Global College
Institute for War Affected People
Director: Position currently vacantPartnerships
Past Courses and Workshops
Past Activities and Opportunities
Partnerships
New Partnership with the Institute for War Affected People
We are pleased to announce a new research partnership between the Global College, Song For Africa, and Child Soldier Initiative!
Darcy Ataman, CEO of Song for Africa, will be traveling to the Democratic
Republic of the Congo with Child Soldier Initiative in a field research
mission to determine how and where they will be able to begin a music
program to assist in rehabilitating ex-child soldiers and victims of the
devastating violence in the DRC. The University of Winnipeg Global College will assist Mr. Ataman in determining the location and target audience of Song for Africa's first program in the DRC (with the hopes of working closely in continuing to further expand its programming.)
Song for Africa (SFA) was created in 2006 to inspire change and bring awareness about humanitarian issues in Africa by harnessing the power and potential of African youth through music. SFA has previously piloted a Music Enrichment Programs in Rwanda with great success! This program focuses on HIV/AIDS-affected and infected youth. SFA also offers a music scholarship program in Kenya. Song for Africa has expanded its scope to focus on the population of the DRC that is most vulnerable to the effects of war, women and children.
In a country still deeply affected by "Africa's World War," ground-level programs are utterly necessary in facilitating change and rehabilitation. Using art, and music in particular SFA hopes to adapt its music model to assist in the rehabilitation of ex-child soldiers and victims of sexual and other war-related violence. Music, as an inherent aspect of culture in Africa holds deep roots within communities and offers a unique entry point for many individuals into the process of self-rehabilitation and dialogue about some of the most traumatic lived experiences.
"The Child Soldiers Initiative recognizes the
importance of the human rights and child protection perspectives, but is
unique as [they] address the child soldiering issue from its security dimensions.
There is not only an urgent need for greater accountability and
investment in policy and programs to protect children in armed
conflicts, but also to harness the expertise of wide-ranging
stakeholders, including security forces (peacekeepers, military and police)."
Their multidisciplinary approach allows them to design and implement activities that increase the awareness of security forces to prevent the recruitment and use of child soldiers.
The work of Child Solider Initiative is based on 3 pillars:
- Research - to generate more knowledge
- Training and Capacity building - for security forces
- Advocacy and Awareness-raising - to build understanding and mobilize greater action
Read Quest to Reform Child Soldiers article
Past Courses and Workshops
2010 SUMMER INSTITUTE
THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF HOPE:
What Every Educator and Counselor Should Know About Appropriate
Education for EAL Learners and Children Affected by War
The University of Winnipeg, Faculty of Education
July 5-9 and July 12-16 , 2010
Full day Sessions - 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM
6 Credit Hours
Summer Institute Goals
- Assist educators and counsellors to understand the needs of new Canadians, English as an additional language (EAL) learners and war-affected learners within the school and community contexts.
- Provide educators with intercultural and cross-cultural awareness and knowledge of effective instruction and assessment strategies & approaches.
Unique Format
Course consists of ‘common sessions’ of interest to all educators and as well specialized or ‘streamed sessions’, one with an EAL focus and the other with counselling focus.
Days 1-4 Common sessions on topics that intersect throughout different educational contexts—home-school connections, working collaboratively, awareness of culture and how this informs teaching and learning, planning and programming, instruction, and assessment.
Days 5-8 Streamed EAL and Counseling Sessions
Days 9-10 Common sessions: Dialogue and action seminar focusing on finding points of intersection between the two streams and to plan collaborative action strategies
Streamed Sessions
EAL stream will investigate the ways in which schools can help newcomer students gain the language and academic literacy skills required for success in school and life in Canada. and the roles of EAL and classroom teachers in language development.
Counseling stream will investigate the psychosocial and educational needs of newcomer children and youth, with a particular emphasis will be placed on how children have been affected by war, displacement and relocation.
Instructors
Dr. Jan Stewart, University of Winnipeg
Diana Turner, English as an Additional Consultant, Manitoba Education
Tony Tavares, Diversity Education Consultant, Manitoba Education
Guest Instructors: TBA
Registration
Participants must be admitted to the University of Winnipeg's Post Baccalaureate Diploma in Education in order to register for this course. For more information, please visit the Faculty of Education's website: http://education.uwinnipeg.ca/graduate_studies/pbde.html
Or contact Suzanne Martin, Coordinator, PBDE Program,
Telephone: (204) 786-9749, Email: s.martin@uwinnipeg.ca
Deadline to apply for admission is June 1, 2010
2009 SUMMER COURSE
Special Topics: War-Affected Children
Course Number: EDUC-5001-004 (3 credit hours)
Dates:
August 17-21 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
August 22 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., and 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
August 29 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Instructor: Dr. Jan Stewart
Department: Education
Course Description: Children affected by
trauma, war, and violence pose challenges to educators and school
leaders. The purpose of this course is to provide practicing educators
the opportunity to develop a thorough understanding of the psychosocial
and behavioural effects of children exposed to war. Particular
attention will be focused on mental health issues, immigration and
integration, working with families, building connections with community
agencies, and promoting peace and justice in the international context.
In order to register for this course, students must be admitted to the
Post Baccalaureate Diploma in Education at the University of Winnipeg.
For information admission and registration, please call Suzanne Martin at (204) 786-9749, or email s.martin@uwinnipeg.ca
ACTIVITIES
Community Outreach
Activities
Director, Dr. Jan Stewart will be speaking at numerous
local, national, and international conferences to share her research related to
the educational and psychosocial needs of children affected by war. Upcoming
presentations include the following:
- April 25, 2008: Manitoba Education Resource Network, Manitoba Teachers’ Society
- May 2, 2008: Gordon Bell School, Winnipeg School Division
- May 13-16, 2008: Canadian Counselling Association, Moncton,
N.B. (Conference ppt and summary)
- May 22, 2008: English as an Additional Language Teachers’ Association, Winnipeg, MB
- May 24, 2008 :
Canadian Council for Refugees, Winnipeg, MB
- May 31-June 3, 2008: Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences: Canadian Society for the Study of Education, Vancouver, B.C. (Conference ppt and summary)
- June 19-20, 2008: Summer Institute, University of North
Dakota
Proposal to CIDA for
a Global Classroom Initiative
A proposal has been submitted to CIDA’s Global Classroom
Initiative. The Institute for War-Affected Children has partnered with Manitoba
Education, Citizenship and Youth, The University of Winnipeg Research Office,
The Manitoba School Counsellors’ Association and The Manitoba School
Improvement Project to implement an Intercultural Capacity Building Project. The purposes of the proposed project are:
(1) to help students become interculturally competent and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that will enable them to participate effectively as global citizens;
(2) to provide professional development opportunities for pre-service and in-service teachers about teaching in a multi-ethnic community and addressing the needs of newcomer students;
(3) to promote diversity and the benefits of living in a multicultural local and global society.
The overall project will include classroom-based learning activities related to social justice and human rights issues and specific lessons for creating interculturally competent citizens who embrace diversity and change for the betterment of Canadian society.
International Partnerships
The Institute for War Affected Children is pursuing partnerships with Northern and Southern Uganda for the purposes of working collaboratively on teacher training and curriculum development projects.
Dr. Stewart was invited to attend a Workshop on Preventive Strategies for Children and Armed Conflict organized by The International Bureau for Children’s Rights in Montreal. Delegates discussed implementation strategies for Security Council Resolution 1612 with a particular focus on how to improve and strengthen the preventive strategies at the local, national, and international level.
Dr. Stewart will also be presenting at The Canadian Council for Refugees Conference titled “Family Separation: Impacts on Children” on Saturday May 24th, 2008.
OPPORTUNITIES
Teaching and Assisting Children Affected By War Course
Several students in the Teaching War-affected Children
course (January-March 08) took part in a service learning project with agencies
in the community that provide programs and services to newcomers in Winnipeg.
Students were required to take part in a 15 hour volunteer placement and then complete
a learning project related to their experiences. Placements included: Needs
Centre, Global Welcome Centre, International Centre, Welcome Place, and high
school EAL classes in the community.
The students’ final term projects were scholarly and
dynamic representations of their learning throughout the course. Projects
included video documentaries, reader’s theatre scripts, artwork, poetry, photo
essays, research papers, songwriting and performance pieces, scrapbooks,
dramatic scripts, websites, illustrated books for children, magazines, and
public demonstrations. Once again, the talented students in this class
showcased their talents in a purely artistic, creative and engaging display. The
undergraduate course will once again be offered in the winter term on Mondays
and Wednesdays from 10:30-12:30.
Graduate Summer
Institute Teaching Children Affected By War
Dr. Jan Stewart will be teaching a graduate summer
course on war-affected children. The institute will run from July 7-11 from
9:00-4:30, Monday to Friday in Room 3M67. Please contact Tania at The Faculty
of Education Main Office for more information.
Activist Internship
in Human Rights and Social Justice: Experimental Course Proposal
The Literacy and Transformative Learning Institute Director,Dr. Deborah Schnitzer and The Institute For War-Affected Children Director, Dr.
Jan Stewart have collaborated to develop an experimental course proposal
related to an internship in Human Rights and Social Justice. Working with the Global College Senior Administration, the Directors have created a multidisciplinary course that encourages students to make a commitment to engage in experiential/community service-learning. Pending approval, the course will allow participants to experience and learn about the dynamic relationship between activism and scholarship. This course highlights the critical intersections between scholarship and activism among disciplines and integrates university and community, regional and national, local and international perspectives. The course is currently under review and Global College hopes to offer this course to University of Winnipeg students for the 2009-2010 academic year.