Responding to Overseas Disasters and Emergencies: How you can make a difference
Case Study: Teacher's Notes
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| Case Study | Student Activities |
Overview
Humanitarian crises, such as large scale refugee movements following a war, or natural disasters that destroy food crops and lead a country into famine, often prompt us to express genuine concern and take immediate action to help those in need. There are always many things we can do to help, although some are more appropriate than others. This case study offers advice on the best and most versatile forms of assistance to victims of humanitarian crises overseas.
Level
Secondary
Objectives
Students:
- identify the causes and the consequences of humanitarian crises overseas
- empathise with people living in such circumstances
- investigate why some public responses to such circumstances are more appropriate than others
- recommend and evaluate strategies for providing emergency relief and long term development in developing countries
- investigate the work of non government overseas aid organisations in conjunction with the Australian Government's Overseas Aid Program
- recommend and act upon strategies for increasing community awareness about, and raising funds for, emergency relief and development projects overseas, and for assisting people in need in Australia.
Links with nationally-developed statements and profiles
Studies of society and environment
- Place and Space - Care of places
- Culture - Personal, group and cultural identity
- Resources - Use of resources, management and enterprise
- Investigation, Communication and Participation
Preparation
- copies of case study (one per student)
- recent media reports of humanitarian crises, from daily newspapers, school clipping files, or the internet - for example, "Money best way to help Kosovo relief effort" - press release
- videos on particular crises, available from non government overseas aid organisations, located through the telephone directory of your capital city, ACFOA (see Resources), or your local global education centre
- copies of AusAID Focus or the magazines of non government overseas aid organisations describing emergency relief and long term development projects, ideally with colour photographs that can be cut or scanned for publicity and education purposes.
Procedure
Ask students to identify overseas humanitarian crises that have recently received coverage in the media, and discuss the nature of the crises, where they happened, why, and how the people, and possibly the environments, were affected. If possible, support the activity with media reports, or show one or more videos on a variety of segments on particular situations. Allocate specific events to groups of students and ask them to list words or short phrases describing what it could be like to be one of the people involved in each situation. Share responses across the class and discuss common experiences.Ask students to identify how the world and Australian communities (where appropriate) responded to each crisis. List responses on the board. Can the students think of other things that could have been done to overcome the problems in each situation? Students may be able to check some of their suggestions with information in the case study or through the follow-up activities with non government overseas aid organisations.
Distribute the case studies and student activities. On completion, students should also discuss whether the crises they investigated could have been avoided in the first place, and what could be done to prevent them from happening in the future, justifying their suggestions and suggesting any roles they may play in the process.
Resources:
Australian Council for Overseas AidACFOA House
14 Napier Close
(Private Bag 3)
Deakin ACT 2600
Phone: (02) 6285 1816
Fax: (02) 6285 1720
http://www.acfoa.asn.au/
Almost all AusAID publications are available on the internet or can be obtained from Canberra Mailing:
Phone: (02) 6269 1230
Fax: (02) 6269 1229
Email: books@ausaid.gov.au
Mail: PO Box 650
Fyshwick ACT 2609
AusAID website:http://www.ausaid.gov.au
* Further information and resources can be obtained from the
Professional Development Providers.
© Commonwealth of Australia