Changing perceptions about people with disabilities

Topic:

This article is about a café that only employs people with disabilities.

       

Before reading:

          

General Knowledge:

• Can you find the country of Kazakhstan on a map?
• What does the word "stigma" mean?
• What are some kinds of "disability"?
• What are some kinds of discrimination that disabled people face? Why?

         

Speculate:

• In the article a woman says, "In Kazakhstan, people with disabilities are forced to exist within tight boundaries". What might she mean by "boundaries", and why might those boundaries exist?

            

        

Click on the embedded link below to read the article on the PRI website. Word count: 630

           

Kazakhstan cafe uses employment to fight disability stigma

After reading:

        

Review and discuss:

• Write a 3-4 sentence summary of this article. Begin your summary with "This article is about…".
• Zhuldyz Abdykarimova, a waitress at Training Café, says she has learned a lot while working there. What are some of the things that she might have learned?
• While providing important employment opportunities, the Training Café is also a place where people with disabilities interact with other members of society. What might be some effects of bringing people together like this?
• The article also mentions that a movie starring people with disabilities was recently released in Kazakhstan. By choosing these actors, what do you think is the message to the audience? How might this movie change public perceptions about people with disabilities?
• Why don't more places like Training Café exist, in Kazakhstan and in other countries around the world?
• In your opinion, what was the most interesting thing mentioned in this article? Why?

         

Reflect and evaluate:

• In your country or culture, what are some attitudes about disabilities? Are people with disabilities treated differently than others? Are there many opportunities for people with disabilities to find jobs?
• Explain why it is beneficial for people with disabilities to have opportunities to work. List as many advantages as you can think of. Conversely, what are the problems with not providing opportunities?
• Is there anything else you'd like to know about this topic? Do you have any questions that weren't answered in the article?
• What vocabulary words were new to you in this article? Make a record of what you have learned.

         

Beyond the page:

• For some people, it might be challenging to know the best way to communicate with people who have disabilities. This guide offers some helpful tips: Communicating Effectively with People who Have a Disability
• Open Society Foundations is one of Training Café's financial supporters. Find out more about this organization here: Open Society Foundations

            

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Helping refugees, one plate at a time

Topic:

         

This article describes a project in France that involves pairing chefs from different countries for a humanitarian purpose.
        

       

Before reading:

       

General Knowledge:

• Can you find France on a map?
• What do you know about Middle Eastern food? How about French food?
• What is "fusion" cuisine?

           

Speculate:

• A French organization is helping refugee chefs to partner with French chefs. What might they hope to accomplish?

           

Click on the embedded link below to read the article and see photos on the NPR website. Word count: 666

          

In Paris, Where Food Is King, Refugee Chefs Show What They Have To Offer

After reading:

          

Review and discuss:

• Write a 3-4 sentence summary of this article. Begin your summary with "This article is about…".
• The two chefs featured in this article don't have a common language, but chef Jégo says that "they are able to communicate through food". What does he mean by this? What sort of ideas might they be able to communicate?
• Why might cuisine be an effective way to influence the way that people feel about refugees?
• Marine Mandrila says that one of the goals of her organization is "to show that these people had real lives and professions before". Why is this important? If this goal is achieved, how might it be helpful to refugees?
• In your opinion, what was the most interesting thing mentioned in this article? Why?

            

Reflect and evaluate:

• Mohammad El Khaldy says that Syria has a "big food culture". Does your own country have a big food culture? Explain.
• El Khaldy identifies different regions in Syria which are each famous for their own culinary specialties. How about where you live? What are some examples of regional dishes?
• Is there anything else you'd like to know about this topic? Do you have any questions that weren't answered in the article?
• What vocabulary words were new to you in this article? Make a record of what you have learned.

           

Beyond the page:

• Have you ever tried Syrian food, or other cuisines that are different from yours? Search for restaurants or food festivals in your area, and try something new!
• Explore Syrian dishes, and maybe try a recipe or two from one of these pages:
  Syrian Cooking, or 9 Syrian Recipes to Excite Your Taste Buds
• Check out the website for Food Sweet Food, the organization that inspired the refugee chef project in Paris: (website in French) http://www.foodsweetfood.org/

          

Also in the news:

• In Denmark, local people and refugees are creating music together: These African and Scandinavian musicians create sweet sounds in Copenhagen
• Another group in Paris is hoping to bring locals and refugees together by hosting a dance party in a park: Paris hosts a 'Migrant Ball,' but it wasn't just for migrants
• France isn't the only place hoping to unite locals and refugees through food. Read about a similar effort in Budapest: Budapest Foodies Hope Cuisine Can Help Heal Anti-Migrant Prejudice

        

           

Join the conversation: add your thoughts about this article in the comments section below. And don't forget to share this post with your friends!

A Great Green Wall for Africa

Several African countries are cooperating on a project that will improve people's lives. Click on the embedded link below to read the article, see photos, and stream or download the audio file on the PRI website. Word count: 619

         

Africa's Great Green Wall is making progress on two fronts

      

Before reading:

       

General Knowledge:

• Where is the Sahara Desert? Can you name any of the countries that are in this desert?
• What is 'desertification'? What causes it? How does it affect the people living nearby?

       

Speculate:

• Many countries in Africa are cooperating to build a 'Great Green Wall'. What do you think it might be? What might be its purpose?

     

      

Credit: Bobby Bascomb

       

After reading:

      

Review and discuss:

• Write a 3-4 sentence summary of this article. Begin your summary with "This article is about…".
• What does the article's title mean? What are the 'two fronts' that the writer is referring to?
• How many benefits of the Great Green Wall project are mentioned in the article? Make a list. Can you think of any other possible benefits that were not mentioned?
• What does Elvis Paul Tangam mean when he says that a sense of 'ownership' is the greatest accomplishment of the project?
• Why might the French government be interested in investing so much money in the project? (Hint: consider Africa's colonial history.)
• Tangam thinks it will take at least a generation for the Great Green Wall to become a reality. Why?
• In your opinion, what was the most interesting thing mentioned in this article? Why?

        

Reflect and evaluate:

• What do you think might have been some of the challenges to achieving cooperation among so many different countries?
• What does this article suggest about gender roles in these countries?
• What are the biggest threats to the environment in the area where you live? Is anything being done to change the situation?
• Is there anything else you'd like to know about this topic? Do you have any questions that weren't answered in the article?
• What vocabulary words were new to you in this article? Make a record of what you have learned.

         

Beyond the page:

• Explore the website for the Great Green Wall initiative: Great Green Wall
• Indigenous plants are an important part of the Great Green Wall project. What plants are indigenous to the area where you live? Why do they grow well in that environment?
• Do some research to find out more about the Sahara Desert.

           

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