Project "Intersecting Perspectives on Migration".
For all 4th year classes (13-14 yrs. old)
This multi-disciplinary thematic course (Center for Documentation and Information [CDI], history, geography, French, Moral and Civic Education [EMC], plastic arts, pastoral care, etc.) aims to provide the student with a complete training in mind or intelligence, body and heart.
For the 2018-2019 school year, the project took the following form in French, EMC, history-geography and pastoral care (the 2019-2020 school year saw the projects halted by the Covid pandemic)
o Discovery and reflection on media diversity and the ability to be informed today
o Researching information, selecting and writing articles on the situation of migrants in France and Europe.
o Layout and group writing of thematic newspapers on migrants by UNES groups
o Visit to the museum of the history of immigration
o Training in partnership with Amnesty International and “Terre pour tous” on the migrant cause for the 4 classes of 4th grade.
o Meetings/testimonies of Saïd and Giresse who came to pass on their experiences as "migrants" from Sudan and the Republic of Congo.
o Collective writing of a play to translate with truth and emotion the journey of the migrant witnesses we met.
o End of year show: theatrical adaptation by the whole 4th grade class of a few scenes from the play, acting, sets
o Publication of the play/performance before others on June 9, 2019
o An observation: since the dawn of time, men and women, young and old, from all walks of life, have left their homes, towns and villages and have gone to sacred places.
o Discovery of pilgrimages specific to the five great religions or wisdoms: Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity and Islam.
o On the paths... traces and symbols: discover the different traces of religion in nature, in the city and inside houses and the main symbols of the five religions and wisdoms.
o Experiencing inner displacement through the viewing of a video showing Buddhist monks making a mandala.
For the school year 2020-2021, the project is taking a slightly different form. The health crisis prevents the visit to the Museum of the History of Immigration and the cinema trip, but it does not interrupt the work in class!
Testimony of Mélanie Huguet (Pastoral Animator)
"The pastoral proposal has evolved this year to be more faithful to the theme of international migration. Until now the theme has been human mobility. In order to "awaken curiosity and concern about current issues" among the students (quote from the PAEA: Apostolic and Educational Project of the Assumption) I ask the students to reflect on global warming and its consequences on human (and animal!) mobility. This approach also makes it possible to discover the theme of integral ecology which Pope Francis speaks of in his encyclical Laudato si', on the safeguarding of creation, and to honour his invitation to make the school year 2020-2021 a special Laudati si' year. It is in this perspective that I proposed to the team that, in addition to the film Welcome, the pupils see the documentary film 2040. This documentary film is a utopian look at our planet in 2040 if the solutions to slow down global warming were encouraged from now on. As in the film, I encourage the students to look forward to 20 years from now with hope!"
The testimony of Mouna Balti (History and Geography teacher and EMC)
"A project that is close to my heart: the theme, all of us migrants or descendants of migrants. The aim is to raise awareness among our young people on this theme and thus deconstruct certain prejudices. This project leads young people to question themselves, their roots, what they are, and to open their eyes to others, their stories and their journeys. The encounter with the "migrant" is essential as it is the trigger for this reflection. The writing of the play has a double objective: pedagogical and also cultural and spiritual. I was able to see an evolution in mentalities and a maturity in the pupils' relationships with others.
There was a lot of emotion during the performance, in the audience but especially in the students. I was very proud to have been able to convey this message of friendship, solidarity and civic action.
A great teamwork with Fabienne Spitz, Kamel Khati and Mélanie Huguet.
The testimony of Fabienne Spitz (Librarian - CDI)
"The theme of Migration is a theme that has been part of our pedagogical preoccupations at school from a very early stage. And I became interested in it because, on the one hand, it is part of the History and Geography curriculum in the 4th grade, but also because, from a perspective of citizen reflection in relation to the PAEA, it has always seemed to me to be as close as possible to the individual history of our students, their families, and more broadly to most members of our educational community. Of course, it also resonates with current events and information, which is another objective of my mission as a teacher and librarian.
I have therefore been involved in it for many years, and this year again, trying to adapt to the constraints we are undergoing, I have chosen to offer students a very relevant exhibition by the NGO Cartooning for Peace entitled, ALL MIGRANTS! The exhibition was proposed to all the students during 15 days at the CDI. It was freely seen by many of them and was the subject of a specific pedagogical activity with the teachers and the classes. It was very well received by the students and was the subject of fascinating discussions. One pupil even shared his enthusiasm for this medium and thanked us warmly for the initiative.
In addition, as we have already experienced, and thanks to a partnership with Amnesty International and the Association Une Terre pour tous, I intend to continue organising meetings next March between migrant witnesses and several classes in the 4th grade. After Amine, Saïd, Giresse and the others, the classes will be listening to these extreme personal experiences, to these journeys driven by the will to survive. Witnessing is sharing, empathy and mutual understanding. It is always a very moving experience for each one, which manages to overturn preconceived ideas. In the extension, the transposition of one of these testimonies into a play performed on stage by a class of 4th graders was the culmination of the project in 2019. It brought with it the entire educational community, including the students' parents. For Mouna Balti and me, it is the memory of a pedagogical and educational success for our students, which we hope to be able to renew... ".
The testimony of some 4th A students (school year 2020-2021)
Emma: "After seeing the film Welcome, I discovered things. I knew it was hard for migrants. It was even harder than I imagined. In the film, you can see everything he went through, all the stages. It's courageous to leave your country and your family. »
Julie : " This migrants project raises awareness about the acceptance of others, of oneself, of tolerance. »
Célia: "After the meeting with Ibrahim, I realised everything they (the migrants) are going through: the causes of departure, the journey, their history! The project of the play is a means to transmit emotions and to convey their story in the best possible way. »
Mélanie Huguet Bondy, France