Click here to print formatted PDF of this page

Globalisation

Identifying the problems:
Your project should respond to a specific need in your community. It is important to involve Scouts in this part of the project using participative and dynamic methods. Here are some creative ways of exploring the issue of globalisation.

Activity 1: From North to South
Scouts investigate their local community to find what influences they can find from different regions of the world. This may be food consumed or technology used that is imported from a different part of the world, even if it could be produced locally. Carry out a survey to find out why people in your local community buy and use products that come from other countries and investigate if there are alternatives that could be produced locally. What are the reasons for people using products that come from other countries?

Activity 2: One World
There are many multi-national companies that have moved much of their operation to less economically developed countries and regions. Scouts can identify the companies in their own country that are owned and managed in a different country. Investigate the type of industry they are, and what they are doing in your own country. This could be compared to their operations in other countries and the causes for them to carry our business in the different countries. Look at the impact of moving these operations into different countries on the people that are affected.

Examples include: Shell Oil working in Nigeria; UK call centres moving to India; Coffee growers in Brazil being paid a poor wage.

Activity 3: On the move
Examine the range of communities within your country / local area and find out how long these communities have been established. Some may be for a short time, whilst others have been resident for many centuries. All communities are forced to move at some time during their existence. Scouts may also try and identify communities that lived in their location in the past and the reasons why they are no longer there. Produce a map of the local region and show where different communities have come from and their reasons for doing so.

Developing awareness and empathy:
After actively participating in identifying the problem, Scouts need to be helped to develop their awareness of the issues, many of which are complex.
Here are some activities which will help Scouts to explore the issue of ethnic hatred and develop skills and empathy. These activities use the Scout method of active participation and exploration. The project in the community should help the Scouts use the skills that they have developed.

Activity 1: It's our world!
Young people have the capacity to act to make a difference to the world and many Scouts will be key decision-makers in the future. It is important that they are aware of the world in which they live - but not to see the problems, rather to explore the challenges. To introduce the topic of globalisation, Scouts can play this 'True/False Quiz' - see the Activity Treasure Chest for the method. Here are some sample questions or the Scouts could develop their own.

Question 1: There are 1.3 million people worldwide who live on less than 1 USD per day?

FALSE: the true figure is 1.3 billion people.

Question 2: In the Sahara desert camels carry solar powered refrigerators?

TRUE: Camels carry solar powered refrigerators so that vaccines can be taken to people even in remote places in the desert.

Question 3: Children's playgrounds in South Africa contribute to providing water to the local community.

TRUE: Children's roundabouts have been adapted to generate electricity - when children play on them, electricity is generated and this energy is used to pump water.

Question 4: All children in Ireland, one of the richest countries in Europe GNI 24,000 USD, have a home.

FALSE: According to one organisation, which provides services for homeless people and drug users, for children, homelessness often means constant moves from one emergency accommodation unit to another. This damages their social and educational development and puts huge pressure on the entire family. It is estimated that there are over 1,000 homeless children in Dublin, the capital of Ireland.

Question 5: Civil wars generally affect the world's poorest countries?

TRUE: According to the World Bank, in the past 15 years, 80% of the world's 20 poorest countries have suffered a major civil war.

Question 6: As fish is not a major food-source in the world today, the fears of declining numbers of fish in the sea are exaggerated.

FALSE: For some species of fish e.g. cod and tuna, the population has been reduced by around 90% in the past 50 years and the biomass of fish in Asia is estimated to be 8-10% of what is was 100 years ago. The looming threat of fisheries threatens the most important source of food for 250 million people.

Activity 2: Mythical Facts
Many of the facts that people use to describe a country or culture are myths rather than facts. Sometimes this may have been caused by people not understanding the fact and so changing it. If this happened several times the true fact can be changed into something very different. Other statements are made up to promote an idea and have no facts to back them up. There are many myths around which are very different from the true facts. Identify facts and myths that people have heard or know about differences between cultures and countries. The statements can then be investigated to find out the real answer and fact. Once the statements have been identified as either a fact or a myth, discuss the reasons that may have caused the myths to be created and also look as the effects of myths being promoted rather than the facts?

Activity 3: Pole to Pole
Everyone has a different understanding and a different opinion about the world in which we live. Different people have different priorities and so this may also affect how important certain issues are to them. To help show how each Scout may have a different opinion about things, identify key statements around the topic of globalisation. Against each statement ask Scouts to show how strongly they agree or disagree with it.

Some sample statements are listed here.
        1. Genetically modified plants are necessary to make sure that there is enough food for everyone in the future
        2. All tourism is good
        3. There should be restrictions on the use of timber from rain-forests, no matter what the effect will be on the economy of the local community
        4. The benefits of re-cycling is a myth - it is not beneficial to the environment
        5. Trade barriers exist to protect the livelihoods of rich people.
        6. Restricting immigration will restrict development in all countries.

Taking action:
The Gifts for Peace project should make a difference in the community. Actions need to be developed which are appropriate to the community and are challenging and fun for the Scouts involved. Here are some projects which may be appropriate for Scouts to respond to the subject of the globalisation in your community.

Project 1: Ethical Buying
In some countries and communities there can be a wide choice of products that are available for people to purchase. Each product may be produced in a different way, by a different company and so the effect on the people who have helped in the production can be different. Try and buy goods that are produced by companies that have ethical policies and so help support the people that contribute to the production. Some of the products can be identified by the Fair Trade logo. If there are not products available that are made ethically, try and ask your retailer to stock them. Investigate the reasons that people are not able to buy more ethical products and look at ways to resolve these.

Project 2: Youth Exchange
Plan an exchange with Scouts from a different country. This may be a physical exchange where you can visit them and their country and then they come and stay in your country, or it might be an exchange based on letters, emails, photos and video. Look at the differences in the culture and communities of the country you are exchanging with. Identify the ways opportunities for young people that are different to those in your own country. This could be about the jobs available to them, education opportunities, living arrangements and how society treats them. Identify ways in which Scouts could help to improve the lives of the young people in the country you are exchanging with.

Project 3: The Rights of a child
Look at the UN convention on the Rights of the Child and think about the ways in which this can be used to improve the rights of young people in different countries - starting with your own. How many of these rights are followed in your country? Look at ways that you may be able to improve the rights of children in your own countries and those in others.

Measuring change:
The project is designed to help young people to develop their capabilities, attitudes and values in response to situations about globalisation. Scouts can help to make a difference in their communities and by understanding the issues related to globalisation and the North South divide. Two dimensions of change should be measured - change in the communities and change in the Scouts themselves. Measuring change should be built into the design of the project in a fun, participative way. Here are some activities which will help to measure change.

Activity 1: We are what we eat
Encourage Scouts to carry out a survey of what their family buys and identify where each of the items comes from. Discuss how the shopping list might have changed and identify ways in which it could continue to change that would support better conditions and rights for the people involved in the manufacturing of the goods. What has been the affect on the local community from changing the items that people buy? Are there further ways in which the community could improve what they buy?

Activity 2: Personal Pledges
Invite all the Scouts to make personal pledges to change their lifestyles to promote the positive effects of globalisation and reduce the negative effects. This could be done with Scouts in another country. Seal the pledges and open them in 6-12 months time. Has everyone kept to his or her pledge? Do they think that their action has made a difference - locally, globally? Share your results with the other Scout Group.

Case study: GAPP

Here is a story from the United Kingdom where young people are engaged in peer education on globalisation through the Global Awareness Partnership Project (GAPP).

In the United Kingdom, around 250 young people have received peer education training in global issues. These young educators (GAPPsters) then run activities to help others understand globalisation and the north/south divide. The young people explore issues such as health, justice, spending your money, the environment, landmines, refugees and mental health. The training helps young people to make life-choices which will reduce the negative impact of globalisation.

The project is managed by a team of young people. They recruit more members, organize and evaluate the training, develop more topics and produce and manage a web-site to promote the activities and support the network. GAPP recently ran activities at the New Zealand National Jamboree. GAPP empowers young people and is a Gift for Peace in the Scout Association (UK). For more information see their website: http://www.gapp.me.uk

GAPP in action!

"We look forward to the time when the power to love will replace the love of power. Then will our world know the blessings of peace." William Ellery Channing

Return to top of page

© World Organization of the Scout Movement - 2008

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution - NonCommercial - ShareAlike 2.5 License.