Emails sent for COLLABORATION - INTERNATIONAL

To: huyen_tranduc@yahoo.com; signe.sloth3@skolekom.dk; londa.kolling@skolekom.dk; loempol@hotmail.com; gorenmm@zahav.net.il; info@ashgirls.belfast.ni.sch.uk; jenlooml@yahoo.comSubject: CALL FOR COLLABORATIONAttachments: LETTER TEMPLATE.doc
Greetings to one and all. I hope you are well and in the best of health and that you would still remember me? see photo: http://www.school.za/ NB: the CC email would not know me, however the link will get you to know me - thanks.

We met in the USA in 2006 - we probably had a long chat, shared best practice and made intention to keep in touch. Well, I need your profound expertise with this PBL (Project Based Learning) task I have started with my grade 10s and it has now reached stage 2 i.e. the call for collaboration - please see attachment : It outlines the task. However, let me explain how you would come on board if you really believe in a making the world a better place for our children and I know YOU want that more than many things of this world.

You see, over the past six months my pupils have been meeting with the unsung heroes of the Apartheid struggle in South Africa and in particular, male and female activists in their own communities. They have made a sincere effort of getting their stories i.e. those stories that did not 'go' to the TRC (http://www.doj.gov.za/trc/report/index.htm). They met with these unsung activists and realised what oppression and human rights abuses actully does and how reconcilliation can heal so many wounds that can realise a dream - SOUTH AFRICA - with all our problems we had a the most peaceful transition from oppression to democracy. We have learnt to listen to other people's sufferings, learning how to deal with pain and learning how to forgive and become a nation of patriotic citizens that is working hard in small ways for world peace. Therefore, we hope that you can imitate the 'concept' with your pupils and hopefully produce a book, not really an elaborate and expensive one OR publish a dedicated blogspot or website that would showcase peoples' stories - yes, stories of how they were oppressed by governments and how thay rose to be people who forgave and became role models for children.

To date my pupils have done many interviews and attempted a reflective essay on the stories and are now preparing their interviews to be ready for publication on a dedicated blogspot and hopefully work towards publishing a book in Jan 2008.

I think that in your countries there must have been some sort of issues - be it refugees, actual victims of oppression so on and so forth that can be recorded for the world to know what never to repeat. You know, the learning curve that the pupils went through is amazing - it linked the whole study of the novel, Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton to the actual TRC issues in the news in SA - the pupils felt literature 'alive' - Imagine therefore, how you can use this idea and collaboration to change the way you would teach a novel...what can you do with a novel like, A Tale of two cities for e.g. and so many others? Creating a link with the history of your country.

Therefore most profound colleague, I would like you to email me if the idea interests you and I would get my pupils to start emailing you and we could go on skype - well, we got the camera as a gift ***remember.

It is exciting and yes, we are open to new ideas and let us see what we can do!

I am inspired! Are you?


Regards

Abdullah Sujee
P.O.Box 21596
Roshnee 1936
South Africa
Tel: +27 16 556-1073
Cell: +27 82 562-6098
E-Mail: abdullahsuje@telkomsa.net