OpEn MiNd

During a discussion in the lesson by Bill Cleary we talked about the fact that in our intercultural class the main difficulty is the language. As far I’m concerned it is true because sometimes I would like explain my opinion , but I don’ t have a good word or sentence for this. Fortunately, we all have an open mind that enables to compare, debate, tor tear down the stereotype , to meet halfway to understand each other, even if the language is not the best one .It is also true that in this situation it is easier because we are more or less oriented in the same field, that is the social education one. This year it is very important to develop an open mind, because the world changes very quickly and it is necessary to have an elastic mind to follow everything without getting lost. Another great aspect is that when you have an open mind you can let your imagination work for you and develop your creativity. For me an open mind is a characteristic that a social worker must have to carry out his work very well.

Angels & Demons

I was shocked by the reading of James Bulger’s murder to prepare the lesson by Tim Gully. There were a lot of details about the way the child was murdered. I think my stomach was closed for one day. Then I started to wonder:

how are two children (since they cannot be called teenagers) able to kill a two-year child in such a way? What happened in their minds?

Certainly, the familiar situation of these two children was not the best one. But why taking it out on a two-year child and to reduce him in that way?

Looking back I think that sometimes animals are more human than we.

Another aspect that made me reflect is the teachers’ role, these two “guys” had been both sacked, they were annoying in class and finally they played truant. These aspects led the teachers to close them off. I know, usually most teachers are only worried about finishing the syllabus and they do not care about deepening and under standing the behaviour of a pupil, but I think that in this case both the family context and the school, which was not able to spot the problem, are responsible.

Another aspect that I consider incredible is the fact that the 38 people these two guys met on their “death route” didn’t notice there was something strange.

It true sometimes it is easier to think only of oneself and of the external world but if you see a child with a tumid face does nothing light up in your mind????????

I don’t know, sometimes individualism leads us to become egoistic and egocentric.

It is necessary to change this mentality, it is not possible to go on like that.

Rights of children

In the last days, while I was surfing in internet, I discovered this images, and I started to think again to the lesson of children’s Rights by Anne Mette Danielsen.
These images captured my attention because there are lots of simple drawings, that I can use with children to explain their rights. It’s very important that children know their rights to defend themselves from many dangers that there are now in the world. In all the drawings there is the same sentence, that says:

“all children, boys and girls, (we) have the right of:”

a) a life, a name and a nationality;
b) love , care and attention by family
c) being all equal: black and white, sick and healthy, believer and not believer
d) living in one home, have food, hygiene and dresses in order not to become sick, if we get sick we have the right to be nursed
e) studying and playing
f) knowing and love our country and history
g) a love, care, education when we have difficulties to see, hear, speak, express
h) protection in the work because lots of us are compelled to work
i) knowing , thinking, speaking, deciding, and joining together with other children
j) Protection from drug ,sexual abuse, and other forms of violence
k) Being respected and treated as children, to apply the right law if we have troubles with the police
l) Being first rescued in case of earthquake, seaquake, flood or another danger
m) Living in peace and brotherhood with children of all countries
n) Demanding the state to let us know our rights, that it respects them and have them respected.

For what concerns the art. G, I remembered that in one journal in Italy there was an article that talked about the education of children in particular in the new countries like Africa and Asia. This article said that to solve many problems in these countries the education of girls is necessary: too many girls and teenagers didn’t have the opportunity of being educated, that’s why they are now uneducated and therefore unable to improve their social condition, including their children and their community.
There is a close link between education and vulnerability of hungry, abuse, exploitation and traffic of human people. The risks connected to pregnancy raise day by day: it’s very difficult to use a specific strategy of preventive treating in case of diseases because of bad hygienic habits. But educated girls would have more opportunities to grant good health and education to their children.

The education is necessary to stop waisting the big human abilities, the most important base for every single credible project of future development.

Different ways of thinking

While I returned by metro this afternoon, I saw one thing that upset me. At the second stop metro came up 8 children, more or less of 6 years, attend with two person. And I starting to reflection….. in Italy the teacher doesn’t think to take a children for a walk , furthermore in metro….are they crazy? when there is a school travel by Pullman, usually the teacher count 2 o 3 turn.