Objectives

• To introduce the issue of child labour and modern-day slavery
• To promote active listening
• For older children: To introduce the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR)

Instructions

1. Ask the children to gather in a circle to hear a story in a special way. Try to create a mysterious atmosphere. Show them the wooden stick and explain that this is ‘talking stick’: only the person holding it may speak. When they have spoken, they should pass on the stick to another person.
2. Lay the pictures out so that the children can see all of them and explain that together they will create a story about a girl named Siwa based on these pictures. Then distribute the pictures, one to each child or pair of children. Explain that this picture represents the part of the story which that child or pair of children will tell. Give the children time to think about what their pictures represent and discuss it together if they are working with a partner.
3. Be the first one to hold the stick and say a little to demonstrate how the story will be told. Then pass the stick to the child who will start the story. Explain that the person who wants to speak next should hold up their picture; if there are several who want to speak, the speaker will decide who gets the talking stick next.
4. When the story has come to an end, ask the children if they would like to hear the real story behind these pictures. Tell or read the story of Siwa.

Debriefing and Evaluation

1. Debrief the activity by asking questions such as these:
   • What did you base your story? Did the pictures remind you of something you have experienced or heard about?
   • Was your story based on the pictures close to the true story?
   • What did you think of Siwa’s story? How did you feel?
   • Do you have any questions about Siwa’s story?
2. Discuss child labour and forms of modern-day slavery by asking questions such as these:
   • What is a slave?
   • In what ways was Siwa’s situation like slavery?
   • Do you think that Siwa’s story could happen in your country? Do you know of any such incidents?
   • Are there still slaves in the world today?
3. Give children copies of the child-friendly CRC, UDHR or ECHR. Relate Siwa’s story to human rights:
   • What happens to children who are forced to work?
   • How does this affect their human rights? Can you name any of Siwa’s rights in the CRC that were violated?
   • How does the CRC protect children?
   • Do other human rights documents also offer protectio