Responding to Refugees: University of Naples Federico II group

Prof. Ernesto De Nito. Social Innovation class,

Napoli, 5th April 2023.

1. The Values discussion: what are our driving values.

• A practical exercise on establishing the shared values that will affect our thinking and action in
the world around us (15 minutes)
2. Establishing forced migration and refugees in a global and historical
context : (PowerPoint and practical map exercise using Cartograms and
other world maps) (30 minutes)
• the history of migrations
• why all public facing professions, should be well-informed – Sustainable Development Goals
and the importance of celebrating diversity
• global inequalities, diversity, conflict and international tensions
• where do values fit in
• establishing a relevant vocabulary & definitions in national and international law

3. A refugee’s tale: (face 2 face encounter & discussion with a refugee)

(40 Minutes)
• Case study story of Alex Ntung – trauma, escape, seeking asylum, refugee status, assimilation,
integration, finding security, giving back, looking back
• opportunities for questions and discussion

4. The European Response: (workshop exercise with newspapers,

Instagram, Tik Tok examples and national policy examples)
(30 Minutes)
• Current media coverage of migration, nationalism, negative attitudes, discrimination
• myths and inaccuracies. the UN convention on refugees
• policy responses: ‘hostile environment’, nationalism, trafficking,, increasing vulnerabilities,
employment, economy
• the experience of refugees in host countries UK and Uganda

BREAK (30 minutes)

5. Refugees in transit : (real time interaction with current refugees
outside Europe. (60 minutes)
• Zoom conference with young people and teachers from Kakuma camp in Kenya
• Discussion and activity arising from interactions between students and refugees

6. What do we do now? (open discussion and brief summarising

workshop) (40 Minutes)
• Open discussion and workshop
• ‘Thinking Hats’ plenary on the day’s learning as a ‘take home’ summary of group responses.

*** all timings approximate

 Instructors from: Education For Diversity, UK (https://education4diversity.co.uk/)
In collaboration with: Fondazione Cariello Corbino - ETS (www.fondazionecariellocorbino.org)

Alex Ntung
Alex was born into a family of cattle herders, semi-nomadic, pastoralist people in South Kivu in the Democratic
Republic of Congo (DRC). Growing up, he survived extreme violence on a terrifying scale and lost many
members of his family. His hunger for education took Alex to a school where he encountered countless incidents
of xenophobia and physical attacks on him as a member of a minority ethnic group. He witnessed the 1994
genocide in Rwanda and subsequent violence fuelled by ethnic hatred in Africa’s Great lakes region. Later, he
became involved in humanitarian work for UN-related Non Government Organisations, in an orphanage for
children who survived the genocide and groups trying to stop child soldiering in the DRC.

Due to continuing threats to his community in the DRC, Alex travelled to the UK and sought asylum there.
Overcoming major cultural and language barriers, he went to college and university and gained an MA in the
Anthropology of Conflict, Violence and Conciliation at the University of Sussex. He has written a book, Not
My Worst Day, about his experiences in Rwanda, Burundi and the DRC. He is currently an independent
researcher and consultant in political and security analysis (DRC) and a PhD researcher at the Conflict Analysis
Research Centre, University of Kent. Over the last fifteen years, he has occupied responsibilities in the public
sector (community cohesion), international development and community and university partnerships. He has
been involved in political mediation for civil society organisations in conflict-affected areas. He is a popular
speaker providing insights into issues of migration, war, security, cultural insensitivity in conflict resolution.

Watch Alex’s TED talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bz1albPWxRE

Listen to more of his story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Md423FMzqTg

Jonathan Barnes
At the time Alex was born Jonathan Barnes was teaching 700 miles away in the highlands of Kenya where he
lived for three years. On his return to the UK, Jonathan worked in secondary schools before going with his
family to teach English in rural Malaysia. When he returned to Britain his wide personal interests in Art, Music,
History, Geography, Design Technology, Religious Education and Citizenship led him towards primary school
teaching and curriculum design. In 1992, Jonathan became head teacher of a popular and successful primary
school in Canterbury. In 2000, he joined the staff of Canterbury Christ Church University as a lecturer and
researcher. As part of his job, he co-led 10 study tours for teacher trainees to communities in south India,
Sarawak and Tanzania. This work in non-western cultures led him to recognize shared experience of kindness,
hope, compassion, friendship and many other human and humanising values.

Jonathan has written several widely-used books on cross-curricular approaches, but the values within which the
school curriculum and ethos is conceived is his overriding concern. Inclusive values and a concern for improved
social and psychological well-being have framed his research studies. Jonathan was elected a university Teaching
Fellow in 2014 and chosen by the UK’s Higher Education Academy as a National Teaching Fellow in 2015. He
is now Visiting Senior Research Fellow of Canterbury Christ Church University.

Jonathan Talks about Refugee Education:

https://bowdeneducation.org/podcast/episode/71add1ab/refugee-education