AIM
For students to understand the conflict between governments, indigenous peoples and extractive industries.
MATERIALS
Description of roles for each of the groups: (here).
- Survival International
- Oil Company
- Government of a Latin American country
- International Organization
LINKS TO THE CURRICULUM
Junior Cycle: Strand 1. Communicative Competence, linked to LO 1.10, 1.11, 1.15 and Strand 3: Socio- cultural knowledge and intercultural awareness, linked to LO 3.3
Senior Cycle: I. Basic Communicative Proficiency 10, and III. Cultural awareness, 3, 4, 5
METHODOLOGY
Divide the class in four groups and give each of them a role. The representatives of Survival, the Oil Company and the Government will have to convince the International Organization with arguments about how the indigenous communities should be protected. The International Organization will have to make a decision.
PRACTISE YOUR SPANISH
- The debate can be done in Spanish.
- If the student’s level of Spanish is not high enough for that, ask them to write at least 5 words in Spanish that come up in the argument.
For example, protección del medio ambiente, beneficios económicos,derechos de los indígenas, acceso a recursos naturales…
CONNECTIONS WITH IRELAND AND TAKING ACTION
The largest markets of multinationals occupying the land of indigenous peoples in Latin America are often the USA or Europe. As consumers, we can make decisions on what to buy, so it is important that we know where the products we buy come from. Invite your students to research some of the big brands or products they consume and learn if they are ethical in their approach. You can guide them towards Coca Cola or Benetton (see www.killercoke.org/ and www.cosecharoja.org/campana-contra-united-killers-benetton/)
