Lesson Plan - Power to the People

Lesson Plan: Power to the People

Grade Level: 7 to 12
Subject Matter: Human Rights, Grassroots Political Activism
Time Allotment: 3-4 class periods

Overview
Political power does not rest in the hands of government officials alone. Grassroots organizations like Amnesty International also help shape policy by calling attention to individual human rights issues that officials are reluctant or too busy to address. These organizations often depend on letters from everyday people to prove that the world cares about the plight of refugees and political prisoners.

In this exercise, students contribute their voice to the ongoing struggle for universal human rights. They are encouraged to research an organization to which they will send a letter on behalf of oppressed people in Bosnia, Kosovo or anywhere they choose.

Prep
In July 1995, the world's first UN Safe Area became the site of Europe's worst massacre since World War II. That month, the Bosnian Serb army staged a brutal takeover of the village of Srebrenica and its surrounding region, while a Dutch peacekeeping battalion of United Nations forces helplessly looked on. In the course of the destruction, Bosnian Serb soldiers separated Muslim families and systematically slaughtered more than 7,000 Muslim men in the fields and factories around the town.

Steps
1. Ask students to visit some of these Web sites:

Amnesty International
http://www.amnesty.org/

A worldwide campaign movement promoting human rights with nearly a million members in 162 countries. Visit its home page to learn how you can join a letter-writing campaign.

Human Rights Watch
http://www.hrw.org

A group of regional experts, lawyers and linguists dedicated to protecting victims of authoritarian abuse. Check out its wide range of human rights campaigns and find out how you can participate.

International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia
http://www.un.org/icty/

The United Nations judicial body provides updates on indictments and a wealth of information about legal proceedings.

Women of Srebrenica
http://www.srebrenica.org/english/default.htm

Learn about the Srebrenica massacre at a Web site created by people who survived it. Find bulletins, background, testimonies and photos from the ordeal.

BosNet
http://www.bosnet.org/

Find the latest news about Bosnia from a variety of sources, compiled here daily.

Kosovo Direct
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Atrium/2625/

An organization dedicated to aiding the refugee children of Kosovo. Photos and essays are touching, but be warned: Some are quite gruesome.

If these sites do not provide students with material that interests them, encourage them to seek additional resources at the following locations:

AAAS"s Directory of Human Rights Resources on the Internet
http://shr.aaas.org/dhr.htm

Links to hundreds of relevant sites.

About.com
http://humanrights.about.com/culture/humanrights/

An "expert guide" to current and useful info on human rights.

Yahoo!
http://dir.yahoo.com/Society_and_Culture/Issues_and_Causes/Human_Rights/Organizations/

When in doubt, check Yahoo! out.

2. Ask students to select at least one organization that interests them.

3. Before they write their letters . . .

. . . suggest they evaluate their chosen organizations based on the following criteria:

a. Does the organization encourage visitors to submit letters?

b. Do they ask for money? If so, does this seem to be their main objective in posting a Web site? Are you still interested in writing them a letter?

c. Can they cite recent efforts or is their Web site a placeholder for a mission that has fallen to neglect?

d. What is the tone of their rhetoric? Do you agree with their stance on critical issues?

e. Can you offer personal testimony that supports their cause? Should you continue searching for an organization that could better benefit from your experience and opinions?

. . . and ask them to research the subject they hope to address with an eye for the following:

a. What are the issues? Have you examined the situation from as many sides as possible?

b. If letters are posted on the organizations, Web sites, what are other people saying? Do you want to lend support to their opinions or can you offer new insights?

c. Who is your target audience? Activists? Politicians? Refugees? Political prisoners? If you have multiple audiences, can your letter be crafted to speak to them all or should you create different versions?

d. Why should your target audience care what you think? Can you express their clear interest in changing the current situation?

e. Can you go beyond the common cry of injustice and propose workable solutions?

4. Before they send their letters, allow time for students to share their work with classmates to provide an opportunity to see others, approaches.

5. When they send their letters, encourage them to "cc" us at Thirteen/WNET via e-mail or surface mail. We enjoy every opportunity to see our lesson plans at work.

E-mail: web@thirteen.org

Surface Mail:
Thirteen/WNET
Interactive & Broadband
450 West 33rd Street
New York, NY 10001

6. Revisit this project at a later date with an eye for news regarding related issues and events.

Putting it all Together
The Internet offers unprecedented opportunities for everyday citizens to influence global politics. By showing how students can use the Net to speak out in support of universal human rights, teachers will enlighten and empower the next generation of world leaders.