about the question “Who am I?” Encourage them to compose a statement that describes them and have them write it on a piece of paper. They can write about their likes and dislikes, their personality, their ap- pearance, their hobbies, etc. Children can then put the piece of paper with their statement in a box and a volunteer can select one and read it aloud. Children can then guess who the mystery person is. Leading Idea 2: Citizenship The concept of citizenship is a complex one. It does not have one definitive explanation but nevertheless it is an important concept. People have discussed the concept of citizen- ship for thousands of years and still today there is no agreement on what it exactly means. Etymologically, a citizen is an inhabitant of a town or a city. Most people in the world are legal citizens of one or another state. That entitles them to certain privileges and rights (this could include the protection of a person´s rights both at home and abroad), but also imposes them to certain duties that means that the state expects something from an individual - you as a citizen have to go to school, go to work, pay your taxes etc. The concept of citizenship connects with all aspects of people´s lives, for example with the question of identity, and therefore refers also to the minority and majority debate. There are many open questions including questions related to migration from one country to another, to asylum seekers, refugees, residents’ permit, right to vote and questions of equal treatment of citizens who may come from different backgrounds. Young people will grow up to be citizens of the future and should have the opportunity to participate in society. An education from a cosmopolitan approach often raises very controversial issues, and for young people the world can seem difficult to handle on a personal, local and global level. So it is important to help them develop a number of skills, including enquiry and critical, creative and caring thinking. This encourages children even at a very young age to enquire, to explore, to reason, to express their own opinions and develop their own views and values, while respecting other´s people´s opinions. Discussion Plan: Citizenship 1. What is citizenship? 2. Is citizenship important to all human beings? 3. What happens to those people who do not possess citizenship of the country where they are residents? 4. Imagine there was no need for citizenship in any country. What would change? 5. What do you think “global citizen” means? Activity: Teach a game You can learn about and respect other people in the world. Start by getting to know children in your class and in your own community. Share what you learned with others – through small everyday actions. For example: Teach a friend or a classmate a game they do not know how to play and have them teach you a new game as well. This is a good way to learn about other people, what they like and what they play.