Culture B2+ Unit

Project not punishment teach

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day;
.
1 Work with a partner. Look at the quotes and a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime rb
answer the questions. — Prove
1 What do the quotes mean?
2 Do you agree with them? Why/Why not? By working together and realising the pote
ntial
power of sport, we can break the cycle of viol
2a Read the web article about youth crime and ence
once and for all.
possible ways to reduce it. What do you think
about the projects in Honduras and the UK? — Daley Thompson

Where there’s hope, there’s a future

Y
outh crime is a problem that occurs alongside a growing population. It is a particular problem in areas with high unemployment
rates on account of the lack of opportunities for young people. Many people believe that punishment is not the answer because
it doesn’t address the cause. They have established programmes designed to keep youths active and off the streets. The
programmes vary between countries and regions because the problems vary in different places. Here are two examples.

Many countries in the world suffer difficulties. Honduras is one of them. In San
Pedro Sula, for example, people face poverty, a struggling economy and a high
unemployment rate. These problems have resulted in the growth of gangs who
now outnumber the police, and it can be hard to avoid contact with them. Coffee vs
Gangs is a project that was set up in 2015 by Kenco coffee company. Kenco spent
a year training 20 youths in all aspects of coffee farming. The group included men
and women who felt threatened by gangs and were struggling to make ends meet.
Some of them were a little daunted at the beginning, wondering if they had the
ability to write a business plan or make a presentation. However, they all enjoyed
their training and they plan to start their own businesses.
It’s not surprising that this initiative sprang up in the coffee industry as coffee is now
the most important cash crop in Honduras. In addition, coffee is produced by a lot of
small farms and has become central to many communities. The new trainees hope
to help others in their communities by offering them employment and passing
on the skills that they have learned. Both the participants and Kenco believe the
project will help future generations find a life outside of the gangs. It may be a
small beginning but it has created hope, and where there is hope there is a future.

In the UK, a very different programme is going from strength to strength. Kickz is a
national programme, funded by the Premier League and the Metropolitan Police, which
believes that sport can break down barriers and bring people together. It uses football
to work with youngsters in deprived areas. In addition to football coaching twice a
week, there is a third night which offers different activities depending on the needs and
preferences of the people in each community. For example, motorbike maintenance
proved popular in Middlesbrough and female wrestling took off in Bolton. On top of
this they offer workshops on topics such as healthy eating.
The programme started in 2006 with four clubs, and soon grew to 39 football clubs
that offered coaching to over 30,000 children. Arsenal FC runs a group in Elthorne Park,
north London. A few years ago Elthorne was an abandoned park where crime was
rife; now it’s an active football centre. It is difficult to provide specific evidence of the
programme’s success, but youth crime in the area has dropped considerably over the
past few years, with around a 60% reduction in anti-social behaviour in Kickz areas.
Kickz may not have been responsible for the entire reduction, but it has certainly
helped to lower the figures. By keeping the children busy playing football and giving
them an interest to follow, they are far less likely to commit crimes. In addition, they
develop relationships with the volunteer helpers and have a place to voice their
hopes and fears. Many youngsters who took part in Kickz now volunteer or work
full-time for the project. With their vested interest, they will be ensuring the success
of the project for years to come.

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Culture B2+ Unit

2b Read the article again and circle the correct   Gateway to culture
alternative.
1 Youth crime is a particular problem in areas with low 3a Work with a partner and discuss the questions.
unemployment/few job opportunities. 1 Why do you think youth crime is high in some
2 In Honduras the number of gang members exceeds/ places?
diminishes the number of police. 2 Do you believe that punishment is the answer to
3 Some of the trainees weren’t sure they had the time/ youth crime? Why/Why not?
ability to do the course. 3 Do you know about any projects to create
4 Many of the trainees are keen/don’t want to share opportunities for young people in your area?
their new knowledge with others.
5 Kickz offers football classes/workshops to young PROJECT
people several times a week.
3b You are going to prepare a presentation about
6 In addition to sport, Kickz offers the chance for a programme fighting against youth crime.
children to confide their feelings/have counselling. Read the questions and prepare your research.
1 Work in pairs and brainstorm different youth crime
2c Read the article again and match the two halves
of the sentences. programmes.
2 Choose a project and find out more about it.
1 A lot of people believe that punishing Answer the following questions:
youngsters for their crimes
■ Where is the project and who is it aimed at?
2 The participants believe the project
■ What does the project do?
3 The project trained participants in the different
■ What is the evidence of its success?
aspects of coffee farming
■ Why is it successful in this country? Would it work
4 The idea behind Kickz is that by offering
in other countries?
youths football lessons
5 Elthorne Park was a rundown area with a lot 3c In pairs, use your notes to give a presentation
of crime; to the rest of the class on your programme.
Your presentation should be around three
6 A lot of youngsters who played football
minutes long.
with Kickz are

a they stay away from the streets and don’t commit

crimes.
b now volunteers for the programme.
c will offer opportunities to people away from the
gangs.
d so they could then run their own business.
e now it is a busy area with lots of sporting activities.
f is not the answer – it’s the roots of crime that need
to be addressed.

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