How to Use GSA Network's Justice For All - Tips for Leading Peer Education Discussions and Activities
As groups that support diversity and school safety and oppose all forms of harassment and discrimination, GSAs can respond to the recent hostility against Arab/Arab-American communities by spreading a message of tolerance and understanding. Peer education is an effective way to combat prejudice and to make your school safer for all students, and GSAs can take an active role in challenging racism and promoting solidarity by using these materials to reflect on the events and aftermath of September 11th in a group discussion. Using Justice For All in Your GSA: The following guidelines are designed to help you use Justice For All effectively in your GSA. You should read over them carefully before you begin your activities and discussions. Establish ground rules for the discussion. When discussing difficult and emotional topics, agreeing on a set of ground rules can help make people feel comfortable about being open with their feelings. Some ground rules you could set are 1) respect everyone in the room, 2) agree to disagree, 3) keep everyone's comments confidential, 4) be honest, 5) step forward (if you aren't participating as much) or step back (if you are dominating the discussion), 6) don't interrupt, 7) allow people the right to pass, 8) no assumptions or generalizations, and 9) any other rules the group suggests and agrees upon. Encourage students to use I statements, and steer clear of generalization and stereotypes. If youth refer to stereotypes and generalizations, point it out - use this as a time to ask the group about stereotypes and myths vs. factual information. Pause to check for understanding. Read people's faces, not only their nods. Encourage students to answer each other's questions. Ask the group if any one wants to speak on that point. Not everyone will agree with you. The entire reason you are using the Justice For All is to increase awareness. People may disagree with you, and that's okay as long as they are not disruptive to the workshop. Be sensitive to the experiences of others. Don't rush through it or talk too fast. Allow for silent gaps so info sinks in. Don't ignore disrespectful behavior. Don't allow for faulty comments to pass by unaddressed. Silence is agreement. Use the comments to create a learning moment and to model respectful ways to confront slurs, stereotypes, and misinformation. Stick to your purpose. You are there to discuss anti-Arab harassment and discrimination, not to discuss issues related to war. If the discussion gets off track, try to refocus the attention of the class on the curriculum. Hand out resources. Use the handouts and resource sheets, or look for more materials on the web. Be honest. Above all else be honest about what you know. If you don't know an answer, that's okay, tell them that you don't know.
Justice For All Table of Contents

	Home	How to Use Justice For All	Media Analysis	Solidarity Discussion	Definitions
	Article #1	Article #2	Be an Effective Ally	Web Resources	Coalition Building

---