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Student activist stands up for a man being deported

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A lone student activist on board a plane at Gothenburg airport has prevented the deportation of an Afghan asylum seeker from Sweden by refusing to sit down until the man was removed from the flight.

Her successful protest, footage of which spread rapidly across the internet, shines a spotlight on domestic opposition to Sweden's tough asylum regime, at a time when immigration and asylum are topping the agenda of a general election campaign in which the far right is polling strongly.

"I hope that people start questioning how their country treats refugees," Elin Ersson, 21, told the Guardian in an interview. "We need to start seeing the people whose lives our immigration [policies] are destroying."

The social work student at Gothenburg University bought a ticket for the flight from Gothenburg to Turkey on Monday morning, after she and other asylum activists found out that a young Afghan was due to be deported on it. In fact he was not on the plane but activists discovered another Afghan man in his 50s was onboard for deportation.
Swedish plane protester Elin Ersson: 'I knew I couldn't back down - I had to do what I could'
As she entered the plane, Ersson started to livestream her protest in English. The video received more than 4m hits on Tuesday.

Facing both sympathy and hostility from passengers, the footage shows Ersson struggling to keep her composure. "I don't want a man's life to be taken away just because you don't want to miss your flight," she says. "I am not going to sit down until the person is off the plane."

Repeatedly told by a steward to stop filming, Ersson says: "I am doing what I can to save a person's life. As long as a person is standing up the pilot cannot take off. All I want to do is stop the deportation and then I will comply with the rules here. This is all perfectly legal and I have not committed a crime."

When an angry passenger, who appears to be English, tries to seize her phone, she tells him: "What is more important, a life, or your time? ... I want him to get off the plane because he is not safe in Afghanistan. I am trying to change my country's rules, I don't like them. It is not right to send people to hell."

After a tense standoff, during which the airport authorities declined to use force to eject Ersson, passengers broke into applause when the asylum seeker was taken off the plane.

Ersson told the Guardian she had been volunteering with refugee groups for about a year.

"People [in Afghanistan] are not sure of any safety," she said. "They don't know if they're going to live another day. As I've been working and meeting people from Afghanistan and heard their stories, I've been more and more in the belief that no one should be deported to Afghanistan because it's not a safe place. The way that we are treating refugees right now, I think that we can do better, especially in a rich country like Sweden."

As the country heads towards a general election in September, Sweden's centre-left coalition government is keen to keep up expulsions of asylum seekers whose applications have been turned down. "If you get rejected, you have to go home - otherwise we will not have a proper migration system," the prime minister, Stefan Löfven, said last year after an Uzbek asylum seeker whose claim had been rejected drove a truck into shoppers in Stockholm, killing five people.

After Taliban violence increased in January, the country briefly halted deportations to Afghanistan. But the Swedish migration board stands by its assessment that the country is a safe destination for asylum seekers whose claims have been turned down.

In its most recent assessment, the migration board said Taliban attacks had been aimed mainly at the military or foreigners, and violence against Afghan civilians was rare. As for a bomb in an ambulance in January that killed at least 95 and injured many more in Kabul, the board said it was "unclear whether the purpose was really to attack civilians".

Tens of thousands of deportation cases are expected to be handed over to the police as the country continues to process a backlog of asylum applications, after 163,000 people claimed asylum in Sweden in 2015. Last year, the border police deported 12,500 people, while the rate of expulsions so far this year is slightly higher.

Normally deportations go peacefully, according to a spokesperson for the police in Sweden's west region. But occasionally the process is disrupted by demonstrators such as Ersson or by asylum seekers themselves.

"You do it once or twice, and if it doesn't work we rent a private plane to send them back to Afghanistan, or wherever," the spokesperson said.
'Sweden sends us to be killed': young Afghans face perilous deportation
Ersson's protest was a civil and not a criminal case, he said. Should the airline and passengers decide to prosecute, Ersson could face a substantial fine.

When the refugee crisis began to escalate 2015, Sweden made it much harder for refugees to get into the country and asylum applications fell sharply. In 2016 almost 29,000 people claimed asylum, followed by just under 26,000 last year. So far this year, asylum applications are running at about 1,500 a month.

The fates of the young man due to be deported on Monday, and the man who was on the plane, are unknown. A spokesperson for the Swedish Prison and Probation Service confirmed that the young man would be deported again, once transport was found. The Swedish border police in Kalmar, responsible for the attempted deportation, did not return calls from the Guardian.

Ersson believes the young man was taken to Stockholm and put on a flight there already.

"This is how deportations in Sweden work. The people involved know nothing and they are not allowed to reach out to their lawyers or family," she said. "My ultimate goal is to end deportations to Afghanistan."
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Swedish student's plane protest stops Afghan man's deportation 'to hell'

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A lone student activist on board a plane at Gothenburg airport has prevented the deportation of an Afghan asylum seeker from Sweden by refusing to sit down until the man was removed from the flight.

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from Literacy Today - ILA

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Catching Readers blog

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Exploring identity, and beginning to understand who we are and who we are not as individuals and as a community, is a huge part of my teaching. I start this inquiry on day one and continue it throughout the year. One big project we do is with skin color.

When it started to come up in our conversations, I read a few books that explore skin color. The Colors of Us, Shades of People, The Skin You Live In, Chocolate Me and All the Colors We Are, are a few of our favorites. We learned about the science behind skin color and played around with mixing paints that match our skin color. Based on the beautiful language in The Colors of Us, we chose our words for what we would call our skin color. We made up colors like, "whipped cream peach" and "cocoa caramel mocha" and "honey gingerbread". We mixed the paints and made our self-portraits.

Our big questions that guided this inquiry were:
Why is our skin different colors? How do I see myself? How do others see me? Who am I? Who are we?
We read books, had lots of conversations, made art and played around with self-portraits in many different mediums - using paint chips, buttons, empty picture frames, ribbons and assorted loose parts. We interviewed our friends and asked them, Who am I to you? and How do you see me?. In our completed self-portrait paintings, we wrote the answers to these questions. We also created and drew a symbol that represented who we are in the world.

This exploration into skin color and self-identity was a celebration of who we are and who we are to our friends and to each other. It made our community even stronger and helped us explore, appreciate and celebrate the differences and the similarities that make us special. We will continue to go back and revisit our thinking, revise our thinking and celebrate who we are as a community this year.

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Exploring Identity: How do I see myself? How do others see me?

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Exploring identity, and beginning to understand who we are and who we are not as individuals and as a community, is a huge part of my teaching. I start this inquiry on day one and continue it throughout the year. One big project we do is with skin color.

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Being the Change Book Ideas and Suggestions

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Being the Change Book Ideas and Suggestions

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Share a book!

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from Tamara Jaimes

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Summertime is reading time. Of course, I read during the school year, but I read at least twice as much in the summer. As I do, I am on a quest to find books. welcome picture book. first read aloud. book that will make my 5th graders laugh uncontrollably. These must be exceptional books, and they have to be brand-spankin'-new. I want these to be books no one has read previously. (I'm a big believer in the power of rereads, but for these important firsts, I want to start with a clean slate!) In August of 2017, those special books were: You're Finally Here! by Melanie Watt, Lemons by Melissa Savage, and The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors by Drew Daywalt.

I've been busy on my quest this summer. I've read 17 middle-grade novels and nearly as many picture books. I haven't settled on books for August 2018 yet, but I have read some excellent contenders! In the process, I've noticed Being the Change has become an important filter for me. Even before I get to the bookstore, I'm reading reviews with a Being the Change lens. I'm looking for books that will give us especially rich opportunities to discuss good listening, identity, names, bias, and microaggressions. I realize that most books have elements that would lend themselves to these thoughtful conversations, but here are some new releases (in addition to the excellent lists Sara provides on pp. 135-136) that have stood out to me in my personal quest. Note that the list is a balance between books I've read and loved and books I'm highly anticipating.

Picture Books

This is a quiet picture book with very few words and rich illustrations that tell much of the story. I've read it several times and each time I love Julian's Abuela more.

Middle-Grade Novels

A mystery, part tribute to The Westing Game, part historical fiction, The Parker Inheritance examines racism as it existed in the 1950s and as it exists today in the same small South Carolina town. A fascinating look at the many ways racism, bias, and prejudice keep people from being completely honest -whether to protect others or to protect themselves-both now and in the past.

Based on Yang's own childhood, Front Desk tells the story of Mia Tang, a 10-year-old whose parents have secured a job running a motel for the horrible, Mr. Yao. Mia and her family are immigrants figuring out how to survive in an America where the struggle is much greater than they could have ever imagined. There are many heavy themes here-abuse, extortion, homelessness, racism, bias-but Yang illuminates the harsh realities immigrants face, while somehow maintaining the hopeful, positive tone befitting Mia's buoyant character. There are obviously many opportunities for Being the Change conversations in Front Desk, but one of the more poignant ties for me is Mia's struggle to not let her own mother's bias define her.

I hope every middle-grade teacher will have a chance to read Kelly Yang's Front Desk this summer!

This one was actually released last summer and won a 2017 Pura Belpré Honor. I added it to my list because I loved it so much and identity was the central theme. María Luisa O'Neill-Morales, a.k.a. Malú, has a tough time when her "SuperMexican" mom takes a professor job in Chicago and Malú has to leave her ultra-cool record-store-owning dad behind in Florida. Malú, as the new kid at her middle school, is harassed by the queen bee for not being Mexican enough (a "coconut") and at home is admonished to be a proper Mexican señorita by her mom. Malú's goal? Perfecting her punk identity. Throughout Malú struggles against societal expectations in an attempt to fulfill what her dad says is the first rule of punk: Be Yourself.

Published in the summer of 2016, this is a new-to-me book that jumped out at me, thanks to my new Being the Change lens. I haven't read Sticks and Stones yet, but listen to how promising it sounds:

"Sticks & Stones by Abby Cooper is a feel-good middle-grade debut with just a dash of magic...

Ever since she was a baby, the words people use to describe Elyse have instantly appeared on her arms and legs. At first, it was just "cute" and "adorable," but as she's gotten older and kids have gotten meaner, words like "loser" and "pathetic" appear, and those words bubble up and itch. And then there are words like "interesting," which she's not really sure how to feel about.

Now, at age twelve, she's starting middle school, and just when her friends who used to accept and protect her are drifting away, she receives an anonymous note saying "I know who you are, and I know what you're dealing with. I want to help." As Elyse works to solve the mystery of who is sending her these notes, she also finds new ways to accept who she is and to become her best self."

- Amazon

Graphic Novels

Also set in middle school, these two graphic novels capture the pain and frustration inherent in not only figuring out your own identity, but in convincing others to accept you for who you say you are. Invisible Emmie was a touchstone book for several of my 6th-grade girls this year, who found in it a much-needed mirror. I hope both Izzy and Emmie get a chance to create Identity Statements in the new school year!

Check out the link for Betsy Bird's review on Goodreads; it hooked me!

Promising New Releases That I've Pre-ordered

"Empowering and timeless, What Can a Citizen Do? is the latest collaboration from the acclaimed duo behind the bestselling Her Right Foot: Dave Eggers and Shawn Harris. This is a book for today's youth about what it means to be a citizen.

Across the course of several seemingly unrelated but ultimately connected actions by different children, we watch how kids turn a lonely island into a community-and watch a journey from what the world should be to what the world could be.

This is a book about what citizenship-good citizenship-means to you, and to us all."

- Goodreads

"Jacqueline Woodson's first middle-grade novel since National Book Award winner Brown Girl Dreaming celebrates the healing that can occur when a group of students shares their stories.

It all starts when six kids have to meet for a weekly chat-by themselves, with no adults to listen in. There, in the room they soon dub the ARTT Room (short for "A Room to Talk"), they discover it's safe to talk about what's bothering them-everything from Esteban's father's deportation and Haley's father's incarceration to Amari's fears of racial profiling and Ashton's adjustment to his changing family fortunes. When the six are together, they can express the feelings and fears they have to hide from the rest of the world. And together, they can grow braver and more ready for the rest of their lives."

- Goodreads

"National Book Award winner Jacqueline Woodson and two-time Pura Belpre Illustrator Award winner Rafael Lopez have teamed up to create a poignant, yet heartening book about finding the courage to connect, even when you feel scared and alone.

There will be times when you walk into a room

and no one there is quite like you.

There are many reasons to feel different. Maybe it's how you look or talk, or where you're from; maybe it's what you eat, or something just as random. It's not easy to take those first steps into a place where nobody really knows you yet, but somehow you do it.

Jacqueline Woodson's lyrical text and Rafael Lopez's dazzling art reminds us that we all feel like outsiders sometimes-and how brave it is that we go forth anyway. And that sometimes, when we reach out and begin to share our stories, others will be happy to meet us halfway."

- Goodreads

What new books have you read this summer that made you think of Being the Change ? Add them in the comments, so we can all add them to our to-read lists!

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Being the Change, #cyberPD 2018: Newly-Released Books

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Summertime is reading time. Of course, I read during the school year, but I read at least twice as much in the summer. As I do, I am on a quest to find the books. The welcome picture book. The firs...

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Sara Ahmed's new book Being the Change: Lessons and Strategies to Teach Social Comprehension is based on the idea that we can learn habits and skills that help us address social issues in and outside the classroom.

This study guide will be your companion as you work through the book, helping you to consider how you can put the skills of social comprehension to work in your own life. Download your copy!

To learn more about Being the Change and download a sample chapter, visit Heinemann.com

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Now Available: Being the Change Study Guide!

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Sara Ahmed's new book Being the Change: Lessons and Strategies to Teach Social Comprehension is based on the idea that we can learn habits and skills that help us address social issues in and outside the classroom.

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Being the change, a story

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On the Heinemann podcast today, something different. We offer a story from author Sara Ahmed. A story about compassion, empathy and most importantly, identity. This is a story about Being the Change:

Today's podcast is also the letter in the opening chapter of Sara's new book, Being the Change: Lessons and Strategies to Teach Social Comprehension.

In her book, she explores how student growth can happen in the moments when we embrace discomfort and have candid conversations together. Sara writes there is no magic formula for making the world a better place. But bringing social issues and identity into the classroom is certainly a start.

To follow along with Sara, we invite you to download the full text with the link below.
* * *
Sara K. Ahmed is currently a literacy coach at NIST International School in Bangkok, Thailand. She has taught in urban, suburban, public, independent, and international schools, where her classrooms were designed to help students consider their own identities and see the humanity in others. Sara is coauthor with Harvey "Smokey" Daniels of Upstanders: How to Engage Middle School Hearts and Minds with Inquiry. She has served on the teacher leadership team for Facing History and Ourselves, an international organization devoted to developing critical thinking and empathy for others. You can find her on Twitter @SaraKAhmed.

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On the Heinemann podcast today, something different. We offer a story from author Sara Ahmed. A story about compassion, empathy and most importantly, identity. This is a story about Being the Change: Today's podcast is also the letter in the opening chapter of Sara's new book, Being the Change: Lessons and Strategies to Teach Social Comprehension .