Dealing with conflict
Aim:
To look at experiences of conflict through everyday situations.
You will need:
Scenarios A, B, C and D - printed and cut out.
Duration:
30 minutes
Introduce this activity as a way of looking at conflicts in familiar settings. This could be as preparation for looking at conflicts in the wider and global context.
Split the group into pairs or small groups (no more than 4). Give each group a scenario (A-D - give some groups the same if you have a large group). Ask them to discuss the questions at the end of the scenario.
After around 20 minutes, ask the groups to come back together for feedback, reading out each scenario for the whole group. Discuss their different responses, particularly where groups had the same scenario but different responses.
| Scenario A You are a group of friends who like to go and sit in a local café in a corner with comfortable sofas. As you arrive a group of older children from another school are there and start making insulting comments about your school. You have never seen them before. As you go in they block the door and one of them walks quickly over to sit in the sofa area. What happens next? If you remain elsewhere in the café, what do the other kids do? If not, where do you go, and why? Are there rivalries between schools in your local area? |
| Scenario B Your friend is being bullied at school and you think it is because he doesn't have any fashionable clothes. He tends to wear old tracksuit bottoms and a T-shirt. He also doesn't like to play games, but usually reads a magazine about animals at lunchtime. You know he's really interesting when you get to know him properly, and you feel annoyed. At break time you hear some people talk about 'getting him' after school because he's 'so weird'. How do you feel when you hear this? What happens next? Why do people pick on other people at school? |
| Scenario C Your cousin's school gets everything. He is always going on about how often his school win at sport and you think it's just because they have such good sports facilities. He has started to look down on you. You are disappointed that you cannot take up basketball because there is no basketball court at your school. Next time you see your cousin he is very happy because his school has been informed it will be getting more money from the state, because of the success the school has been having at sport. Do you think this is fair? Do you blame your cousin for the inequality? Do you know of any examples where schools seem to get different resources? |
| Scenario D In form period your teacher has been talking about democracy and how important it is. You have a great idea and ask about forming a student council. After a lot of effort it gets going but you can only meet when there is a teacher present. You are not allowed to discuss issues about teachers or lesson content, just extra things like organising after school clubs and inter class competitions. You start to see it as being a very restricted group. Who do you speak to in school about the situation? Why do you think the school management didn't want the council meeting without a teacher present? Do you have any experience of school councils? Is it possible for teachers and students to work together for the good of the school without conflict? |
(adapted from 'conflict scenarios' in Oxfam 'Making sense of World Conflict')