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Leadership Training For Refugee Students

[All Ethnic International Open University]

In AEIOU program, to equip refugee students for the rigours of life and enable them to lead in their own communities, Leadership Trainings are offered as credit hours of teaching.  

              [AEIOU Programme is an attempt to give tertiary education to the talented and eligible but oppressed, persecuted and marginalized youths of Southeast Asia, particularly those suffering under the political conditions of Burma. In the numerous refugee camps, the education stop after high school and AEIOU endeavors to fill in this gap.] 

Training & Workshops  

            Training workshops are set up on several subjects and encourage the students to participate in them.  

Democracy, Development & Gender Relation Workshop

             This workshop is conducted in the afternoon period for 5 days with the purpose to learn to understand the concept of democracy which includes the role of women in the development process. There were 2 main focuses: 1) Dictatorship, Democracy & Development: concept & experiences, and 2) Gender & Development: concept & experiences.

             The emphasis is on the sharing of experiences over social situations where there is comparison between the Burmese ethnic peoples’ and Thai peoples’ society experience.

            The purpose of the workshop is for the students to learn to think, discuss, and understand several topics such as the political and social situation in Burma and the different experiences among different ethnic people, including the host country's political structure and economic development, and the people’s movement on sustainable development, political & social analysis and concept of sustainable development and democracy, etc.  

Community Research Workshop

           This project’s goal is to provide the project attendants with knowledge in various fields. It also purposes to support them in training to prepare them to be good leaders in the future. Research also serves as a process or channel to help the students learn and understand problems occurring in the community they live in, and understand the problems of their own ethnic group more systematically. In addition, it helps them to analyze each problem and to understand the link between those problems, or to see factors of the social problems more diversely - for example, to see impact of globalization, nationalism, the economic gap problem, etc., on their respective communities and the youth themselves. It has also become a platform to practice their field of knowledge and opportunity to impart them incentive and creativity. 

Public Speaking Training

            This training aims to help students become proficient in public speaking and to be able to communicate with other people effectively and with expression. Students practice speaking in front of the class, and are made familiar with techniques used in public speaking such as the use of media in presentation, how to use their eyesight, ways of adjusting their gesture and tones of speaking, preparation of speech content, use of mind mapping, and methods to convey vivid description.  

Training for Community Leadership

            Coming from different places and having different ethnic roots, students are encouraged to talk about a variety of topics and share their personal experiences. Outside lecturers are invited to give them international experience and to get wider knowledge from several sources.. This training for community leadership will continue after the course is over as students will have to embark on research or projects, which will be monitored and evaluated.  

Exchange of Opinion

            As can be arranged, the project co-ordinates with several resource persons from other countries to discuss and exchange with the students. So far, speakers from America and from the University of Winnipeg in Manitoba, Canada, have come and talked about International Development Studies, and were able stay three months with the students. Then we have professor from South Africa, journalist and an eminent authoress from Paris who wrote the French-Burmese Dictionary. 

Fundamental Knowledge

             In the area of general knowledge, the instructors’ goal is to fill in the gaps in the student’s education. Teachers give a general introduction to DNA, viruses (including HIV), cloning, GMOs, DNA fingerprinting, astronomy – our planet (and seasonal changes), the solar system, the Milky Way, the universe, satellites, and space technology. Geography: Using blank maps we looked at Asia, Europe, and the Americas identifying countries, cities, and major geographical features. History: We look at connections between big money, industry, and war. Chemistry: Teachers introduce them to the structure of an atom, nuclear energy, and radiation.

            In the Writing section students are encouraged to keep a daily journal. In addition there are weekly reports, projects, and activities requiring the students to write. They practice formal letter writing in which the students write a letter of introduction, resume, a request for scholarship information, and a proposal for a community project.  

AIDS, Sexuality and Drug Workshop

            This workshop is organized by the Thai YAP group (Thai Youth AIDS Prevention Project), an NGO working with the young people in northern Thailand to be aware of the AIDS and drug problems. A volunteer team from Thai YAP spends the whole day presenting a workshop which helps the students see and understand the risk of Aids and drugs pose for them and their society. 

Photography

             Teachers give introduction to camera components and how they function. Information is provided about characteristics and the quality of sunlight and of the flash and how they react and work with film. Composition of photographs, mixing developer (a chemical substance used for developing photographs), and practicing developing and enlarging photographs in a dark room is also included.  

Music and Singing

            Music and singing classes are held once or twice a week. Universal International music notes are taught, while traditional folk songs and music are encouraged.  

Physical Education

            A Compulsory Aerobic class is held twice a week, while every evening they play games, such as soccer, Takeraw, Badminton, volleyball, aerobic etc. The playground is the place where young people show their character openly and came into contact not only with one another, but also with other communities whenever there was a friendly match. 

Life & Time Sharing

            The Project of Scholarship Support for Refugees from Burma not only emphasizes formal learning, but informal learning also. The lessons students learn from daily-life cooperation and teamwork are counted. They have roster duty and also share in arranged activities for relaxation and entertainment on Saturdays and Sundays. For example, students have attended religious affairs, gone on excursions to museums, historical sites, cinema, shopping, meeting friends enjoy the local delicacies etc.