Peruvian teachers trained to promote the fight against discrimination and xenophobia in their schools

Schools must be safe spaces free of violence were children and adolescents can develop properly in a healthy environment. With the increase of Venezuelan migration in Peru, hate speeches have increased affecting school spaces. This has increased bullying, harassment and rejection among students. Due to this problem, different movements and proposals from different organizations have arisen to stop it.

As was the case of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Peru, which aimed to train about 250 teachers and specialists from public schools with a high enrollment of refugee and migrant children and adolescents, to provide them with tools that allow them to work on issues of migration and prevention of discrimination and xenophobia.

Who are they?

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is part of the United Nations System and is the leading intergovernmental organization that since 1951 promotes humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all, with 175 Member States and presence in more than 100 countries. IOM has been present in Peru since 1966.

As it was disclosed by the IOM through its official page in September of 2022:

"Due to a migratory context that has evolved abruptly, many schools have seen a rapid increase in the enrollment of students of Venezuelan nationality without their authorities or teachers being prepared for this new scenario.

A diagnosis carried out by the Institute for Democracy and Human Rights and the Center for Educational Research and Services of the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, within the framework of this project, showed that in the Peruvian school context there are naturalized xenophobic actions and that the integration of foreign students is more of a wish than a reality. The report concludes that it is vital to provide teachers with tools to work on issues of discrimination and xenophobia, and that working with students from a coexistence and citizenship approach is essential for them to become agents of change.

The objective of this IOM Peru project is precisely to strengthen the capacities of teachers and other key specialists in the education system, so that they can be facilitators of workshops aimed at adolescents from third to fifth grade of secondary school, working with a methodology designed especially for this purpose, based on games and playful dynamics." (OMI, 2022)

Xenophobia in Peru is a serious problem that involves us all as a society. Having teachers trained to deal with different situations in which rejection is involved is a great way to educate based on respect, love and awareness.

Source:

Organización Internacional para las Migraciones. (2022). Docentes peruanos serán capacitados para promover la lucha contra la discriminación y xenofobia en sus escuelas. https://peru.iom.int/es/news/docentes-peruanos-seran-capacitados-para-promover-la-lucha-contra-la-discriminacion-y-xenofobia-en-sus-escuelas