To make participants become aware about the social justice issues in local contexts
To make the participants experience the decision-making and policy making processes
To make the participants understand the inter-relation between the actors of the policy making process
To make participants experience the discrimination on access to education
Duration and Planning
Introduction to Happy Land : 20 mins
First round of news and discussions : 1 hour
Second round of news and discussions : 1 hour
Decision council : 30 mins
Debriefing : 45 mins
Materials
Role Cards
HappyLand Description
City Council Structure ( put the tables in an order with name cards )
Board Marker
Coloured Pens
Recommended Method
The trainer tells that, the participants will go to the country called “Happyland” and the participants will work together as the decision-makers in the country to open a university. Than gives the roles to the participants after reading the information note and answering the questions of the participants.
After distributing the roles of the participants, they are lined up in a line dividing the seminar room to two in one side, they are their current state and when they pass to the other side of the line, their role starts in the game and they are passing to the Happyland. After they pass, they are not allowed to show their role cards to any one and the newspapers can distribute and produce news about the discussions and listen everyone.
The journalists will gather the people at least twice (in each 45 mins) and the others can gather as much as they want to inform them in a form of rally. During this process, the trainers should not engage the overall process unless it is necessary.
Before the debriefing, the participants come to the line again and go from one side of the line to the other side while saying their role, their feelings within their role and the other side only their feelings as themselves during the game. This process should not be skipped and done carefully that the participants engage in the discussion, leave up their roles and tensions that occurred or could occur during the simulation game. After this process is over, the participants should come to the main group and the facilitator should continue to debriefing with the following questions :
How was the overall process?
What did you feel during the role?
How did you function as a group?
Did you create alliances?
How did you try to convince the mayor to choose your side?
Did the decision satisfy you?
Did you see the similarity with the real life?
Than when the question continues to the real life, we ask participants that how the right to education, right to housing or right to health can impact with the likewise issues. The role of the media and the advocacy role of the students functioned or not. This process is important for the participants to understand the role of the media as well as the other groups. After this process, the facilitator should close the discussion by slowly taking them from the roles to the real life situations to continue the discussion and increase the awareness concerning to the social justice issues.
Facilitator’s Note
Do not intervene in any of the situations unless the simulation is ongoing or engage in any talk with the participants rather than boosting them to the engage with each other. The facilitator should monitor the situation and during giving the roles to the participants, you should be careful and understand the group dynamics in a clearer way in order not to give a role to a person who would not fit to play the role which can impact the results of the game.
Role Cards
MayorMayor thought her prestige and his votes for the next election. You are thinking for deciding the majority decision.You will lead the discussion as a Mayor.
The association for Rights of CherryJansCherryJans supporting that suggestion because they will get education right which is taken up to now. The Association for Rights of CherryJans is advocating the rights of CherryJans.
Business Men’s AssociationThey think that with that university, city will more developed and the students who are coming from other cities, will create an another market for local people. And also they thought that, when CherryJans and PeanutJans studied together, it will create a trade relation between each other.
Heritage NewspaperYou’re the biggest local newspaper and you have a conservative point of view. Newspaper is advocating the PeanutJans rights and your newspaper is really famous about the articles which attacked CherryJans. You should create newspapers in the computer about the news you heard and distribute the all groups.
Happy AhmetYou’re the most famous blogger in the country. You have a independent point of view and you are trying to be objective when examining the situations in the country. You should create blogs in the computer about the news you heard and distribute the all groups.
Nationalist CherryJans PartyYou thought that PeanutJans make injustice in the history to CherryJans and you are also so much nationalist. With that suggestion, You’re thinking that CherryJans will be assimilated by PeanutJans and also you are thinking that cause of the majority of PeanutJans, if they study in same university, they will be dominated. Cause of that reason, they do not want to study in same university.
PeanutJans RepresentativePeanutJans are living in the area which will be used for the university and that area is the high society part of the city. Cause of the young population of the university, they do not want to build university in that area. And also, they have a fear about CherryJans cause they thought that they are so criminal.
Kebab BurgerYou’re the part of Peanuts. And you will gain benefit with the new customers and you will gain benefit from the students and you are planning to create job opportunities for students which would like to work with low wages. And also, Your wife is a part of CherryJans society.
Student PeanutJansYou are supporting the PeanutJans. You are against to open the university and you thought that when you take the same education, you will be in same position with the CherryJans in economy.
Student CherryJansYou’re so smart and You thought that you are so unsuccessful because you did not take the same education with PeanutJans. And you also thought that, you have same situation with a lot of CherryJans and you thought that it will change the process of education and you will get more opportunities.
Information Note on HappyLand
We’re opening an university to HappyLand!
In HappyLand Republic, CherryJans and PeanutJans are living together. In that country, CherryJans and PeanutJans are studying in separate schools. Sugar City of HappyLand Republic, 100.000 inhabitants are living and The population consists %70 PeanutJans and %30 CherryJans. There is no trade relation between CherryJans and PeanutJans, cause of that reason the economy of the city could not be developed. After all, Business Men, who are disappointed cause of that situation, gave a suggestion to the municipality to open a university which is not giving education separately and they thought that when they took joint education, it will improve the education quality and it will create a trade relation between CherryJans and PeanutJans. BusinessMen’s Association gave a guarantee to provide the %50 of building expenses and %30 of building expenses will be provided from the taxes which will be given by CherrynutJans and PeanutJans and %20 of building expenses will be provided by municipality. That university will give the joint education in all over the Happyland Republic. Cause of that reason, Sugar City will gain prestige and also it will create a new income for local economy. Because, when university started education, new students from all over the country will come and they will contribute the local economy. And also, cause of that being first joint university, media is really interested on that and it will create new prestige for the city. On the other hand, PeanutJans are against to that suggestion because they thought than it will decrease the education quality. But, CherryJans will gain an opportunity to take good education and because of that reason, they support that suggestion. The municipality which is trying to be in middle of that two ethnicities, called the all sides, all business men,civil society organizations and all political parties for meeting to decide. After 1,5 hour, With all members of PeanutJans, CherrynutJans, Business men, civil society organizations and political parties will make a public press conference under the leadership of municipality. During the meeting, every members will have a right to talk for 2 mins. After the talks, the media will have a right to ask the questions to the all members. After the midday, there will be a decision round for the establishment of the university. And the all members will have right to talk about their opinions in the city council for one minute.
The final decision will be made by the City Mayor! The others can influence on the decision.
This educational resource was produced with the financial support of the European Union within Erasmus+ Programme. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the Asociación Socio-Cultural VerdeSur Alcalá and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
