What do two societies in different hemispheres, one in the north, the other in the south, one with a population of 1,6 million the other with more than 40 million, have in common?

Sadly, it is the legacy of sectarianism, racism, oppression and violence that binds Northern Ireland and South Africa. But it is also the triumph of the human spirit, the capacity for healing and the desire for peace and stability that gave delegates at a Northern Ireland-South African colloquium on children in violent societies plenty to talk about.

The focus of the day?s discussions included identifying ways to break the silences that often settled over traumatised societies, as well as how to reach children and youth in schools and build supportive systems that enabled parents and teachers to meet children?s needs.

Where Northern Irish delegates were still looking at ways in which to create political systems that would provide a framework in which to the divisions and conflicts in their society could be addressed, South Africans were concerned that the noble promises contained in our Constitution should be put into practice.

One of the key concerns was the importance of allowing children to be children and to have time and space in which to play.

“We have a fundamental conviction that play is absolutely crucial for healthy development of children, both physically and mentally,” said Antoinette McKeown of Playboard, a Northern Ireland organisation.

“Consistent research has demonstrated the impact of play as a healing mechanism, as a means of enabling children to grow emotionally and socially. To teach themselves the skills by asking questions such as ?what if? and by exploring some of the trauma that?s happening round them.”

McKeown said research also showed that where play did not exist, children?s development was stunted and neurological connections did not develop in the brain.

One project developed by Playboard had proved extremely successful in reducing bullying in schools, while another called “Games not Names” had been adopted by schools in several countries in order to address issues of sectarianism, discrimination and violence.

“We were asked by the principal of a primary school in Belfast to see if we could help reduce the amount of bullying that was rife in the school,” said McKeown. They decided to work with the women who serve the school lunches – the “dinner ladies” – rather than the teachers because they had contact with the children during break times.

“The women were very apprehensive, most of them had left school at the age of fourteen, but we asked them to tell us about the traditional games they had played at school and what toys they had made for themselves from scrap metal.”

During these discussions, the facilitators wove in information about how to deal with negative behaviour and how to encourage positive behaviour among children. The “dinner ladies” then began to monitor and intervene in the children?s playtime.

“The change was dramatic,” said McKeown. Children would ask the ladies to show them how to play the street games they used to play and within two months bullying at the school had been reduced by two thirds.

A small, pilot programme in Lavender Hill in Cape Town called Copes (Community Psychological Empowerment Services) offers similar interventions to tackle questions of aggressive behaviour and violence among children in schools.

Co-ordinator of the project, Ronelle Carollisen said their work focused on developing social skills such as allowing children to talk about their feelings and to manage their anger.

In order to ensure better service for the children, the project has expanded its focus to include teachers. By providing teachers with support and skills training they are better able to respond to the needs of the children in their classrooms.

The workshop was co-hosted by the Community Conflict Impact on Children from Northern Ireland and the Trauma Centre for Survivors of Violence and Torture in South Africa.

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