Protect Ariel’s Home: Intro & Facilitator Tips!
Introduction
The Little Mermaid is a story that transcends cultures and generations. From Hans Christian Andersen’s dark original to the Disney classic many of us know and love, this story resonates with so many people both because of Ariel’s desire to experience more of the world and the striking visuals that allow us to imagine mermaid life under the sea. Now, with the live-action remake of The Little Mermaid, a new generation is posed to become part of Ariel’s world.
However, we know that the reality of our oceans is no fairy tale. The human-caused climate crisis has caused increased weather disasters across the world, deteriorated natural habitats in the ocean, and created harmful water sources for various communities. This reality is what inspired Fandom Forward to organize the campaign Protect Ariel’s Home.
We know climate change is part of our world, but you can do something about it! Read our articles to better understand the current situation regarding clean water access, hurricane relief, and coral reef preservation as well as how you can take direct action to make a big splash and help support the communities most impacted by the climate crisis.
Facilitator Tips
If you plan on working through any of these issues with a group, it’s important to keep some things in mind that we hope will make it a better experience for everyone.
1. Support Each Other
You never know what a particular subject may mean personally to someone or how a discussion may impact them. A great way to start is to set some guidelines as a group for what is and is not acceptable in your circle. If things start to get too uncomfortable, don’t be afraid to end a line of discussion or steer it to another topic. Remember that not all of us are ready to go on this kind of journey–make sure you let your group know they’ll be participating in a discussion or action beforehand so that everyone can choose whether or not to participate.
2. Listen to Each Other
Every member of your group has a unique viewpoint and things to share. These subjects are complicated, and different viewpoints are okay–take time to listen, let everyone speak, and challenge each other without devaluing each other or resorting to personal attacks.
3. Think First
It’s important to discuss these subjects before immediately taking action. Use the Talk It Out sections to think more deeply about the subjects at hand before deciding how you want to tackle them.
4. Don’t Jump to Conclusions
Don’t assume you know everything about a subject, even if you feel knowledgeable about it already. If you have anyone in your group whose identity or lived experiences are impacted by a subject that does not directly impact you, consider asking them ahead of time if they would feel comfortable contributing to or even leading the discussion. This way, you know in advance whether or not they want to be called upon to share those experiences with the group.
5. Take Action
When you and your team feel ready to jump in, use the Take Action suggestions to get started. If your team comes up with a different idea, that’s awesome–don’t be afraid to get creative!
6. Keep Learning
We’ve only begun to scratch the surface–these subjects are highly complex and constantly evolving. Take what you learn from this kit and continue to educate yourself.
Need Backup? That’s okay, there’s a whole team of volunteers ready to help. Just send us an email at info@fandomforward.org–we’re happy to answer questions or help you with facilitation or action items.
