Mosquito Tactics in Vienna

Invited by SVEA in Sweden, Mosquito Tactics was presented in OBESSU´s 5th European School Student Convention “Education in the Globalised World: threats and chances” started in Vienna. The book was well received in the conference as a theoretical and practical tool to develop initiatives to solve global conflicts from local perspectives.

Rodolfo Zúñiga from CISV Sweden, together with Emma Hosbond from Operation Dayswork and Denise Tan from Amnesty International were in the panel debate "Can everyone be a global actor?". The panel gave the possibility to show how CISV works actively in global topics as human rights and sustainable from concrete local actions worldwide. In this matter, Mosquito Tactics served as a tool to help people to become global actors from their school, neighborhood, family, etc.

Introducing: Mosquito Tactics - the movie

CISV Sweden wants to be part of United Nations Human Rights Day by giving all of you 'Mosquito Tactics - The Movie'.

What is peace? Is there such a thing? And if there isn't – how can we create it together?

The movie is inspired by 'Mosquito Tactics - a book about peace education'. Both the movie and the book bring up many weighty subjects but also show how you can make the world a better place through peace education, commitment and working together with others.

CISV Sweden would like to give a huge thank you to Nic Hargreaves and Johan Sundell for making this peace action come true!

Order your own copy of the book Mosquito Tactics here

Are you interested in 'Mosquito Tactics - The Movie' to promote more peaceful actions? Leave us a comment here or send us an email at mosquito@se.cisv.org and we'll get back to you with more information.

Mosquito Tactics - the trailer!

Mosquito Tactics - the movie
on your screen 12.00 GMT, Dec 10th 2009.

Mosquito Tactics Film! 10th December, 12:00 GMT

In just a few days the Mosquito Tactics film will be launched on this blog. We have chosen the 10th of December

(12:00 GMT) as it is the United Nations Human Rights Day:

10 December 2009 -- On this day in 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which has become a universal standard for

defending and promoting human rights. Every year on 10 December, Human Rights Day marks the adoption of the Universal Declaration. It is celebrated around the globe that "All human beings are born with equal and inalienable rights and fundamental freedoms".Human Rights Day 2009 is focused on non-discrimination. "All human beings are born free

and equal in dignity and rights". These first few famous words of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights established 60 years ago the basic premise of international human rights law. Yet today, the fight against discrimination remains a daily struggle for millions around the globe. The realisation of all human rights - social, economic and cultural rights as well as civil and political rights – is hampered by discrimination. All too often, when faced with prejudice and discrimination, political leaders , governments and ordinary citizens are silent or complacent.

Source: Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

This is why this day is suitable to launch the Mosquito Tactics Film as its main purpose is to empower people to use human rights.

"More of us need to pay attention to the UN’s 30 Articles included in the declaration, and to critically examine our communities in the context of human rights. A person who strives for positive peace must therefore critically examine the society in

which he or she lives."

Mosquito Tactics, page 41

Peace initiave: Mosquito Camp 09 - CISV Möndal

Last summer CISV Möndal chapter in Sweden arranged a Mosaic project with the economical support of Olof Palme Foundation. This project was a succesful local camp for children with Culture of Peace as a theme and inspired by Mosquito Tactics:

Mosquito camp 09!

The summer camp this year was like an inspiration bomb that I didn´t see coming. Suddenly the camp had become a mosaic project and lots of serious meetings were booked up in my calendar.

Vi talked about how we were going to do something new out of the coming camp, how we in CISV could change our thoughts and opinions, but most of all: How we were going to the best local camp ever! Mosquito Camp!

The whole process with Mosquito camp has been a new part of my earlier experience of being a leader on local camps. All the activities were planned into every detail so that we always knew how, what, and why we did the activity, and also what mark it would leave in children’s life.

Mosquito Tactics gave us a clearer and more define picture of what peace education is. We got inspiration about how we should reach a goal and why we wanted to achieve that goal. The book gave us a way of thinking that is much more criticizing and it also brought up discussion questions that we used a lot after and during our activities.

The camp was a success and became the best local camp I have taken part of ever. Children´s way of taking part in the discussions, asking, giving their own opinion and listening to each other was almost like a shock to us towards the end of the camp. The kids brought personal things in the discussion and opened up themselves. It was quite fantastic to see that all the kids accepting each other’s opinions.

We succeeded with making eleven year old kids think more critical and realize that their own opinion was as much worth in the discussion than anyone else’s, and I would say that was our biggest goal with the entire Mosquito Camp.

They became fully completed “mosquitoes”.

Jesper Nilsson

Here is the rapport to Olof Palme Foundation (in Swedish) about the camp.