This activity is designed for general youth settings. The purpose of the activity is to promote discussion about the significance of feeling a sense of belonging, increase knowledge of the issues involved, understand other people’s experiences and develop awareness and empathy.
Read
1. Ask the group which lines of the poem they can relate to in any way. Go around the group and ask each person to answer the question “Where are you from?” with the first thing that comes to mind. Participants must answer without naming a place. Ask what their answers might reveal (if anything) about their identity.
2. Discuss what it feels like to be asked that question and how they might answer differently if asked again with time to think.
3. Ask everyone to write their own “I Come From” poem using the same format as Dean Atta’s, where each line beginning with the words “I come from…” The poem can reflect on their personal and family history, heritage and other aspects of identity.