A new video and workbook will help students get a better understanding of the refugee experience in Ireland, writes Louise Holden.
The Irish Refugee Council, with the guidance of the Department of Education's CSPE Support Service, has produced a video to raise awareness and understanding of refugee and asylum-seeker issues in Ireland.
The video tells the story of Jerome and Beatrix, a mother and son from the Democratic Republic of Congo, who are forced to leave home when rebel fighters kill Jerome's father and threaten the town where the family live. The pair arrive in Dublin after travelling through Switzerland and Paris; tired, confused and mourning their husband and father. While people in Dublin are generally kind to them, they feel alienated and alone. Young Jerome has no idea where life is taking him and misses his home and his friends.
The story follows mother and son to the residential centre in Mosney, Co Meath, where they wait for a year to find out if they have been granted citizenship. They meet some kind people on the way, including volunteers who come to the centre to help them learn English and classmates of Jerome's who show an interest in his homeland and make him feel welcome at the local school. They also meet bullies and people who shout abuse at them in the street.
Their story is typical of many new arrivals in Ireland, and provides a balanced look at the experience of refugees and asylum-seekers here. The story is engaging and personal, and for this reason is bound to catch the attention of students.
Most of the information we receive through the news on the issue of asylum is concerned with facts and figures rather than real people. John Ingram, managing director of Windmill Lane Corporate Communications and creative director of the video, explains the approach of the new resource.
"Experience shows that people are interested in people. Audiences, and especially those made up of teenagers, are interested in characters - and what happens to them," he says. "Teenagers tend not to be big consumers of factual documentary programmes on television. This video has used an engaging dramatised approach that makes the whole area of refugees, refugee policy and attitudes interesting."
There is a happy ending to the story but we are left with a strong sense of how important it is for everyone in society to make an effort to welcome new arrivals who are often scared, traumatised and lonely. A cruel word on the street or in the school yard can make a newcomer feel frightened and unwanted. A kind word or gesture can make all the difference to someone who feels cut off from the people and places that they love.
A workbook has also been produced to help teachers explore the topics addressed in the video. It includes worksheets for students, suggesting structured activities ranging from quizzes to role-playing scenarios. Both the video and workbook will be distributed to secondary schools later this month.
For further information, visit www.irishrefugeecouncil.ie, www.cspe.ie and www.wlcc.tv
