Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Final Blog Mark and help with Final Presentation





Volunteering in Cambodia Project


 

The aim of this project is to introduce students to the advantages of travel, gap years and volunteering and to reflect on the necessity of appreciating cultural diversity.

The following areas will be covered:-

·         Travel and Gap Years

·         Benefits of Volunteering                                            

·         Introduction to Cambodia

·         Cambodian Culture

·         History of Ancient Cambodia

·         Khmer Rouge and Year Zero

·         The Genocide

·         The Land Mine Museum

·         Aspects of cultural diversity

·         Why is Cambodia so poor?

·         What would your life be if without natural resources such as oil?

·         What is the best way to help in the development of Cambodia?

Quotes about Travel


 

“Don’t tell me how educated you are, tell me how much you traveled.” – Mohammed

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” – Mark Twain

“Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” – Miriam Beard

“If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home.” – James Michener

“Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.” – Maya Angelou

This assignment will help you with your final Cultural Diversity project.

 

 

 

Part 1: The Benefits of Travel and Taking a Gap Year


 

A gap year is a year's break taken by a student between leaving school and starting further education. Nowadays, taking a gap year is very popular with many young people.  

Objective: To understand the there is more to education than “book learning”.

Tasks

1.       Watch the videos and take notes

2.       Plan your gap year

3.       Write a reflection


Task 1: Watch the videos and take notes

1.       BBC gap year:  BBC News report by Howard Johnson


2.       The advantages of taking a gap year – Birmingham University


3.       The British Government’s Advice on Gap Years


Task 2: Plan your gap year


Task 3: Write a reflection on gap years

What are the benefits of a gap-year? When do you think Emiratis will become interested in taking gap years? Would you like to take one? Where would you like to go? What would you like to do?


 

Part 2: The Benefits of Volunteering in a Developing Country


 

Objective: To understand that volunteering usually benefits the volunteer as much as those helped

Tasks

1.       Watch a video about students from Abu Dhabi volunteering in Cambodia

2.       Read notes by the students

3.       Write a reflection

 

 Task 1: Watch the Video

Watch this video about young people from Abu Dhabi: http://tinyurl.com/volunteercambodia

Task 2: Read

On the same website, read “Who We Are” and “Volunteer’s Stories” (Hari, Anita, Zoe and Ranya)

Task 3: Write a reflection

Write a reflection on the benefits of volunteering

Who gains more from volunteering in a developing country – the children or the volunteers? What skills could you develop while volunteering? Could you teach football, English, art, music or computer skills?

 

Part 3: Cambodia Customs and Values


 

Objective: To understand some similarities between Emirati and Cambodian Culture

Task: Compare Cambodian and Emirati values

 

Highlight in yellow all the values that are similar to Emirati values

A.      Traditional Cambodian values include a strong family identity and loyalty

B.      Cambodian-born people have a respect for culture and older people.

C.      Cambodian families tend to be very private and reluctant to discuss family issues or conflict with non-family members

D.      Stoicism is a highly valued Cambodian character trait, reducing the tendency to complain about their health or services they are receiving

E.       Modesty, particularly for women, is very important

F.       Visitors to Cambodian-born people’s homes are often expected to remove their shoes, however they might not ask

G.     Accepting of food and refreshments when offered may break down barriers, open communication and build trust

H.      Cambodian-born people regard touching people on the head or pointing feet or shoes at them as offensive.

I.        Cambodians consider it impolite to make eye contact with someone who is older or considered a superior

J.        Cambodians have a tendency not to question instructions or authority

K.      ‘Yes’ may be an ambiguous response to a question or request, and does not necessarily indicate agreement. Reponses that might mean ‘no’ include; no response, changing the subject, or statements such as ‘it’s OK’ or ‘no problem’ or even an unconvincing ‘yes’

L.       It may take time to develop working relationships, trust and rapport

M.    Loud or over-familiar behaviour towards others is generally not favoured.

N.     Cambodians tend to avoid showing anger or getting involved in confrontation

O.     Cambodians prefer to be addressed using their correct title. For example Mr, Mrs and Dr

P.      Women traditionally retain their own family names on marriage or they may have two surnames. Cambodian names are traditionally written with the surname first, followed by the given name.

Q.     Cambodians may not recognise their names if they are pronounced incorrectly

R.      Cambodians may not always address people by their name

 

Migrant Information Centre (Melbourne, Australia)


Part 4: The Beauty, Diversity and Poverty of Cambodia


Objective: To introduce Cambodia to students and to compare Emirati and Cambodian lifestyles

Tasks

1.       View a photo gallery, a PowerPoint presentation, and a video from Cambodia

2.       Discuss

3.       Write a refection comparing your life to that of Cambodians

Task 1: Watch a photo gallery, a PowerPoint, and a video.


2.       Google "Cambodian countryside" images and see how the majority of Cambodians live.


Task 2: Discuss

A.      Which was your favourite picture of Cambodia? Why? Compare your life to that of Cambodian villagers.

B.      How much do they live on each day? A third of the people in Siem Reap province live on _ a day.   (Go to http://www.concertcambodia.org/poverty.html to find the answer)

Task 3: Emirati and Cambodian Lifestyles - Reflection

Why are Cambodians so poor? What is the best way to raise the standard of living of poor people?

What do you think your life would be like in Abu Dhabi if oil had not been discovered?

 

Part 5: Cambodia’s Rich Cultural History and Awe-Inspiring Temples


Objective: To introduce Cambodia’s amazing architectural wonders and consider the rise and fall of cultures

Tasks

1.       Watch two videos  

2.       Discuss why cultures rise and fall

3.       Write a reflection

Task 1: Watch the videos



 
 
 
 

Task 2: The Temples - Reflection

There are three very famous temples mentioned in the movie.

·         Angkor Wat

·         Bayon

·         Ta Prohm

Which temple one do you think looks the most interesting? Why? When were these magnificent temples built? How were they built? Which religion inspired them and which religion replaced the original one? The Cambodian empire was incredibly big and powerful? Why did it fall and the cities get overgrown by the jungle for five hundred years?

 


 

Part 6: Cambodia's Brutal Khmer Rouge Regime


Objective: To learn about Cambodian’s recent history

Tasks

A.      Watch two videos

B.      Write a reflection

Task 1: Watch the video “Scream Bloody Murder” Parts 1 and 2





Task 2: The Khmer Rouge Regime - Reflection

·         What caused the civil war? What happened in 1975? What happened in Year Zero?

·         What happened in the three years, eight months and 20 days that the Khmer Rouge was in power?

·         Why did the Americans continue to Support Pol Pot even though they knew he was responsible for more than a million deaths?

 

Part 7: Cambodian Genocide and Cultural Diversity


Objective – to understand the horror of the recent Cambodian past

Tasks

1.       Read two articles

2.       Watch two videos  -  genocide and landmines

3.       Write a reflection

 

Task 1: Read these two articles

1.       Khmer Rouge regime http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-15776705


Task 2: Watch the videos

Video 1: Watch the video:  genocide victims are displayed on the walls of the Tuol Sleng Museum of Genocidal Crime.


 
 
 
 
 


Task 3: Reflection on Cambodia’s recent history

Yous Sopanha, 44, now lives in a suburb outside Phnom Penh and works as a tour guide. Can you imagine what his teenage years were like? How many of his relatives were killed? What are the killing fields? Why were so many Cambodians murdered?

Give examples of racism, classism, ageism, ableism and discrimination regarding educational background and religion. Why are there so many amputees in Cambodia?


Part 8: Cambodia Today and in the Future


Objective: to gain an overview of the progress and challenges of Cambodia today

Tasks

1.       Watch  the video Pub Street

2.       Read about the problems

3.       Write a reflection

Task 1: Watch the video about Cambodia today:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqqXRGNGDN4

Task 2: Read:

But the country has lots of problems. Cambodia is one of the poorest countries in the world. Most children don't complete more than five years of education - if that - because their families need them to work on the farms. The priority is survival, in a country with limited health care and economic resources. At the national level, the problems loom even larger. Thousands of landmines are still unexploded and thousands of people are maimed or killed each year - thirty years after they were planted. The country is being deforested, affecting the environment in all of Southeast Asia. Sex trafficking is a huge, largely unchecked problem, along with HIV/AIDS. As one human rights worker told me, if you have any interest in human rights problems, just come to Cambodia. They are all here.

Task 3: Cambodia Today - Reflection

Why is Cambodia so poor? What are the main problems? Do you think tourism is the answer to their financial problems? Where is Cambodia on the world index of corruption?


Do you think the horrors of genocide could happen again? Why? Why not?

 

Part 9: Genocide Worldwide 1900-2005


Objective: to understand that genocide is not a thing of the past

Tasks

1.       Study the map and examine genocides worldwide

2.       Write a conclusion


 


Darfur Genocide


What are the latest facts and figures for Darfur? How may have died in Syria?

Task 2: Write a Conclusion

Why is travel other than in 5-star hotels important? Would you like to volunteer in Cambodia? Why? Why not? Do you think teaching studentsf to appreciate cultural diversity can help in preventing genocide?

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