| Posted: April 18 2005,09:52 |
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PROGRESS: Has your organization seen
progress toward a culture of peace and nonviolence in your domain of
action and in your constituency during the first half of the Decade? |
Because
of prejudice, the Roma in Hungary remain, for the most part, at the
fringe of Hungarian society, despised by many, derided by most,
misunderstood as a group unable to become part of functioning society.
Many believe education to be the answer but the Roma have had
little success in the Hungarian education system, their failure
existing as a proof, in the minds of many, of their incorrigible
nature. The Roma, for their part, to save face and as an
unconscious mechanism of psychological survival, have defined their
culture as one which does not include - has no need for - formal
education. This protects them from "failure" but guarantees their
continued exclusion from main stream society and from realizing their
own potential within the modern framework which absolutely demands
formal education. The result is recycled enmity,
misunderstanding, prejudice, and a sense of impossible coexistence.
The
Meséd Project seeks to redefine the Roma’s sense of themselves, and of
Hungarian’s view of them, as a people who cherish learning, who love
books, and who can become successful in the full range of educational
possibilities, while at the same time, reinforcing and encouraging
other aspects of their unique heritage of a people. The young
Roma mothers who have taken part in the project so far, have
transformed their attitudes towards books and learning, gained new
confidence in reading and are passing this on directly to their
children who, for the first time in most cases, are being read to by
their mothers. Mothers and children are both enjoying this new
way of relating to each other. In developing a culture of books
within Roma homes, the stage is being set for the children’s continued
success in school. As the project is just a few years old, the
long term results have not been proven, but many studies have shown
that reading to children at home is a prime indicator of future success
in school, not just in elementary education but right on up to
post-secondary.
As the project is just a few years old,
the long term results have not been proven, but many studies have shown
that reading to children at home is a prime indicator of future success
in school, not just in elementary education but right on up to
post-secondary.
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OBSTACLES: What are the most important obstacles that have prevented progress?
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Lack
of meaningful and respectful communication and understanding between
people of difference. This leads to formation of prejudices of all kind
amongst diverse strata of society and between nations and races.
A
major challenge continues to be finding ways of attracting young Roma
mothers to attend these meetings. Lack of hope and trust in anything
that is offered them and the general apathy towards learning and
developing makes it very difficult to form large groups. Once the
mothers have tried and have had the experience of being part of the
group, most of them will continue to come. Efforts to publicize this
project on a large scale would require resources and expertise. In
order to form many groups around the country and effect change we need
to engage the media in this country.
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ACTIONS: What actions have been
undertaken by your organization to promote a culture of peace and
nonviolence during the first half of the Decade?
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The present situation in Hungary and background to the project
1. Schools
Hungary
has turned the crucial corner in universal education generations ago
and Hungarians as a nation are competitive with the most developed
countries in terms of their educational achievements. The educational
system, generally, is a vigorous system of learning with much
emphasis on performance and results. Starting with the first grade
children learn that to be successful they need to work hard, memorize a
great deal and perform well in tests and exams. The milieu is
competitive and highly charged in terms of putting oneself forward and
giving prompt responses. The formal educational system in Hungary with
its present characteristics, in most cases, does not seem inclined to
adapt to the special needs of Roma children. This social milieu,
coupled with a sense of inferiority that accompanies the Roma children
in the class rooms, has led to a feeling of alienation amongst Roma in
the class room. The high rate of school dropouts among the Roma
students all around the country is clear evidence of this. In the early
90s according to Kertesi (1994) and Radó (1997), more Roma
students in primary level dropped out than those who completed. In
upper levels a Roma student has fifty times less chance of getting a
diploma compared to non Roma students (Kurucz 1999).
2. Roma mothers
It
is also a fact that motherhood generally starts very early among the
Roma. They are often ill prepared, both in terms of academic ability
and the self-confidence that is essential for motherhood to create
change and determine a direction for the growth of their children. They
have mostly had a few years of schooling and learnt to read at a basic
level but having not used the skills they had been taught the skill of
learning has become buried. They often have a negative association with
reading and books. Being burdened with the responsibilities of caring
for a baby, young Roma women often consider the learning period in
their life to have ended and see neither reason nor hope for furthering
their learning after becoming mothers.
3. Remedial courses available
In
the past it has been experienced that there is not much interest or
commitment shown on the part of the Roma to attend any kind of
conventional courses which require their attending conventional
classes, listening to lectures, going through exams, tests, etc.
If a course is to be attractive to them it has to be
unconventional. It needs to be participatory, skill-oriented, readily
applicable, made up of one simple mandate and, more importantly, it
should be fun and pleasurable.
Based on the
aforementioned circumstances, the Meséd project approaches the problem
in an unconventional manner which simultaneously affects different
levels of need. On the one hand, it aims at equipping the young
mothers with useful skills (and therefore the confidence) that is
immediately put to use with their children. On the other hand, children
become simultaneous beneficiaries of this training since what is learnt
by mothers is directly and immediately transferred to children.
Phases of the project
Phase one: The reading of children's tales .
Time frame: four months
Phase
Two: While continuing the use of story books a new element of
developing virtues through the medium of reading, writing, discussing
and the use of drama pedagogy is added.
Time frame: four months
Phase three: Skills and strategies in preparation for entering the formal school learning.
Time frame: four months
Various
subjects, such as pre-natal care, prevention of diseases, nutrition,
preparing family budgets and other useful home making subjects are
interspersed throughout the project. Guest speakers are invited
for this purpose. As phases two and three have not yet been field
tested for now I will explain only the first stage in detail.
Phase One: Reading to children
Hypothesis
Researchers
are saying that children who have not been read to and so have not
exercised that part of their brain by the age of seven are in danger of
experiencing brain atrophy. The more children are read to before
they go to school, the more likely they are to be academically
successful. Those fortunate children who have the pleasure of
being read to before they start school have an 80% greater chance of
finishing high school, but the children who have not experienced that
pleasure lack the wide vocabulary and metaphorical base from which to
start the formal process of learning. We also know that
illiteracy and functional illiteracy is quite prevalent amongst young
Roma mothers, the great majority of whom have dropped out of school
system at an early stage and have met with little or no success or
encouragement in their few years of schooling. They therefore lack
basic skills in reading and/or the confidence to read aloud. By
organizing weekly sessions to teach skills in reading simple children's
stories and assigning the reading of the same story to their children
every night during the week, we are attempting to break the cycle at a
basic level.
Why story books?
Listening to stories has been a
pleasurable activity throughout history for young and old in all
cultures. They have served as a tool for transferring knowledge and
morals from generation to generation. It appeals both to heart and
mind. Thus, reading stories to children is useful and enjoyable
both to the mother and the child. Story telling is an old
tradition, reading, however, is an element of modern age. By
attempting to read stories we make bridges between the two worlds,
connecting oral traditions to the modern world of written work. An
eventual goal will be to compile original traditional Roma stories,
abundantly illustrated and attractively printed, to serve as an element
of preserving the Roma culture as well.
Reading to children has the following functions for the child:
1. familiarizing children with books, giving them a feel for books and how to care for them
2. developing abilities to concentrate
3. developing abilities in imagination and creativity
4. creating quality time between child and mother developing a stronger bond
5. creating the vocabulary richness needed for school learning
6. creating fun time away from television
7. developing virtues (traditional tales have an underlying lesson
of morality and virtue)
8. developing orientation and positive relationships to books and the written word
9. developing a culture of books at home, developing association between books and family
Developing skills in reading stories to one’s child has the following functions
for the young mothers:
1. improving literacy levels
2. creating skills of reading aloud
3. creating self confidence through acquiring skills
4. creating consciousness in young mothers concerning the importance of
reading to children and its future implications
5. empowering women as to their role in shaping and directing the growth of their
children, broadening motherhood beyond physical care giving
6. creating teachable moments for mothers to direct their children’s personal and emotional growth
7. creating quality time with their child which is fun and educational
8.
replacing the negative, discouraging association of school to a
positive, wholesome association with books and realizing the value of
learning
9. retrieving part of their lost childhood and nurturing the child within
Meséd Project in Törökszentmiklos
Report of Phase One
Attempts
were made to start groups in three localities. In the communities
with no Baha’i population we encountered the barrier of extreme apathy
and mistrust which generally characterizes the Roma communities in
Hungary. In Törökszentmiklos, a town with a large Baha’i
Roma population, we had the advantage of having already
established the level of trust and familiarity necessary to start at
least a small group of five mothers. These young mothers were invited
and encouraged to commit themselves to this undertaking. The group met
for four months, about three hours weekly. During these meetings,
besides direct practice in reading story books and learning how to use
the books as a teaching tool for their children, the mothers
talked about various concerns and family issues that day-to-day
life in a discriminatory society entails. A great spirit of
camaraderie and closeness developed between members including the
non Roma facilitators, who joined the discussions with an understanding
attitude. Every week mothers took a new book home and read it to their
children every night. This created a lot of excitement amongst
the children who, after the first week, eagerly awaited the arrival of
each new book and by the end of the week had either memorized the
stories or were able to read them themselves.
During the first
phase of the project the mothers covered fifteen books which were gifts
of the project to the participants and these compiled a small library
for the family in each home. During these four months there was
also a visit by a doctor who discussed health issues with the mothers
and also a visit from an agricultural expert who discussed the
development of home gardens.
Observations and experience:
One
of the main goals of this project is to create a forum for Roma mothers
wherein they can feel secure and comfortable to express their feelings,
grievances and hopes. This was the underlying principle in the
mind of facilitators who guided the discussions and encouraged the
expression of feelings and ideas. The mothers started by sharing
experiences from their childhood. Although familiar with the
difficulties the Roma children go through in Hungarian schools,
this sharing of real life experiences was quite a revelation to
the facilitators. They also talked about good memories, if any,
and the associations that had been formed with reading, learning
and school. The women, having found an accepting, loving and secure
milieu - an experience otherwise unprecedented in their life within a
deeply prejudiced society- poured out their hearts and shared their
past experiences at school. This sharing became an integral part of the
weekly meetings. Members learnt to take the time and listen to each
other. So besides training in reading and learning how to use the books
with children of different ages, they enjoyed time spent in talking
about their children and family and some of their difficulties. Attempt
was made always to guide the conversation toward a more positive end.
Encouragement was a basic element in the learning process and
facilitators were conscious and ready to acknowledge the slightest
development in acquiring the skills. As a result of this experience the
facilitators became even more clear about the facts that prevents Roma
children and adults from learning. It became clear that it was the
social setting and the attitudes of teachers and others and the lack of
motivation that determined their achievements or lack thereof, and that
there is no shortage of talents and capacity. Towards the end of
the course some of the women in this group expressed their desire to
further their studies and obtain secondary school diplomas. We are
exploring ways and means of facilitating this, although, in this town
there seems to be a problem with adult night schools which is more
geared towards children and youngsters rather than adults.
Celebration of the completion of the first phase:
In a celebration that included the families, the mothers were given
certificates for having successfully completed the course and
recognized for their commitment and perseverance. There
were some presentations by the mothers and their children who read the
story books in front of the audience. Representatives of
the Roma Regional Family Protection Agency were present and
thanked the Baha i community for their efforts and expressed the wish
that this continue into the future.
A Hungarian national
radio station, having been informed about the project, came to the site
to interview some of the mothers and the facilitator. This
positively and accurately reflected various aspects of the project.
Formation of the Jászjákohalma group:
The
activities to recruit mothers took several months and included regular
visits to schools, kindergartens, maternity clinics, home-to-home and
meeting with people in positions related to Romas. Finally a group of
seven committed and enthusiastic mothers was formed.
The group and the course:
For
the first time, in this group, we allowed non-Roma young mothers to
join as well and the experience proved to be positive and enriching for
all. The two coordinators met with this group regularly every week for
over four months. A cordial and warm relationship developed between
all. During these meetings, mothers could freely share their concerns
about their children, problems at school or at kindergarten or
generally in their lives. About twenty children story books were
studied and passed on to the young mothers to share with their
children. The books were selected for their specific content. These
were used to teach mothers how to use the stories at home to teach and
inculcate virtues in children. On Friday 27 August there was a
celebration to mark the graduation of the first phase of this project.
Graduation:
The
ceremony was attended by the mothers and children as well as the Mayor,
the Deputy Mayor, the head of Minority self-government and the officer
for family and child support.
The program included an introduction
to the project, music and children reading stories from the books used
in the project. The mothers were given a "certificate of
attendance" and gifts for their commitment and achievement.
The
Mayor, who is a child psychologist himself, gave a short presentation
in which he said he was happily surprised to hear about this project
and praised the goals of the project. He also said that he hoped the
project would continue in the future and that they would be happy to
support and assist in any way they could.
The Deputy Mayor
inquired about the background of this project. In answer to this, the
Bahá’í Faith was mentioned as the sponsoring agent of the project. A
few months earlier this same Deputy Mayor had told us, in a private
conversation, that it would be difficult to get the Roma mothers to
join any project since she herself had had extensive experience in this
area. She then heartily congratulated us for the success of this
project and praised its elements.
The Minority Leader also had
words of gratitude and encouragement. She had been, from the beginning,
closely involved and supported the project in various ways. Through her
we could use, at the Town Hall, a nice room for our weekly sessions and
the big hall for the graduation.
The atmosphere was joyous and friendly and guests remained for a long time socializing.
Evaluation
More
and more we, the facilitators, realize that the open atmosphere in
which these young women can share their concerns and thoughts is a
major element of the project. These weekly meetings provide a forum for
Roma women to express their feelings and share their experience of
discrimination that they and their children face in the larger society.
This in itself is healing and a start towards changing of attitudes.
For non-Roma members this can prove to be quite educational and
awakening.
Sharing tips about child rearing and the related
issues have been greatly appreciated. The discussions and practice of
using story books as a tool for teaching morals and virtues is a new
idea and often enthusiastically welcomed. We have tried to improve the
selection of these books and the result has been rewarding.
In
each of these sessions is given time to practice reading aloud to the
other participants and this has continued to prove very effective in
improving the reading skills and confidence of the mothers. There are
always those who are not able to read well or are not comfortable
reading but, by the end of the three months these mothers have,
invariably, gained enough skills and confidence to read well and
comfortably. Even for those who already had reasonable reading skills,
this practice has led to improvement in their concentration skills and
confidence in reading to a group of people.
The feed back from
children have been most positive. They have shown much enthusiasm and
eagerness for their mothers to participate in these meetings. In the
previous group a number small children attended the sessions with their
mothers. Those who go to school and kindergarten, according to their
mothers and the interviews with themselves, have said that they look
forward to that particular day when their mother comes home with a new
book and this every time creates much excitement in their home.
The present group of "Mesed" meets after four in the afternoon
and there are older children who accompany their mothers and join with
enthusiasm in the reading of the books and the related activities.
Most
mothers have expressed their wish to continue the program through its
next phase. Unfortunately due to lack of human and other resources we
have not been able to do this. Instead we have decided to concentrate
on trying to get as many participants as we can through the first phase.
One
challenge is lack of resources as facilitators. So far all the groups
have been facilitated by Baha’i volunteers who have sacrificed time and
energy, next to their full time jobs, to make these gatherings
possible. In order to expand the project and secure funding to engage
fulltime facilitators, I have been contacting various government
departments dealing with development projects for the Roma. Although
the project has been received with great enthusiasm by all who were
approached, due to the complexity of procedures for applications for
grants in this area I have not been able to proceed with this goal.
Although large amounts of funding are available through European Union
and the development of the Roma is a major requirement for new members
of EU, the procedures are very complicated making it difficult for
those who truly endeavour to effect a change. These funds are
unfortunately usually available to those institutions that are well
established and know the ins and outs and have convincing ways and
methods to process applications for grants. We seem to stand very
little chance of gaining attention in this arena.
Mothers completing the course.
Above and below: Mothers and their children in the graduation.
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ADVICE: What advice would you like to
give to the Secretary-General and the General Assembly to promote a
culture of peace and nonviolence during the second half of the Decade? |
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PARTNERSHIPS: What partnerships and
networks does your organization participate in, thus strengthening the
global movement for a culture of peace? |
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PLANS: What new engagements are
planned by your organization to promote a culture of peace and
nonviolence in the second half of the Decade (2005-2010)? |
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Postal address of organization
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E-mail address of organization
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switzer@jtkf.hu
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Website address of organization
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Highest priority action domain of a culture of peace
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Understanding, tolerance, solidarity
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Second priority action domain of a culture of peace
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Free flow of information and knowledge
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Highest priority country of action (or international)
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Hungary
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Second priority country of action (or international)
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