MAPS PRE-SELECTION AT THE ANNUAL SOLIDARITY WEEK OF COOPERATION AND HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL OF ALCALA DE HENARES TO ENCOURAGE THE PARTICIPATION OF THE STUDENTS AT PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL IN BARBARA PETCHENIK CHILDREN'S WORLD MAP COMPETITION BY NON GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS (COORDINATED BY ACTIONAID GROUP OF ALCALA)

E. Zapatero Cabañas, J. Manuel Ortiz Santos

Uiversity of alcala, meco secondary schoo, actionaid actionaid alcala

elena.zapatero@uah.es

 

            This initiative  starts from  Ayuda en Acción volunteers group of Alcalá de Henares (Madrid), a Non Governmental Organization (NGO) for Cooperation and Development (ActionAid International), and is developed in the Cooperation and Human Rights Council of the city of Alcalá de Henares (made up of Political representatives, Non Governmental Organizations (like UNICEF Alcalá, MPDL -Freedom, no Arms and Peace Association-, Solidarity Group Against External Debt, ActionAid  Alcalá ,etc) and Citizen Associations (like Local Women Council, University of Alcalá (CICODE), Parents of Students at Primary and Secondary School Association, etc). Education and Youth Councils  collaborate too.

Since 2004/05 academic course, a Cooperation Council of Alcalá workgroup (only some NGO´s volunteers coordinated by the Cooperation councillor) has developed some sensitizing activities in Secondary Schools of Alcalá: Women Rights and Gender Equality, Sustainable Development (Fair Trade included) and Extreme Poverty. Barbara Petchenik Children´s World Map Competition appears as a transverse activity through these last ones during 2006/07 academic course.

            The aim is pointing out the Solidarity Dimension in Barbara Petchenik Children´s   World Map Competition, promoting students´ awareness of world, beyond their city or country. Further more the cartographical and geographical knowledge and creative representation of the world in graphic form (relevant itself, of course), children  could find a very important solidarity dimension on theme: “Many Nations, One World”. This interdisciplinary activity makes students aware of their environment, poverty (unfair trade), women & children rights, and human being rights in general, etc.

             First of all, the ActionAid group of Alcalá  designs an action plan with specific objectives for some periods of time during the academic course 2006/07 that must be passed by the rest of the members of Alcalá Cooperative Council. This plan includes some meetings and documents, as follows:

·         Alcalá Educational councillor will coordinate a meeting with Geographical, Art and Pedagogical Departments of the secondary schools in Alcalá de Henares. ActionAid   will inform them about the Map Competition. Besides a leaflet, including graphic information (winning maps in past contests) and all rules for Barbara Petchenik´, will be sent to all the secondary schools.

·         After that, Secondary Schools interested in the contest will be visited by ActionAid and other volunteers from the workgroup for more details with teachers and tutors.

·         Teachers and tutors will encourage children to participate and draw world maps while teaching their subjects: geography, art, etc. (as a interdisciplinary activity)

·         Local media: radio, T.V. and newspapers as much as possible will inform about the pre-selection to Barbara Petchenik Children´s World Map Competition at the Annual Solidarity Week of Alcalá .

·         Annual Solidarity Week: Exhibition of all maps  during all week after collecting them in Secondary Schools in a public space of Alcalá de Henares.  At the end of the Week,   Prize Giving will take place by the Alcalá Council getting a pre-selection to Barbara Petchenik´

·         Finally, a statistical study about all maps will be carried out in collaboration with the Mathematics Department of the University of Alcalá de Henares  (what is the way  Alcalá students have a view of World?)