Hjälp oss att skapa Mosquito Methods!

Mosquito-familjen växer: Säg hej till Mosquito Methods!

År 2009 tog CISV Sweden fram boken "Mosquito Tactics - en bok om fredsutbildning". Titeln kom från det kända citatet: ”If you think you are too small to have an impact, try going to bed with a mosquito in the room”, och boken inriktar sig på CISV Swedens syn på fred och fredsutbildning. 

Eftersom CISV jobbar för att skapa aktiva globala världsmedborgare genom upplevelsebaserat lärande och fredsutbildning så kommer nästa steg vara en samling av fyra metodböcker; "Mosquito Methods". Böckerna ska förklara konkret de metoder vi använder för att fredsutbilda barn och unga.

Var och en av de fyra böckerna i Mosquito Methods-serien inriktar sig på ett av CISVs utbildningsområden:
Mångfald - Konflikthantering - Hållbar utveckling - Mänskliga rättigheter
Varje bok kommer att innehålla en del grundläggande information om hur vi arbetar med upplevelsebaserat lärande och en introduktion till temat mångfald. Därefter kommer boken att vara indelad i fyra olika delar som tar upp olika ämnen relaterade till mångfald. För varje sådant kapitel kommer vi även att presentera ett exempel på en aktivitet. Avslutningsvis kommer  vi även att ha en del som riktar sig till de läsare som vill gå in lite djupare i ämnet. Det som presenteras i den delen kan antingen vara en person som har gjort någonting viktigt inom området eller en djupdykning i något specifikt problem eller projekt.

Det vi skulle behöva hjälp med nu är att sätta ihop en resursgrupp med personer som är kunniga inom de olika områdena och villiga att hjälpa oss genom att bidra med sin kunskap. Om du vill vara en av våra resurspersoner så finns det två olika sätt för dig att bidra. Du kan välja att medverka i en av våra writeshops där vi kommer att samla flera personer och skriva tillsammans. Du kan också välja att skriva ihop en text själv och skicka den till oss via mail. Det går att bidra både med längre texter och kortare men vi i projektgruppen förbehåller oss rätten att ändra och klippa i texten för att få alla bidrag att bilda en sammanhängande bok. All text kommer publiceras på engelska men vi kan hjälpa till med översättning om du hellre skriver på svenska. Alla som lämnar ett bidrag som vi använder oss av i boken kommer att omnämnas i en lista i boken där alla som har bidragit räknas upp, men ingen kommer att nämnas vid någon specifik text eller sida. Om du inte vill bidra med text men ändå har idéer om ämnen som borde tas upp, bra aktiviteter, personer vi borde kontakta eller andra tips så får du gärna höra av dig.

Är du bra på något annat vi kan behöva - till exempel korrekturläsning, layout, illustration eller något annat - så är du förstås varm välkommen att bidra med det!

Vi hoppas att Mosquito Methods kommer att vara användbara och att vi alla tillsammans kan skapa projekt för mänskliga rättigheter, för att öka interkulturell förståelse, för bra utbildning till alla, för fredliga lösningar till alla konflikter, för jämlikhet och mångfald och mot rasism, fattigdom och miljöförstöring.

Kontakta oss på mosquito@se.cisv.org !

Midgårdsskolan, Umeå, Sweden

Big thanks to My Starbrink who took this nice photo.

Linköping, Sweden

A big thank you to Thibault (CISV France) who found the stickers while visiting Linköping and sent the pictures to us. Send your sticker pictures to us at mosquito@se.cisv.org.

Chicago, USA

Wasserbillig, Luxembourg

Frankfurt, Germany

Göteborg, Sweden

Stockholm, Sweden

"Peace Education is a Gift" Anonymous

The name of my project was chosen while I was looking for phrases about Peace, Education, Learning, Values. When that phrase came up I just loved it, and the fact that it’s anonymous makes it more special, because it’s something that anyone could have said, not just an important peace researcher or president of a peace organization. Added to that, it’s totally true. The best gift to the world is Peace! Peace brings within many values, all of them together will help the world in many aspects, environmental, political, social and culturally.

At first I thought of CISV as the main topic of my work, but after a training weekend I got the chance to read Mosquito Tactics, this book talked about the things that I wanted to research. So basically I used it as a guide while writing and as an example. Actually it was the one that helped me with my first step, the hypothesis: Through Peace education we can become agents of change who promote a positive Peace in order to create a Culture of Peace.

People living in Peace with themselves and the things around them will have respect for others too. Relations between countries will be nicer, and conflicts more pleasant to resolve. I know, this is a fantasy, but it is my fantasy and I wish it would come true. At least I’ll try to.

After this dedicated weeks of research I’m able to confirm my hypothesis. The way to achieve Peace is effectively through Peace Education. Being education the process that starts with the family and continues in school and other social environments. Of course, there are certain factors that help reach peace, such as justice and a scale of values. That is why I think that it is very important to act as models to create a Culture of Peace.

To prove my hypothesis I created a project based on what I worked on. I understood that a lot could be done on a local level. It is based on 6 encounters, each of them working on different values which I think essential to reach Peace.

I feel I grew with this Seminar. I already had a formed idea of what I believed in, thanks to CISV. I believed that Peace Education is the best way to achieve Peace and I still think it is, and I can prove it. I had the chance to interview many specialists in the aspect, who agreed with my hypothesis. I discovered many organizations that worked for peace. I met people who work for a more peaceful world, and I realized I was not alone. I always new I was not alone, but this time I actually realized that the people who are working for Peace are many, and that we actually can make a big change, and have a huge impact.

Thanks to my investigation I got to research on this theme that it’s a part of my life and our world. I felt so powerful being able to talk to really important people in this aspect, which had their own view, and ideas formed as well. Now I can see that what I really wanted from my project was to reach others and make them join this Peace movement. And I think I achieved that unconscious goal, for I’m taking some friends to some courses to work for inner Peace. I have a deeper comprehension of what the values mean for our lives now. I understood that we are actually passing through a values’ crisis. And I know how I can get out of it, and I’ll try to take as many people I can with me.

I learned that even though there are plenty of Peace enemies, if we all walk together we can create Peace out of our attitudes, skills, and knowledge.

Kay Blanchard

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.

Mosquito tactics collaborates with UNESCO Power of Peace Network

Mosquito Tactics and Mosquito Tactics blog were introduce during the sesssion "Innovation in media and ICTs for peace: Youth leadership" in the Second Global Forum of the Power of Peace organized by UNESCOs department of communication and information

Together with projects from other international organisations, Mosquito Tactics was a good example of empowerment for youth involvement in the uses of media and communication tools (Mosquito blog) for self expression on matters like mutual understanding and peace.

Mosquito Tactics was well received by representatives from organisations in Bangladesh, South Korea, England, Nepal, Thailand, Indonesia, among many others.

Mosquito Tactics reporting from Bangkok

Today is the first day of the UNESCO Second Global Forum on the Power of Peace. This is a working conference designed for the further development of the Power of Peace Network (PPN). The main porpoise of PPN is to increase mutual understanding around the world by supporting diverse social and cultural self-expression through modern tools of information and communication.

Tomorrow morning, Mosquito Tactics and Mosquito Tactics blog will be present in the session "Innovation in Media and ICTs for Peace: Youth Leadership". MT blog will be shown as an effective communication tool for active global citizens and the sharing of their peace initiatives all over the world inspired by Mosquito Tactics.

This is a great opportunity to show how CISV collaborate with the development of more peaceful and justice societies.

Jan Eliasson has one

- get your own copy of Mosquito tactics at www.cisv.se/mosquitotactics

Mosquito tactics agree with Ban Ki-moon

UN Press, 2 October 2009

Gandhi’s message of non-violent struggle key to facing modern threats

Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy of non-violence in the face of aggression is an enduring symbol of hope for leaders and grass-roots campaigners alike in defeating the growing number of hostile forces threatening the modern world, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today.

In a message marking the third annual International Day of Non-violence, observed on 2 October in honour of Mr. Gandhi’s birthday, Mr. Ban said that Mr. Gandhi understood that a powerful idea could change the world.

“He knew that individuals, working alone and together, could realize what others might dismiss as impossible dreams,” Mr. Ban said of Mr. Gandhi, whose non-violent struggle led to an independent India and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom around the globe.

“We strive, for example, to rid the world of weapons of mass destruction,” he said. “Recent initiatives and meetings, including last week’s Security Council summit on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, have improved prospects for reductions in global arsenals.”

Mr. Ban underscored the importance of sustaining this momentum, and called on the international community to press for success at next year’s Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty review conference and beyond.

“The call to non-violence need not apply only to the use of deadly weapons,” he added. “The United Nations and its grass-roots partners have long campaigned to stop the human assault on our planet.”

Greenhouse gas emissions have long threatened the planet, he said, urging activists everywhere “to turn up the heat on world leaders to seal a deal at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December.”

The Mosquito Tactics Film

By mid-October the Mosquito Tactics Film (shot in Kenya) will be available. The film is about a) the concept of peace, and b) the book Mosquito Tactics.