Acting out the battle of Solferino at a Thai school

The blue-uniformed girl with short black hair was holding her head in her two outstretched palms, an expression of vivid anguish on her face. Her four colleagues lying on the floor of the auditorium made suitable wounded soldiers – with the exception of one though, who was unsuccessfully trying to suppress a giggle. All the while, another girl was narrating the battle of Solferino in 1859, when a Swiss man called Henry Dunant had an idea that would change the world.

Later, Waristha Duangtip, 13, had shed her Henry Dunant pose and was talking enthusiastically about the course she had attended for several days. " Previously, I did not think that this programme would be interesting, because it would have nothing to do with our real life. But now I see it's not that far. For example, we learnt what we should do when we see our friends get into a fight. "

This government school for girls in Nakhorn Patom, a touristic town south of Bangkok, is one of 15 around Thailand testing " Exploring Humanitarian Law " (EHL), a programme now implemented in over 50 countries around the world in conjunction with National Ministries of Education and National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

" The idea of EHL grew from the recognition armed conflict and urban violence are global phenomena, " says Sukhdave Singh, ICRC regional EHL and Youth Programmes Adviser for Asia. Adding: " Apart from those youngsters who have a direct experience of conflict, let us also not forget that many more are exposed to media coverage and entertainment products glorifying violence. "

 "It's fun and I enjoy it"  

EHL, which has been translated into 25 languages including Thai, tackles historical situations of violence from Solferino to Nazi Germany to South Africa. It brings to teenagers aged 13 to 18 voices from wars, including those of victims and fighters, but also those of people who showed courage and solidarity. Above all, it promotes the notion that even wars have limits and encourages the young participants to think about their role as an individual to promote humanitarian principles.

" The lessons can be extended to every corner of our lives. They have relevance even for children living in countries at peace " , adds Sukhdave Singh. Thus, the girls in Nakhorn Patom dealt with situations like violence in the family, and what a bystander confronted with any situation of violence can do to protect human dignity. " The teaching method leaves a lot of space for role play, for working in groups, and allows the students to explore solutions to difficult problems by themselves, " continues the Regional Adviser.

This interactive approach proved popular with the eighth-graders in Nakhorn Patom. " It's fun, declared Chananya Songthep, 13. I enjoy it because it's different from other subjects, where we only sit and listen to teachers. Here, we integrate many skills like role-play, games and presentations. And I think the content can be useful in real life. "

Her friend Anunya Apichokechai thought for her part the course " broadens our frame of thought. We see children from around the world living different lives, like child soldiers. Some even lost their parents in wars. "

After a few days of teaching EHL, teachers at the school had shed initial doubts. Thus Boonnikorn Kamkongkaew, who had first deemed the course " challenging to teach " . " I saw how students were able to answer the que stions and share their ideas. This showed they could understand and process the issues at stake. "

In Thailand, the course, which is taught in the framework of an official Thai Red Cross (TRC) youth programme for schools, also includes typical Thai content, like national games. It thus helps bring EHL closer to the cultural background of the teenagers. If the pilot project is considered a success, it could be extended in 2011 to all teaching establishments that run the TRC youth programme.

Back in Nakhorn Patom, 13-year old Chananya showed a teenager's optimism about the impact of EHL on real life. " I learned about living in harmony, being considerate to other human beings. Thailand is not so peaceful now. If we learn about these issues, we should be more peaceful in the future. "