Twinning Links
Some ideas and possibilities for twinning with groups of children.
The circus has made contacts with lots of groups of kids in schools, youth centres and orphanages of various kinds. We want to set up twinning links with groups of kids in the UK, so the kids can get to know each other, talk about their lives and their countries and their ideas.
Possible activities include exchanging letters, via a translator, which I can organise, exchanging drawings and photos, maybe doing fundraising at the UK school to buy art materials for the kids in the Iraqi school as a lot of them are too poor to have any – even pencils. I think making peace depends on people getting to know each other and future peace depends on the children getting to know each other.
There’s also a need for teachers here to be in touch with teachers outside, to know about the teaching methods in other countries, to find out more about independent trade union organisation and to build friendship and solidarity.
There are a number of schools in and around Baghdad which are interested in twinning, lots of them very poor. I think it will also be possible to make links with the schools in Nasariya, in the south, perhaps also further south, and with those in and around Erbil, in Kurdistan.
As well as the schools there are the youth centres like Bayaa and those run by Childhood Voice, which might suit after school clubs or youth groups. For example, one link is progressing with one of the Childhood Voice Centre and a children’s arts project in the UK.
I’m not sure what groups in the UK might be interested, but I was thinking a link would be positive for the Mother Teresa orphanage for disabled kids in Baghdad – see March 19th, Sanctuary. It’s all open to ideas – I can put groups in touch and coordinate contact but the way it develops is completely up to the groups involved. I don’t envisage mayors shaking hands once a year and a signpost on the edge of town.
Regarding practicalities, there’s no postal system here at the moment, though it is possible to send things by DHL. There isn’t internet access in most of these places but in some cases someone who works there has e mail access; otherwise stuff can be e mailed through an intermediary – me while I’m still here, a whole network of people once I leave and through the circus people again when it comes back in the autumn. Materials can be also be brought to and fro by people travelling in and out of Iraq and by the NGOs in the area.
Possible activities include exchanging letters, via a translator, which I can organise, exchanging drawings and photos, maybe doing fundraising at the UK school to buy art materials for the kids in the Iraqi school as a lot of them are too poor to have any – even pencils. I think making peace depends on people getting to know each other and future peace depends on the children getting to know each other.
There’s also a need for teachers here to be in touch with teachers outside, to know about the teaching methods in other countries, to find out more about independent trade union organisation and to build friendship and solidarity.
There are a number of schools in and around Baghdad which are interested in twinning, lots of them very poor. I think it will also be possible to make links with the schools in Nasariya, in the south, perhaps also further south, and with those in and around Erbil, in Kurdistan.
As well as the schools there are the youth centres like Bayaa and those run by Childhood Voice, which might suit after school clubs or youth groups. For example, one link is progressing with one of the Childhood Voice Centre and a children’s arts project in the UK.
I’m not sure what groups in the UK might be interested, but I was thinking a link would be positive for the Mother Teresa orphanage for disabled kids in Baghdad – see March 19th, Sanctuary. It’s all open to ideas – I can put groups in touch and coordinate contact but the way it develops is completely up to the groups involved. I don’t envisage mayors shaking hands once a year and a signpost on the edge of town.
Regarding practicalities, there’s no postal system here at the moment, though it is possible to send things by DHL. There isn’t internet access in most of these places but in some cases someone who works there has e mail access; otherwise stuff can be e mailed through an intermediary – me while I’m still here, a whole network of people once I leave and through the circus people again when it comes back in the autumn. Materials can be also be brought to and fro by people travelling in and out of Iraq and by the NGOs in the area.