Citizenship at key stage 3 (Year 7-9)
Unit 13: How do we deal with conflict?
Section 3: Are forgiveness and conflict resolution possible?
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Objectives |
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- about specific situations in which forgiveness and conflict resolution are implemented,
eg Coventry, Northern Ireland
- some of the values expressed in these situations
- about current situations of conflict, and the role of local, national and international groups
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Activities |
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Outcomes |
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Children: |
- Use the story of Coventry Cathedral and the work for reconciliation following the Second World War to discuss why people thought it necessary to work for peace.
- Explore reconciliation stories from Northern Ireland where Protestants and Catholics work together. Pupils could consider the work of the Corymeela Community, the World Council of Churches, local churches and the ecumenical movement. Songs from the musical ‘The Beautiful Game’ may act as illustrations.
- Discuss with the pupils the motivation and idealism behind such initiatives. Use thought bubbles to connect texts and ideals with real events, and balance diagrams where there are tensions to be resolved.
- Explore current conflict situations as they arise. Pupils could address the religious and other factors that are involved through debate and speech writing. They consider the work of voluntary organisations and inter-faith groups such as the United Nations and other agencies, eg Christian Aid, Muslim Aid, Amnesty International.
- Use flow charts to show a sequence of events that will lead to no forgiveness. Repeat the diagram, this time ending with forgiveness. Discuss with the pupils the differences and the difficulties for those involved.
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- describe situations in which people find it difficult to forgive, and explain why
- explain that forgiveness and reconciliation may lead to peace, and give examples
- realise that not forgiving may lead to a chain of further events involving anger, hatred and escalation of the conflict
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Points to note |
- There are many examples of individuals or communities working towards reconciliation.
- www.communitypartners.org.uk
is the Community Service Volunteers' online database of voluntary organisations.
- www.coventrycathedral.org
includes information about reconciliation resources.
- There are also many examples of forgiveness in action, eg Gordon Wilson in Northern Ireland.
- Link with thinking skills: enquiry, reasoning.
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This unit is divided into sections. Each section contains a sequence of
activities with related objectives and outcomes. You can view this unit by
moving through the sections or print/download the whole unit.
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