Becoming Anti-Racist

Following the events of last year, many people were saying: 

“Being not racist isn’t enough”.

Including schools.  

In late October, the Assistant Headteacher of Four Elms Primary School reached out to us to talk about the school’s Anti-Racist initiative. The school wanted to talk about racism and the attitudes faced by refugees in our country.

They wanted to discuss the effects of prejudice, and how it can be challenged and changed.

By working together and choosing to use empathy, we were able to deepen and expand the conversation they had begun. Our handicrafts – specifically the friendship bracelet crafted by displaced Syrian women – helped the school community to focus on raising awareness of issues facing people of colour, and refugees. In addition, the school also raised enough funds to help a family in Jordan displaced by the Syrian conflict. Their collective efforts culminated in a powerful and thought-provoking video in which Year 6 children shared work inspired by the initiative – pictures and poems etc, to their families and friends and wider school community. It was a privilege to help them in their ongoing efforts to become the anti-racists that our world needs. 

And Four Elms Primary School helped us, as we adapted and became more creative in delivering Empathy Action 2.0.

 It starts with a conversation…

 We’d love to use our expertise and creativity to help you, your school or workplace with your ideas and conversations. We have a wealth of resources –  handicrafts, stories, micro-exercises, fundraisers – and a wellspring of ideas. We can help you curate your own empathy experiments and work with you (virtually at the moment, hopefully in person soon!) to deliver these programmes. Please do contact us for more information.

Further ideas:

Festivals using Refugee made bracelets for the entrance wristband.

Parents sponsor Refugee Made Bracelets for their big summer event

Festival bracelets for made by displaced Syrian Women for Livestock 2016