In the Youth Town at SPF there are a lot of different courses for students between 14 - 18 and their teachers. Each course takes place in a specific house. For instance there are two banks, a post office, an energy house, a church, a theatre, a city hall and a house of the defence.
For the last ten years we have also had courses about human rights and third world issues, but these courses have not had their own house.
But we did have an old building, which was mostly used for storing things. It would be ideal as a class- and showroom.

The Way of the World
The content in the world room focuses on issues from past and present times and on the relations between North and South. We try to give the learners a lot of impressions on the limited space available and at the same time give inspiring and challenging frames for the many different courses in the room.
From the outside you step into a minor room decorated by graffiti. A pupil has painted two cultures from North and South opposite each other. On one wall is a globe with the text: The world is unequal.
On a double door we have put photos of children from all over the world. On the other side of the door different examples of children's rights and conditions are described.
Through the double door you enter the Way of the World which in our modest interpretation measures 15 metres. It is a journey through some of the highly developed cultures of the past illustrated by four big picture collages: Egypt with the pyramids, Zimbabwe with the big stone wall and the castle, the Inka- and Atzeker cultures with Machu Pichu and Teotihuacán and finally China from the time of the Han dynasty with the Big Chinese Wall as the dominating motive.
The other pictures on the four collages give an impression of some cultures that existed long before the big discoveries. The pictures show examples of fascinating and highly developed cultures that existed long before colonisation turned them into underdeveloped areas.
A big map of the world shows the Europeans' concept of the world around 1600, how much they had discovered and colonized. Some of the well known routes of discovery are marked and pictures of the explorers put on the map. The cross, the sword and the gold illustrate some of the forces behind the journeys towards unknown horizons. Sea monsters and strange creatures tell about the concepts people had of the strange and unknown dangers waiting abroad.
The cultural meeting between the Europeans and people in other parts of the world - and the consequences is the overall theme in the following part of the exhibition. It is illustrated by the picture of Columbus who is received with gifts by the natives at San Salvador. We have split the picture in two parts, Columbus and his men standing on one side with the ships, the cross and the sword as their background and on the other side the natives with their outstretched hands and the land behind them, the land which would soon be taken by the Europeans.

Some of the consequences of the discoveries to the world outside Europe: Colonization, slave-trade, mission etc. are shown behind the natives on the right side of the corridor. Here you can see pictures of the history of oppression and underdevelopment.
The first part tells about South America in the fifteenth century with the Spaniards' continuos search for gold and the struggle between the Europeans and the natives.
Then the focus is moved to North America beginning with the peaceful encounter between Indians and trappers in the sixteenth century, continuing with the confrontation, when the Indians' land was invaded by white farmers searching for fortune and a better life and ending in a trail of tears.
The two last sections are concentrated on Africa in the seventeenth and eighteenth century. The slave-trade is an important issue and later colonization. This side of the exhibition ends when the colonies become independent and turn into new states.
Behind the picture of Columbus on the left side of the corridor are shown examples of the backgrounds and consequences in Europe: Which inventions made the discoveries possible, the import from the colonies, the development of towns, industries and societies etc. Some topics are especially highlighted: The great buildings and industries which could be constructed because of the riches poring in from the colonies, the development of arms, the development of means of transportation and finally images of different people from different backgrounds through the ages.

Around all corners of the world.
The central point in the actual classroom is a round map of the worlds painted directly on the floor by pupils from grade 10. The map is protected by Plexiglass and surrounded by round tables.
Fortunately the orientation of the room corresponds with the four corners of the world. Consequently north has become the corner of the rich world. Here we have all the technical equipment expected for modern teaching: Tape-recorder, cd-player, television, video and a slide-projector. Pictures and cartoons tell about consumption and production, about an affluent society and pollution of dreams, dangers and possibilities. In the opposite corner towards South you find the third world illustrated by photos and different items describing living and working conditions, limitations and values in the materially poorer, southern part of the globe.
Also the ceiling is used to tell about the relations between South and North. There you can follow the exchange of goods symbolized by new technology, tourism, pesticides and aid going one way and toys, carpets, Levis jeans, a pair of Nike boots, a football and interest and repayment of the burden of debt going the other way.
A third corner is chosen as the corner of values. In words and pictures you can read about human rights, global values and sustainable development.

The last corner can be used for two purposes. It is evident to show some examples of the cultural meetings and confrontations that take place in the world today through tourism, commerce, sport and migration. Here you can also find the news corner, where the instructor has the possibility of presenting his or her organisation and items or materials from the course.
When the pupils leave the room they pass through a small corridor with the exhibition Black Conscience. The posters tell about the cultural meeting with second generation immigrants which everybody knows from their own reality in Denmark, from the school, the neighbourhood or from the media.
Attached to the World Room is a small Window to the World, a room where the pupils can use computers to get information from or contact with the world. The walls are decorated with papers from all over the world.
The idea is that the pupils end the day in the room where they started. A curtain will now be drawn aside and reveal a small room with materials and information folders from the NGOs. The pupils can obtain inspiration and information about how they can continue working with the many issues and how they can act in the real world outside the door. It is very important that the pupils do not leave the World Room with a feeling of hopelessness and frustration due to the immense problems which confront us.

A world of possibilities
It is not a world of possibilities, but there are many photos, cartoons, items and explanations that give the instructors of the different courses the possibility of including relevant elements in their specific course. Elements that can be pointed out and used when an issue pops up.

The courses in the World Room are:
- Aché - human rights at stake
- The Game of coincidences - children's rights and conditions
- From South to North - values in development?
- Face to face - with second generation immigrants
- Intercultural competence in teacher training

Spreading the World Room concept
The World Room idea might be used in other schools. Why not let pupils construct their own Way of the World? It might be the project-work of one class or why not involve the whole school? Many schools have long, empty corridors that in a period could be the frame of an exhibition. To help schools that would like to work with this idea we have put pictures from the world room and many more on a cd-rom called Pictures of the History of Oppression.
Many pupils are interested in the world outside Denmark and soon many will explore it as backpackers. A room like the World Room puts focus on some issues that can help the pupils understand the third world. We hope to be able to put some things in their rucksacks that can qualify their meeting with the world abroad as well as at home.