Blood Diamond Curriculum Guide (PDF) - Amnesty International USA

LESSON 1 PERSONAL AND COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY
EXTENSION
ACTIVITY
RESOURCES
11) Identify two or three attempts by the character to protect human rights in his/her
country or community. If there were no such attempts, why not?
12) What further actions could the character have taken to create more effective change?
4. After the students have finished the mapping exercise, each group will give a presentation
of its character map. Facilitate a class discussion about the ways that the characters and
organizations interacted to impact the situation in Sierra Leone. Ask for final thoughts about
the ways in which people can take personal and collective responsibility and action in a
conflict environment.
Ask students to choose one issue that is important to them, whether it be wildlife conservation,
sweatshop labor, police brutality, or access to healthcare. Either individually or in groups, the
students will develop a causal diagram to map the choices available to them, and the ways in
which they can take personal responsibility on the issue. Students should consider the
following questions:
1) What are the external factors which affect personal choice on this issue?
2) Who are the players involved in this issue? Who has the most power? Who has the
least power? Who are the players in between?
3) How does each group affect the other?
4) In what ways is each group limited either by ideology, culture, or position? In other
words, what are the influencing factors?
5) What choices are available to each group?
6) How can the actions of one group open additional choices and actions for other
groups?
7) What actions are currently being taken by each group to address the issue in question?
8) Are the actions effective, given the limitations and powers of each group and the ways
in which the groups interact?
9) What actions could increase the effectiveness of the movement?
10) How would those actions affect the other groups?
11) What choices could the individual make to more effectively create change on the
issue?
12) How can individuals work together in community to address the issue in question?
After the projects are completed, the students will present the results of the project to the
class and engage in a class discussion of the findings.
How to Develop Causal Loop Diagrams
http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_04.htm
Causal Loop Diagram Example: Research Initiative to Understand and Model State
Stability
http://esd.mit.edu/wps/esd-wp-2005-01.html
(Use the link to access the paper, and then download the PDF version to view diagrams)
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