Seite - 142 - in Reflective Cosmopolitanism - Educating towards inclusive communities through Philosophical Enquiry

142 REfLECTIvE COsMOPOLITANIsM is organized according to the dictates of a “wild” and trading system free-from-rules (and often managed by unscrupulous multinationals) appeals to our minds and our con- sciousness. For this reason, it is important that we have the opportunity to reflect on what is meant by ‘a fair distribution of resources’, and what might be alternative models to existing policies. This reflection is especially significant nowadays, since many populations are moving from their native countries with the hope of finding better financial and working conditions in the host countries or because they are forced to move because of wars or political per- secutions. You can find further information in the manual to Hanadi, episode 2 and Christian, epi- sode 4. Discussion Plan: Distributive justice 1. Is it fair that there are very rich people and very poor people? 2. Is it fair that there are rich countries and poor countries? 3. Is it inevitable that some people are rich and others poor? 4. Could there ever exist a world in which everyone is equally rich or has equal ac- cess to resources and opportunities? 5. Would it be fair if everyone had what they need, nothing more or less? 6. Would it be fair if everyone had access to resources and opportunities based on their merits? How can we decide what are merits? 7. Would it be fair if everyone had access to resources and opportunities according to their needs? How can we decide what are needs? 8. Is it fair to have more than what one needs? 9. Must people who are more intelligent have more than others? If so, is that fair? 10. How can we decide what is fair? 11. Who decides the criteria for fairness? 12. What is the difference between justice and fairness? Exercise: How can everybody eat? You are on a trip with your friends and at lunchtime you realize that some of them don’t have their packed lunch or money to buy some food. There are 10 of you, only 4 of you have a sandwich and you all are very hungry. Take into account that in the group there is a celiac boy, an Islamic girl who is observant, and a boy who is intolerant to dairy products. Even if you could gather the money, you would not succeed in collecting more than 10 €, and the cheapest sandwich, salami and cheese, costs 2.50 €. What would you decide to do? Which criteria would you use to satisfy everyone’s needs? Exercise: Fairness Each student tries to write down a definition of the word ‘fairness’. Under the defini- tion, he or she has to provide some examples. Afterwards, the definitions and exam- ples of the whole class should be compared and discussed.