De-mining dogs: Clearing landmines in Sri Lanka Case Study Student Activities Teacher's Notes Overview Attempts to alleviate poverty in the resettled areas of Northern Sri Lanka are hampered by landmines laid in fields during the 17 year war between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelan (LTTE) and Sri Lankan Government forces. Australia is assisting in the detection and clearance of landmines, helping in the process of detecting them in the fields and assisting train villagers and students in mine awareness and conflict resolution. The people can then return to normal lives, with the assistance of other basic needs projects designed to alleviate poverty. Level Middle /upper secondary Objectives Students will: develop understanding of the danger of landmines and how people living in the areas mined cannot carry on normal lives; understand how dogs are being used successfully to detect landmines; identify how life opportunities are affected by events, by recognising how restricted life can be in landmine affected areas; develop empathy with and positive attitudes towards people in developing countries; appreciate that cooperation is necessary to bring about long term positive change; and work towards planning actions to help others. Links with nationally developed statements and profiles Studies of society and environment Time, Continuity and Change: Interpretations and perspectives Place and space: Features of places, People and places, Care of places Resources: People and work, Management and enterprise Natural and Social Systems: Political and legal systems Process: Investigation, communication and participation. Preparation copies of case study (one per student) atlases (class set) a large scale map of Sri Lanka showing the northern area around the Jaffna peninsula or an A4 size copy of a map of Sri Lanka. Maps are available from: http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/ce.html a copy of 'Types of responsible action' (table below) a copy of the video Landmines - a Hidden Killer (1999) Copies can be obtained free of charge through Canberra Mailing - books@ausaid.gov.au check websites and organisations listed in the resources read the case studies on this site, on Mozambique called 'Dogs help the People of Mozambique' and 'Dogs Track Hidden Killers' for information about how the dogs are actually used and the hidden costs (of landmines) to communities. Procedure The primary role of the teacher will be as a facilitator for the student activities. Students can work on activities individually, in pairs, in groups and as a class. The activities culminate in the class deciding how their learnings can lead to action for a better world. The procedure for activity four in the student activities is as follows: Students suggest ways forward in terms of our responsibility and action on landmine eradication or education. Pairs of students select an organisation and research (using the Internet) some of the methods they are using to eradicate landmines or educate about landmines (see resources for a list of organisations). Students compile a report under headings suggested by the class. Reports are presented to the class. Class discussion then centres on deciding the 'type of action' each organisation is taking in relation to the chart of 'Types of responsible action for change' (see teacher's notes). Finally discuss what action students individually, as a class, or the whole school can take to assist reduce the problem of landmines. Types of responsible action Action to tell others organising a display or information centre writing a newspaper to inform others inviting a speaker to talk about an issue using the Internet and email to tell others Action to get others to join in a project educating others through organising speakers, films, debates displays talking or writing about activities of organisations who take action writing letters to students in other areas or countries to ask them about their involvement or getting them to become involved Action to help cause a change reporting to people or government departments who can make decisions speaking to members of parliament or councils to ask them to make or alter decisions debating issues and reporting on outcomes to those who can alter decisions surveying others to gather data to support particular outcomes Action to make changes joining an organisation that is working for change Resources Other Global Education case studies on landmines include: Dogs Track Hidden Killers (Secondary) Dogs Help People of Mozambique (Primary) Fighting the Unseen Enemy in Laos (Secondary) Beating the Time Bomb in Laos (Primary) Videos Landmines - a Hidden Killer (1999) AusAID, Canberra. Twelve minute video for Years 8-11 with teacher's notes and student outcomes and strategies to achieve outcomes. The video is available free of charge from books@ausaid.gov.au or it can be borrowed from Global Education Centres Useful articles Sri Lanka The World Factbook with map See website: http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ce.html UNICEF (1996) The State of the World's Children 1996 Oxford University Press. "How Sri Lanka educates children for peace" page 32 - Panel 6 "Combating land-mines in El Salvador" page 27 - Panel 5 "The legacy of landmines" page 26 - 28 The following artices are from Focus, the Australian Government's quarterly magazine on overseas aid and development: Demining Cambodia - The long road ahead (Focus, March 97) Cambodia's battle with landmines Crops replace mines in AusAID backed Mozambique Project page 24 - 26 (Focus, June 98) Books Amnesty International Report (1997) Amnesty International Publications, London UK. Sri Lanka - pages 291 - 293 Calder, Margaret and Smith, Roger, (1993) A Better World for All-Development Education for the Classroom. Australian International Development Assistance Bureau, Canberra Educating for Peace Geography (1988) NSW Department of Education, Sydney. (Copies of this and some others in the series are available for sale from the Conflict Resolution Network, Chatswood NSW 2057. Ph: (02) 9419 8500, from GTAV: 503 Burke Road, Camberwell South Vic 3124 Ph. (03) 9824 8355 and from the Global Education Centre (SA) Torrens Building, 220 Victoria Square, Adelaide 5000 Ph: (08 82216744)) Educating for Peace through Asian Social Studies. (1988) NSW Department of Education, Sydney. (See above for purchase) Organisations and website links Global Education: What's happening with landmines around the world Information and links to other resources on landmines Amnesty International http://www.amnesty.org AUSTCARE http://www.austcare.org.au AustCARE - Mine Action NOW http://austcare.org.au Australian Red Cross http://www.redcross.org.au International Red Cross http://www.ifrc.org CARE Australia http://www.care.org Community Aid Abroad, Oxfam in Australia http://www.caa.org.au UNAA - United Nations Association of Australia http://www.unaa.org.au UNESCO Culture of Peace http://www.unesco.org/cpp/ http://www3.unesco.org/manifesto2000/ UNICEF Australia http://www.unicef.org World Vision Australia http://www.worldvision.com.au/index.asp * Further information and resources can be obtained from the Professional Development Providers. Top © Commonwealth of Australia