REFLECTION TIME This piece of music is called ‘Memories of my Land’ How does it make you feel? What might have inspired it? Play a section of the music as the pupils enter or to open the assembly (it is more than 4 minutes long). Ask them to think about the questions posed and briefly feedback their or your thoughts and impressions. How would you describe it?

Do you know where in the world you and your ancestors originated? If appropriate, and you feel comfortable to do so, share examples from your own family and friends of people who have migrated from different countries. Also point out that homo-sapiens originated in East Africa so if you go far enough back we all have stories of migration in our ancestry. Do you know where in the world you and your ancestors originated?

Why do people migrate to new places? Explain that there are many reasons that people move countries. Lots of people make a choice to move: it could be to find work, to study or to start a new job. It may be that they want a better way of life or to be closer to friends or family. However, many people are forced to move to to escape problems such as war, persecution or disasters. Over the centuries many individuals and groups of people have come to Norfolk for reasons such as these. These people are called ‘refugees’ and they are looking for a safe country to rebuild their lives. Play video in the folder Why do people migrate to new places?

Play the ‘Norfolk Welcomes the world!’ video in the assembly folder This video as made by staff and pupils at Avenue Junior School, Norwich – one of Norfolk’s 12 Schools of Sanctuary.

NORFOLK WELCOMES the world! Today we are joining schools across the county to celebrate Norfolk Welcomes. This is a day of learning and solidarity. It will help children and young people understand the experiences of refugees. It will explore some of the stories of people who have come to Norfolk over the centuries looking for sanctuary. It will show that our schools and our county are welcoming places! Introduce Norfolk Welcomes and let the children know about any other activities they will take part in as part of Norfolk Welcomes at your school. Ask the children what it means if someone is a refugee? NORFOLK WELCOMES the world!

WHAT IS A REFUGEE? A refugee is a person who has been forced to leave their home and country in order to escape danger. Ask a proportion of the children in the assembly to stand up to represent 1 in every 113. Stress that whether you realise it or not you probably have a friend, family member or someone you know whose life has been touched by displacement. Share a personal connection (if you have one and feel comfortable to) or a famous person who was forced to flee their homeland (such as Mario Vrancic, Norwich City FC midfielder; Albert Einstein, scientist; Mo Farah, Olympic athlete).

That is roughly the same amount as the population the UK. 66 million An unprecedented 65.6 million people around the world have been forced from home That is roughly the same amount as the population the UK. Explain that the numbers of displaced people in our world today are unprecedented and predicted to continue increasing in coming decades. Of these 66 million many are displaced internally (within their own countries) but approximately 19 million are forced to become refugees and seek refuge in another country. Of these 51% are children and many are unaccompanied by an adult. According to the UNHCR According to the World Bank

The music we listened to at the start of the assembly was internationally renowned pianist Margaret Fingerhut playing ‘Memories of my Land’ by the composer, Moutaz Arian.   Moutaz Arian is a Syrian composer who had to flee his homeland due to the Syrian Civil War. He said: “Music is the best language to deliver my message to humanity, which is to love each other, and this language does not need a translation.” Explain that there are many examples of refugees who have gone on to make important contributions to their new home. This should be celebrated but the reason that we should help these people is not because of what they can bring to our country but because it is a legal and moral obligation. You may want to mention ‘The Golden Rule’: to treat others as you would like to be treated.

Refugees have been coming to Norfolk to find sanctuary for centuries. In the 16th century many people came to Norfolk from the lowlands of northern Europe fleeing religious persecution. These people became know locally as The Strangers. This slide is….ANIMATED .

Which of the following were introduced to Norfolk by The Strangers? Children could again raise their hands to show their opinion BEER PRINTING PRESS CANARIES BUTTER

ALL OF THEM WERE! Alongside many other things… Ale is now seen as a typically English drink; however, brewing ale with hops was introduced to our county by The Strangers Norwich is famous across the world as a city of literature. The first printing press was brought to Norfolk by Anthony de Solempne, Dutch refugee, in 1567 The Strangers brought with them their pet canaries. Canary breeding became a popular hobby in Norwich and later Norwich City FC adopted the bird as its emblem You may want to add that perhaps the most important thing The Strangers brought with them were new fabrics and ways of making materials. These new skills and ideas helped to make Norwich a rich and prosperous city in the following centuries. Butter was first introduced to Norfolk by The Strangers. Before that locals were smearing their bread with pig fat! Ughhhh.

By the late 16th century The Strangers made up more than a third of Norwich’s population WELKOM WELCOME BIENVENUE The Strangers also brought new languages with them and some linguists argue that the influence of these languages can be heard in the Norfolk accent and dialect. In the streets of Norwich at the time, you would have heard three main languages being spoken: Dutch, English and French.

You could try and find out where in the UK and where in the world your ancestors came from. If your family have been in Norfolk for a long time then it’s quite possible that ‘The Strangers’ could be a part of your family tree!

To finish the assembly ask the children to consider and share what they can do to make their school and their community more welcoming places for everyone. The music could be played again as they leave the assembly. What could we do to make our school and our community more welcoming places?

Point out that next week it is Refugee Week and all over the country people will be celebrating the contributions that refugees have made and continue to make to the UK. There are events in Norwich that pupils may want to attend that you can signpost them to.