Burmese Community Reporters
Sheffield Hallam University provides teaching services, distance learning and research and business services. The Burmese Community Reporters project was led by the university's Communication and Computer Research Centre.
The project aimed to:
- build the confidence of individuals who took part;
- increase their digital communication skills by using new technologies such as blogs and wikis and by sharing audio, images and video; and
- give Burmese refugees the opportunity to air their views and communicate their needs.
Sheffield Hallam University (SHU) worked with People's Voice Media (PVM) and the Refugee Council to develop a community media training course for members of the Burmese refugee community in Sheffield. Groups targeted were those who had established refugee status and leave to remain in Britain. Sheffield has the second largest Burmese community outside London.
The project ran a series of evening and weekend workshops within the university, using experienced community workers, journalists and researchers. We worked with members from the Burmese, Burmese Karen and latterly with the Iraqi communities.
The project gave the refugees additional skills in order that they would find it easier to integrate whilst in this country, including possibly finding more skilled work, and to have skills that would be of use should they be able to return to their own countries. Throughout the project, the partner organisations were able to build relationships and trust within the refugee communities. 47 learners were engaged from different ethnic backgrounds via the project and developed specific editing and editorial skills.
Once trained, the Community Reporters were able to comment on issues in their homelands as well as sharing their experiences in Sheffield with other refugees across the world.
The lessons from this project include:
- the importance of being flexible and realistic in approach - particularly about what can be achieved within a particular timescale;
- ensuring all staff members are aware of cultural sensitivities from the start of the project;
- having a shared understanding amongst staff about what is being delivered and why; and
- realising that different, sometimes opposing, cultural groups can work harmoniously together given the right learning environment.
Communication and Computer Research Centre
Sheffield Hallam University,
Furnival Building
153 Arundel Street
Sheffield
S1 2NU
Found In...
Resources
Audio files of learner's diaries
Audio files of learner's diaries (2009/2010) which provide feedback about the project.
