Childhood Landscapes

D07 5

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Abstract

Childhood Landscapes has grown out of the Refugee Communities History Project, an oral history project which has aimed to highlight the contributions that refugees from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East make to London. Many of the refugees interviewed for this project have spoken of the importance of celebrating traditions of music and story-telling and of a strong desire to encourage new generations of children growing up in London to learn mother tongue languages and share cultural heritage with people from diverse communities. Childhood Landscapes is a cultural heritage resource, created by volunteers from refugee and non-refugee communities. It aims to promote friendship and sharing between generations and communities and celebrate cultural diversity. The CD ROM has been distributed free of charge to schools, libraries and community groups across the UK and beyond where it has been a welcome resource in Refugee Week celebrations, citizenship lessons and the inspiration for further projects promoting diversity. This paper will highlight how Childhood Landscapes has helped strengthen ties between diverse communities.