16.5.25 International Day of living together in peace

🌎 Class activity to celebrate the day

Peace & Justice activity

Level: Intermediate-Advanced English (B1+/B2)
Skills: Speaking, Critical Thinking, Citizenship Education

Objective: To connect the International Day of Living Together in Peace with SDG 16 and the Italian Constitution through short, guided debates.

 Step-by-Step Plan

  1. Warm-Up

Ask students:

“What does living together in peace mean to you?”

Write a few key words on the board: respect, diversity, dialogue, justice, safety.

Get info about 16th May at this link: International Day of Living Together in Peace | UNESCO

https://www.unesco.org/en/days/living-together-peace

  1. Connect the Dots

Distribute these 3 short definitions:

  • SDG 16: “Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable institutions at all levels.”
  • 16th May_International Day of Living Together in Peace: “A day to promote peace, tolerance, inclusion, understanding, and solidarity.”
  • Italian Constitution – Article 3:
    “All citizens have equal social dignity and are equal before the law, without distinction of sex, race, language, religion, political opinion, personal and social conditions.”

Ask: “What common words or ideas do you see in all three?”

(e.g., equality, justice, peace, inclusion)

  1. “Tank Man” – Jeff Widener (1989, Tiananmen Square)

 

Prompt:

  • What do you see?
  • Why do you think this image is powerful?
  • What kind of courage is needed to stand up for justice?
  • How does this relate to SDG 16 and peace?
  1. Preparing the first part of you oral exam

In pairs.

Imagine this image is the document you receive at the beginning of your final exam.

Your task is to:

Create a mind map of all possible interdisciplinary connections you can make starting from this image.

Explain your thinking process clearly. Don’t just say things like “I connect this to…” — instead, show how and why the ideas are connected.

Choose the language you prefer to start with , and feel free to switch languages naturally when it helps our reasoning.

How to approach it:

  • Look carefully at the visual elements of the image: people, setting, actions, emotions, symbols.
  • Think about themes: peace, justice, fear, hope, resistance, dignity.
  • Then move from the visual level to wider social, historical, literary, civic or ethical concepts.
  • Mention any relevant documents or articles (e.g., the Italian Constitution, SDG 16, historical events, philosophical ideas, literary texts).

 

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