Lemon Land

The leader should introduce the activity and avoid direct mention of discrimination or immigration. The aim is to allow the participants to engage fully and not look for the inner meaning behind the activity. This will allow more organic discussion and full participation in each part of the activity.

1. Divide the participants into groups of 5 and ask them to sit in circles facing in.
    
2. Distribute the whiteboard and dry-erase markers (or pens and paper).
    
3. Tell the groups that they are now the City Council of a city in a country called Lemon Land. The citizens are all lemons and... they are lemons too. Give each participant a lemon.
    
4. Instruct the groups that they have 10 minutes to appoint a Mayor/spokesperson (lemon) for their City Council and draw the flag of the city.
    
5. Ask each group Mayor/spokesperson to present the flag of their city to the other groups.
    
6. Now, ask each group to have their first council meeting. They should decide the characteristics of their citizens: their skin, taste, the uses of lemons, how they grow, and what kind of weather or climate they grow in.
    
7. Ask each group's Mayor/spokesperson to present their new community to the group.
    
8. Ask the participants to continue to discuss life in their city. While doing so, the leader should place a pear, apple or another fruit that is not citrus on the floor at the centre of every group to attract the attention of the participants.
    
9. Explain that a pear wants to immigrate to their city. Start to inspire discussion about whether they meet the criteria to join their city. Consider things like differences in skin, taste, shape, seeds that could make more pears grow, the background of where the pear comes from, etc.
    
10. Give time for each group to come up with a decision as to whether the pear has permission to settle down in their city in Lemon Land. It must be a yes, a conditional yes or a no, and they should explain the reasons for their decision.

• Note: The facilitator needs to encourage conversations and discussion about the characteristics of the lemons in their Lemon Land city, encourage them to think of things they may not have discussed yet, etc.

11. Once the decisions have been made, summarize and start the reflection based on the questions below.

• Note: Always remember to proactively and positively shut down any racism/discrimination that may surface. It’s important to understand cultural sensitivities and how some things may be seen as offensive to some more than others, etc.

Please refer to the Learning Objectives above for each age group when explaining, facilitating, and recapping this activity. Select the questions relevant to the age group and their objectives.

Discuss how this relates to immigration and refugees, inclusion and/or discrimination (depending on age section). Encourage discussion with the participants on how easy it is to speak of immigration or discrimination in a way that we forget that we are talking about human beings not just numbers.

We sometimes forget about inclusion, human rights and what it feels like to be an isolated or ostracized minority.

• How did it feel to be a lemon in Lemon Land?
• Was Lemon Land democratic?
• What if the pear had feelings?
• How does this apply to real life? Can you identify the circumstances in which this happens?
• Have you ever experienced something similar?

Finally, following the discussion, encourage personal reflection:

• How did this make you think, feel, and relate to other situations?

As the Adult Leader, you should also encourage other reflection and questions based on your knowledge, experience and desired objectives