Objectives

Kindness

This is the state of mind that motivates a person to help and serve those who suffer. Kindness transcends the ego that seeks reward, profit and benefits in return. You can be kind in all your responses to other people by the way you think, talk and behave.

Kindness naturally extends to animals as well. Children learn their first lesson of kindness, by being kind to animals. When children learn not to kill animals, they also learn not to kill human beings. One who cannot kill an ant also cannot kill a man. Kindness to animals is gradually eroding away from the modern mentality of man. Consider how cruelly animals are treated in laboratories, farms, and slaughterhouses. The figures show in 1980 nearly 70 million animals have been killed for research purposes only in laboratories. Dr. Bennett Derby, an eminent neurologist, says that 90 per cent of animal experiments are repetitive and inadequate. Every religion teaches kindness to .animals.

"There is no beast on earth nor bird whichflieth with its wings but the same is a people like unto you... all Gods ' creatures are His family " Prophet Mohammad

He, who injures harmless,beings from a wish to give himselfpleasure, never finds happiness, neither living nor dead. He who does not seek to cause the suffering of bonds and death to living creatures, but desireth the good of all obtains eternal bliss. Manu (Hindu Moral Code)

Empathy

Empathy is an affective response of concern and tenderness to the joys and suffering in others. With empathy you share the other person's feelings and experience it as if you have entered into that person's inner world. Though in psychology it is used in a technical sense here we can use it in a general and practical sense, to mean being sensitive, friendly, warm and caring.

Like compassion empathy encapsulates feelings not only for the fellow human beings but also for animals and natural environment. Such qualities are necessary for the survival of the human species. The present dehumanizing social forces destroy empathy in man. It is slowly replaced by egoism, individualism, selfishness and ruthless competitiveness. This important human response has to be protected and developed as a part of upbringing and education of children. Children inherit empathy intrinsically in abundance. Peace education provides experiences in empathy so that children can awaken to their own true nature. The traditional curriculum has very little place for developing empathy.

Equanimity

Equanimity means maintaining a detached sense of calmness in mind and temper, in face of stressful and provocative situations in life. It also includes being large hearted and forgiving.

The most effective way of fostering compassion in children is to provide opportunities to experience it through action. Such actions are.

1. Respect students' friendship. Facilitate them in appropriate ways such as allowing friends to sit together. Encourage students to organize birthday celebrations, class get-together parties and entertainment activities. However they should be conducted in a simple and inexpensive manner in line with the school tradition. Such social events create a happy atmosphere in the classroom.

2. Promote courteous behaviour in the classroom and school, e.g. greeting, thanking, decent conduct, self- discipline, pleasant words, etc.

3.Encourage students to organize welfare activities for themselves.

4.Provide opportunities for group interaction in the course of subject learning.

5. Respect and encourage honest expression of students' opinions, needs and feelings.

6.Integrate aesthetic activities, like singing, role-plays, playlets into lessons to ensure that learning will be fun.

7.Organize community development projects, e.g. building a house for a poor family, cleaning the village well, planting trees in the village, organizing a medical clinic for the villagers.

8. Organize religious talks on compassion in school.

LEARNING ACTIVITIES

Be compassionate and do no harm

2.1. Meditation on Compassion

This is an activity that awakens compassion

Level: Upper primary and secondary

Curriculum concern: Religion/ when you want to create deep feeling for mankind

Objectives: 1. Developing compassionate feelings for oneself and others

2. Experiencing inner joy of compassion

Step 1: Suggest

Step 3:

Extend your compassion towards all beings on earth and wish " May all beings be happy", "May all beings be healthy", "May all beings be free from suffering ", "Let no one hate another," Let no one frighten or threaten another," "May all live in harmony and peace." As you repeat the wishes mentally, imagine and feel that your compassion extend towards all and it brings peace on earth.

.2. Meditation on Caring

(Adapted from Buddhist meditations)

This is an activity that cultivates the feeling of caring and love for people.

Level: Upper primary and secondary

Curriculum concern: Religion/ Environmental studies/ during a discussion on morality

Objectives: 1. Develops compassionate feelings for others

2. Experiences the feelings involved in caring for people.

Step 1: Sit silently and let your body relax. Be perfectly still and composed

Close your eyes
Feel easy
Let your mind calm down

Step 2:

Think of someone who cares for you. How do you feel being cared for by him or her? Feel within your heart that person's feelings when s/he is caring for you. Now in return you imagine that you are caring for that person, enjoy your feelings of love and kindness towards him or her.

Imagine you care for more people. In what ways do you care for them? Think of various ways of caring for others in various situations. Send your caring waves to them.

Step 3. Discussion.

Discuss with the class the meaning of caring under various situations where people need caring, e.g. caring roles at home, caring in the classroom, caring for a friend with a problem, caring for a sick family member.

Ask students to complete the following sentences one by one according to their genuine feelings (without repeating what others have said)

* When someone is caring for me I feel......
* When I really care for someone I feel.. . . . . .
* I care.. . . . . . . . . . .
* I wish.. . . . . . . . . .

2.3. Reading Faces

This is an activity about sensing others' feelings

Level: Lower Secondary

Curriculum concern: Language/ when you want students to do a creative writing activity.

Objectives: Developing empathy

Materials: Collection of photos of faces from paper cuts. The faces should reflect different feelings.

Activity:

Divide the class into groups of six. Give one photo to each group and ask them to watch it silently trying to read the feelings and the character.

Exercise. 1. Write out the person's feelings as if you are that person.

2. Act out in the class the feelings by the groups.

Discussion Guide questions:

a Why is it important to understand others' feelings?

b How do we read a person's feelings?

2.4. Tolrch Talk

This is an activity about reflecting how we understand others' messages.

Level: Upper primary

Curriculum concern: Language/ when you want to discuss the basics of communication

Activity:

1. Understanding the barriers to communication.

2. Fun

The children move around freely in the room. At a signal they stop forming pairs with whomever they happen to be near. They hold hands, palm to palm as in the manner of hand shaking. They remain silent and quiet for two minutes and try to read each others' mind.. At the second signal they close their eyes and try to communicate messages with each other by touching palms. Talking is not allowed. They can select messages such as:

- Let's be friends

- Let's go for a walk

- You are a nice guy.

A puts across a message to B by touching his/her palm in certain ways. Two minutes are given for A. B has to understand silently what A is telling him/her through the touch. Then the roles are reversed. When the time given is over, they ask each other what were the messages received and check out. At the next signal the pairs disperse and form new pairs to continue the activity. At least one has to do it with five partners, the hand talk at least with five partners.

Discussion: Guide - questions

l What types of messages did you try to communicate?

l Hands up those who could understand at least one message correctly?

l What kind of attention is necessary to understand others' messages?

l What are the other means of communication, other than speaking?

l Do people always receive messages exactly the same way as we send them?

l What are the factors that cause misinterpretation or distortion of messages?

l What did you learn about communication from this activity?

l How are you going to use them in your daily communication with others?

2.5. Master-Pupil Drawings

This is an activity about learning the effectiveness of two-way communication.

Level: Secondary

Curriculum concern: Drawing/when you want to help children learn communication.

Objective: 1. Understanding that others do not always understand what we say in the same way we mean.

2. Being aware of one's own ability in communicating.

3. Proving the effectiveness of two-way communication over one way communication.

Materials: Three half sheets per each pair of children.

Activity: Step 1.

Let children get into pairs and sit facing one another keeping their desks face to face. One child assumes to be A and the other B.

A draws a picture (e.g. a house, a tree, an imaginary beast, a village) without showing it to B. Having drawn, A explains his picture to B who tries to reproduce it while listening. No one is allowed to show or see the other one's drawing. B should draw the picture silently. Questioning or requesting for more details is not allowed. On completion, B writes on it 'Pupil's first attempt' and keeps it, on the desk upside down.

Step 2

On the next round, B has to draw the picture again. A describes his picture again for B to listen and draw. They shouldn't show their pictures to each other while describing or drawing. However this time B is allowed to ask questions for further clarification. When B has completed the drawing, he /she name it 'Pupil's second attempt.' A writes on his drawing 'Master picture'. On the completion of B's picture, they are allowed to see each other's pictures and compare them. All pairs arrange their picture sets for a class exhibition. Master pictures should be kept with the 'Pupil's pictures'. Children compare the similarities and the differences between the master pictures and pupils' first attempts and second attempts.

Discussion: Guide Questions

1. Did you enjoy doing this activity? Give reasons for your judgement.

2.Which pupil's picture has come closer to the master's picture?

3. Out of the pictures of the first attempts and the second attempts which attempts are generally more similar to the master's pictures?
(There is a high probability for the pupil's second attempt pictures to be more similar to the master's pictures, because in the second attempt the pupil could ask questions for clarifications. This proves that two-way communication is more effective than one-way communication.)

4. Identify pairs whose pictures show a significant difference. Interview them to find out the reasons for such a difference. What types of communication problems did they have?

5. Identify a few pairs whose pictures are similar. Find out the causes for the similarity.

6. How do we explain something to others in a manner they really understand?

7. Why can't we understand some people's explanations?

8. What did you learn by this activity? (Write down children's learning experiences on the board and express appreciation)

9. How are you going to apply what you have learnt just now?

2.6. An Animal I Love Most

This is an activity about developing kindness to animals

Level: Primary

Curriculum concern: Language / when you want to do creative writing

Objective: Developing kind attitudes to creatures.

Activity

Step 1: Point out creatures that have interesting characteristics from which we can learn, e.g.

* A cat likes to be clean.

* A dog is faithful to his master.

* A cow has maternal qualities.

Get more examples from the class and list them on the board

Step 2:

Tell the students to select the creature they love most and write an ode (an appreciative poem/essay/ letter expressing noble feelings). On completion let them read it to the class for appreciation.

Discussion: Guide Questions:

l Did you enjoy writing it?

l How can we abstain from harming animals, birds and other creatures?

2.7. A Mother Bird's Cry

This is an activity about abstaining from harming creatures.

Level: Primary

Curriculum concern: Religion/ Language/ When you want to give a topic for creative writing

Objectives: Creative writing skill

Empathy

Activity

Stepl: Discuss cruel acts some children do to creatures, e.g:

* Destroying birds' nests

* Throwing stones at birds

* Hurting cats and dogs at home

* Killing innocent serpents

Step 2: Ask the students to imagine the following event.

There is a parrot's nest in a tree in the schoolyard A group of children come under the tree and throw stonesforfun aiming at the nest. The mother bird is frightened and sad at the cruelty of these children.

Write an appeal by the mother bird to children not to hurt her babies.

Discussion: Appreciation

1 How did you feel while writing the essay?

2 What did you really learn from the lesson?

3 How can we help birds?

4 Suppose all the birds become extinct. How would you feel living in a world where there are no birds?

2.8. Benefits of Being Compassionate

This is an activity about understanding compassion.

Level : Secondary

Curriculum concern: Religion/when you discuss the violence in society.

Objective: Valuing compassion

Activity

Step 1.

Write the word "Compassion" on the board. Ask students: What thoughts and feelings come to your mind when you hear the word? Ask each student to come to the board and write it down.

Step 2: Explore compassionate behaviour as much as possible with the participation of students. List them down. Discuss the nature of being compassionate on the basis of the identified behaviours.

Step 3. Ask students to work in groups and identify at least ten personal benefits and results of being compassionate.

e.g. * People begin to like you.
* You will get more friends.

On completion of the work let groups present their findings. You prepare the list on the board leaving out repetitions.

Discussion: l How does a mother practise compassion to her children?

l Tell us some compassionate acts you have seen in people.

l How are you going to practise compassion in your daily life?

2.9. Attentive Listening

This is an activity about improving listening skills.

Level: Secondary

Curriculum concern; Language/ Listening

Objective :l. Understanding the need for improving their skill in listening

2. Identifying wrong listening practices and getting rid of them.

Activity: Step 1. Explain:

1. Listening is as important as speaking.

2. Just as speaking, one has to learn and improve listening.

3. Let us learn to listen to others attentively.

Step 2

Ask the children about bad listening practices they have observed or experienced. List their responses on the blackboard, e.g.

l Listening inattentively and carelessly.

l Changing the topic of speech, before the other person finishes what he / she has to.

l Making use of the topic to boast about oneself / to relate one's own experiences.

Step 3

The purpose of this activity is to let children experience being listened to them non-attentively. They form pairs. In each pair one is named A and the other B. A speaks for 3 minutes on one topic selected from the following list.

l A problem I have in school.

l A game I like most.

l A happy incident in my life.

While A is speaking, B should listen to him/her non-attentively. After A has finished, B takes the role of the speaker. A listens non-attentively.

Step 4.

This time they take another topic in the list and one speaks while the other listens attentively. After 3 minutes roles are exchanged.

Discussion : Guide questions.

1. Tell us the most important thing you have learnt from these listening exercises.

2. How did you feel when you were not properly listened to?

3. How did you feel when you were properly listened to?

4. What are the factors that lead people to listen non-attentively or carelessly to others? (e.g. thinking about something, and listening, selfishness, talking in an uninteresting manner)

5. What are the ways by which you can draw the attention of the listener?

How can we speak interestingly?

Note: This activity can be repeated using other wrong listening methods such as changing the topic abruptly, making use of the topic to boast about oneself, etc.

2.10. Forgiving This is an activity about forgiving.

Level : Secondary

Curriculum concern: Religion/when you discuss reconciliation after a conflict in the class

Objective: Valuing forgiving

Activity

Step 1:

Draw the attention of the class to the importance of forgiving. Explain the meaning of the word. Ask students to give several examples for it.

Step 2.

Give the following case study

Pala called Ashok a nickname and everybody laughed at it heartily. Ashok became so angry he walked directly up to Pala and assaulted him. They began fighting. Luckily others came and stopped the fight. Though several days have passed, Ashok is still angry. His angry thoughts suggest that he should assault Pala again.

Invite several students to come forward and role-play Ashok in his anger. Each one has to express his angry thoughts.

Based on the role-play, conduct a discussion on keeping anger in mind without resolving it. Use the following chart on the board to identify the consequences Explore the benefits of not forgiving and forgiving.

Discussion: Guide Questions.

1. What is pur discovery?

2. Why could we not identify the good reason for not forgiving?

3. What is our conclusion?

Step 3.

Invite the same students to role-play the changed Ashok's attitudes. (Suppose that he changes his mind to forgive Pala and rebuild the friendship) Appreciate the new aspects brought up in role-plays.

2.11. Empathetic Listening

This is an activity developing empathetic listening.

Level: Lower secondary

Ee Compassiona& crnd Do No Harm 101

Objectives:

1. Experiencing of being listened to with empathy by another person

2. Understanding the importance of listening with empathy to others.

Activity: Q

Step 1

The class is divided into groups of three. Each group sits keeping enough distance from other groups so as not to be disturbed.

Write the topic "A sad incident in my life" on the blackboard. Ask each one in the group to describe a sad incident that he or she has experienced. The other two should listen to the speaker with empathetic feelings, i.e. with friendly and caring feelings.

After the incident is related, each listener should express his or her honest feelings experienced while listening to the speaker.

Example: Suppose the speaker says how he/she felt when their house was burgled. Having listened to him each one in the group has to feed back her or his empathetic feelings to the speaker, e.g. "We were shocked to hear what happened to your family! We can understand how sad it had been to all of you. At the same time we appreciate your courage in bearing it out." They have to invent new phrases. Then the second one starts to relate his incident. The activity continues until everyone in the group has finished telling his story followed by empathetic feedback.

Discussion: Guide Questions.

l How did you feel when you saw that the others were listening to you caringly and attentively?

l Could your friends really understand your feelings?

l How did you feel when others were expressing their feelings to you?

l What did you learn from the experience?