CONTRIBUTORS Qatar 2022: tolerance is
the goal Comment by FELICIA JACKSON, Chair of the Learn2Think Foundation
There is great excitement in the lead up to the World Cup in Qatar. Equally however, there is concern that a tournament in which the world is expected to take part is taking place in
a country where not all human rights, not of all fans, are respected. While in countries like the UK, human beings have the right to choose who they love, in Qatar the country has already issued warnings that fans should avoid waving rainbow flags or demonstrating for the rights of gays and homosexuals during the tournament.
The Guardian newspaper directly asked the Supreme Committee (in charge of the tournament) if all fans would be safe and got a generic answer. It said, “Everyone will be welcome to Qatar in 2022, regardless of their race, background, religion, gender, sexual orientation or nationality. We are a relatively conservative society – for example, public displays of affection are not a part of our culture.”
The statement went on: “We believe in mutual respect and so whilst everyone is welcome, what we expect in return is for everyone to respect our culture and traditions.” Given that those cultural traditions include the fact that alcohol, pork products, adultery and, yes, homosexuality are illegal is cause for concern. What ARE we willing to tolerate so that thousands of fans can enjoy this global celebration of “The Beautiful Game”? The Qatari response implies they will be tolerant so long as there is no public flouting of local and religious norms. Is this enough of a compromise? Should liberal democratic citizens be expected to curb their behaviour and hide their identities, not to mention turn a blind eye to alleged human rights abuses surrounding the death of migrant workers since Qatar began preparing for the tournament itself?
This brings us to one of the trickiest aspects of the concept of tolerance – the idea that we have to tolerate ideas and ideals that we dislike, that every truth is relative and that cultural tradition trumps everything else. What tolerance boils down to is not what one person believes or not but rather that no matter one’s beliefs – everyone should be awarded the same rights in their lives as everyone else.
That means freedom to believe whatever you want, but your right to impose those ideas and ideals on others stops when that freedom infringes on the rights of others. While football itself has been the home of racism and violence for decades, there is an enormous amount of work being done on bringing people together through the love of the game.
If two people love the game that much, no matter how different they (or their beliefs), that is proof that they have something in common. Finding common ground, mutual respect for difference and a means of communication are the basic steps towards resolving tension and conflict.
“Football v Homophobia” was set up to challenge discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and expression at all levels in football. One of its members, Lou Englefield, was reported as saying that he knew of no European LGBTIQ supporters’ group, or individual supporters, who are currently planning to attend this World Cup.
It’s not just a question of whether or not individual fans will be safe, but whether the message that the World Cup committee, funders, advertisers, sponsors and even players are sending is one that is good for people, fans or even football itself.
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www.education-today.co.uk
Christmas STEM ideas!
In her regular column this month, STEMtastic! founder KIRSTY BERTENSHAW shares some great ideas for a little festive (STEM-related) fun.
‘Tis the season to be thinking about Christmas. While learning must continue and progress still needs to be made, a little festive spirit can be included in lessons in the run up to the big event of the year. Here are a few ideas that are simple, cheap, and – most importantly – fun!
Data handling with holly leaves/Christmas tree branches/ bush leaves
Collect a bunch of holly leaves, hopefully from a friend, family member or colleague’s garden for free. Students should count the number of spikes on each leaf keeping a tally chart or making a frequency or grouped frequency table. This information can then be represented as a graph. Alternatively use fir tree branches or bush leaves for counting, and measure the mass to two decimal places. For younger students, construct a festive scene and hide objects in it like candy canes, snowmen, and reindeer for data handling instead and construct pictograms. Adaptations
If you do have holly leaves available, explore the adaptations of the leaves e.g., spikes to prevent them being eaten and resist water loss like cacti, thick waxy coating on the top to prevent water damage. Discuss the animals we associate with Christmas and winter, e.g., polar bears, reindeer, robins. How are they adapted to survive in the cold conditions? You could even include cartoon representations of Santa with his thick layer of blubber for warmth! Santa’s sleigh
Students can make Santa’s sleigh by junk modelling, considering the materials they use and perhaps even completing a cost sheet for each item they use. The sleighs could be designed with wheels or skis and then tested by running them down ramps covered with different materials such as rough carpet or fabric, shiny foil or clingfilm, and other appropriate materials available. A shelf from a bookcase propped up on books doubles as a ramp if required. Students can investigate if the vertical height of the ramp makes a difference to how far the sleigh travels, or how the force of friction between different surfaces affects how far the sleigh can move. Crystal decorations
Students can design a Christmas decoration using paper or cardboard, and decorate using waterproof pens or pencil crayons, for example a snowman wearing a brightly coloured hat and scarf. Using a small tray or lunchbox, dissolve as much salt in water as possible, then place the decoration in the solution and leave to soak until the decoration is completely saturated. Remove it and hang it up to dry slowly. As the water evaporates, salt crystals will form on the decoration, looking like a frosty coating. These can then be hung up with string as they are, or sealed with clear nail varnish or clear coat paint if they are going to be used near small children or animals.
This activity explores dissolving and separating mixtures by evaporation. Crystal size could be investigated by drying the decorations quickly which results in small crystals or drying very slowly in a cold area to form large crystals.
An alternative to salt crystals for older students is using magnesium sulphate. This can either be used in a similar way or can be used to ‘frost’ the inside of jars. Measure the mass of the magnesium sulphate before dissolving it in water. Measure the mass of water added. Measure the temperature while the magnesium sulphate is dissolving – is it endothermic or exothermic? Leave the jar in a warm place for the water to evaporate and the crystals to form – the longer the better for large crystals. Compare the mass after the crystals are formed!
Kirsty is the founder of STEMtastic, an education consultancy with a focus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths
www.stemtastic.co.uk
November 2022
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