Save the Children...

To do:

1. Describe and comment the photos (what is each child doing, thinking and feeling; how does each child see him/herself)?
2. Give a title to each photo.
3. What do the photos have in common (is there a "theme")?
4. What purpose did the photographer have in taking these pictures do you think?
5. Do you like or dislike these photos (why); has the photographer done a good job?
6. What does Save the Children do (would you send money to this charity)?
7. Click HERE to see the photo essay and to read the children's stories!
8. What were/are YOUR dreams (for your future)?
9. What is "poverty"?
10. How many children are there in the world, how many live in (extreme) poverty?
11. How does poverty impact the lives of young people and what can be done to combat child poverty?

There are hungry people in wealthy countries too...

Cartoon by Dave Walker

Text adapted from an article in THE DAY:

Around 13 million Britons live below the poverty line, and the situation is getting worse.

A damning new government report shows that rising food prices and stagnating wages have led to a huge surge in the use of food banks.

Over 350,000 people relied on the 420-plus food banks in Britain in 2012-13; this is almost triple the number for 2011-12.

Food banks receive public and corporate food donations, which is then distributed to those in need. They have become a lifeline for those who, with electricity bills and rent to pay, are at risk of going hungry.

The report's authors say their “anger knows no bounds” towards Britain’s supermarkets, which throw away thousands of tonnes of unsold edible food every day.

A charity called FareShare provides one million meals a month from saved food, but this is just two percent of all the food that is wasted.

The government says it will take action to help Britain’s beleaguered food banks and to address the supermarkets’ throwaway culture.

Should we feel that concerned though for the poor in wealthy countries? After all, while the deprivation on our doorsteps might tug at our heartstrings, our real focus should surely be on the 842 million people around the world who live in extreme hunger and face a genuine struggle to survive…

Some argue, however, that the world’s hunger problems are overwhelming, unsolvable, or not our concern. After all, charity should start at home; we can at least help ease the suffering of those around us, who may well be people we know and, at some point, even ourselves…

Questions/to do:

1. What, according to the article, are the causes of hunger in the UK?
2. What is the population of the UK?
3. How wealthy is the UK?
4. Is the percentage of poor people in the UK higher than in France?
5. Are there food banks in France?
6. Would you be a volunteer for a charity like FareShare?
7. List some of the charities that try to solve the problem of hunger in the world.
8. Prepare a 60-second talk arguing that “charity starts at home”.

G20, 2014: what can world leaders do about climate change?

Logo of the G20 summit

The 2014 Summit of the G-20 was held in Brisbane, Australia, on November 15-16.

“G-20” stands for “Group of Twenty”.

The members of the group are the world’s twenty most powerful economies (19 countries plus the European Union):

1. Argentina
2. Australia
3. Brazil
4. Canada
5. China
6. France
7. Germany
8. India
9. Indonesia
10. Italy
11. Japan
12. Mexico
13. Russia
14. Saudi Arabia
15. South Africa
16. South Korea
17. Turkey
18. United Kingdom
19. United States
20. European Union

This group represents about two-thirds of the world’s population and 85% of the total value of all the products and services that are produced in the world.

The G-20 was formed in 1999 after a financial crisis so that various countries could get together and work on the world’s economic issues.

At the Brisbane Summit, country leaders and representatives of international organizations  discussed how to improve our world’s economies.

Issues included:

• How can trade be made easier?
• How can tax fraud be avoided?
• How can the financial system be made safer?
• How can employment be increased?

Other important issues were discussed:

• Russia’s aggressive stance on Ukraine.
• Climate change.

Click on the links below for more information on the G20 Summit:

• > Article from THE DAY on the G20 Summit
• > G20 2014
• > G20 Leaders' Communiqué

Point 19 of the Leaders' Communiqué, Brisbane Summit (15-16 November 2014), reads:

"We support strong and effective action to address climate change. Consistent with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its agreed outcomes, our actions will support sustainable development, economic growth, and certainty for business and investment. We will work together to adopt successfully a protocol, another legal instrument or an agreed outcome with legal force under the UNFCCC that is applicable to all parties at the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) in Paris in 2015. We encourage parties that are ready to communicate their intended nationally determined contributions well in advance of COP21 (by the first quarter of 2015 for those parties ready to do so). We reaffirm our support for mobilising finance for adaptation and mitigation, such as the Green Climate Fund."

PAIR WORK:

Questions (to find answers, use the texts and links above AND sources you find yourself):

1. Where and when was the latest G20 Summit held?
2. What is the G20?
3. What were the important issues discussed at the Summit according to THE DAY?
4. What does "sustainable development" mean?
5. What is the UNFCCC?
6. What is the COP21?
7. What is the Green Climate Fund?

> A Vanishing Island Off the Louisiana Coast

To do:

1. Describe and comment the photo above.
2. What are the causes of climate change?
3. Situate the Isle de Jean Charles on a map (print out the map for your ring binder).
4. Watch the video (cf. above link).
5. Click on "Think" and answer the questions.
6. Click on "Dig deeper" and read the text.

Questions:

1. If you were a resident of the Isle, would you stay or would you leave? 
2. What can be done about the situation on the Isle de Jean Charles?
3. According to you, who can solve the problems linked to climate change: grassroots action groups or the world leaders (prepare a 60-second speech in answer to this question)?

Still shot from the film "Beasts of the Southern Wild"

To do:

1. Watch the film "Beasts of the Southern Wild" (you can borrow the DVD from your local library!).
2. Write a short critique of the film for the blog THE BIGGER PICTURE.
3. Design a POSTER to encourage your schoolmates to contribute to energy efficiency in school (for information, use sources such as the EPA website).