Collective making and learning for Palestine (for all ages)
Introduction
With the siege on Gaza (October 2023), young people across Britain have witnessed the killing of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians. Senior United Nation staff, human rights organisations, and leaders of multiple countries across the Global south have called this a collective punishment and therefore a war crime.
Schools are meant to be places for learning and they have a duty of care with our children. But government policies and media coverage have led to Black, brown and Muslim young people being increasingly censored, surveilled and punished for showing solidarity with Palestine.
To create safe spaces where young people are free to grieve, learn and express their solidarity, we came together with Parents for Palestine groups across London for an in-person family event. It ran during the summer break and brought together people of all ages for collective and creative learning around Palestine.
The Need
Over the last 11 months, thousands of young people in Britain have been participating in actions to show solidarity with the Palestinian people: marching on the streets, attending school strikes, wearing Palestinian badges, keffiyehs and waving Palestinian flags.
A Eurocentric curriculum and ‘banking model’ of education in English schools continues to narrow what is being taught and hinders teachers from being able to develop a mutual learning space where with their students, they are allowed to think critically.
Government guidance has focused on policing children. As a result, when young people, specifically Muslim, Black and brown students have shown solidarity with Palestine in school, they have been censored and disciplined through exclusions, detentions, and Prevent referrals.
It has been vital to create alternative, safe spaces for young people and families to come together and grieve in solidarity, to express themselves freely and for critical learning.
What We Did
Alongwith partners Sustainably Muslim and Palestinian Youth Movement, we designed and delivered sessions for children and young people of all ages to learn about Palestine in collective and creative ways.
This resource is for families, community groups and educators to teach about Palestine in a way that sparks curiosity, builds critical consciousness and makes links to other parts of the world.
Sessions have been grouped into three age brackets: 2-5 years, 6-10 years and 11+. They can be easily adapted to fit the energy of your learning circle and the students’ prior knowledge.
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