Key question
Can power be used positively?
Learning objectives
Through this unit, students learn to:
• investigate and analyse situations of power
• reflect on different interpretations of the use of power and discern their value bases
• understand the impact of being powerless
• recognise the importance of religious and ethical teaching on the value of humankind
• appreciate the need to develop positive and practical attitudes that may challenge them to adapt their own personal lifestyle.
Activities
Ask students to:
• recall situations where they have felt powerful or powerless and identify the reasons for these feelings
• invite speakers to lead sessions on issues such as international debt, world trade, gender or the nature of democracy
• play The Trading Game or Trade rules!
• write and produce video presentations about a human rights situation
• study the religious motivation of someone whose life has been spent in a struggle against the misuse of power, such as Oscar Romero or the Dalai Lama
• debate how the voiceless can be heard in a democratic situation.
Further resources
The Trading Game, Christian Aid
Trade rules!, Christian Aid
