I believe that Social Emotional Learning helps to promote or look at solutions to biases around racial inequality. It gives us a chance to reflect and address these issues especially in a country like Tanzania. It assists in building cross-cultural relationships by exemplifying the understanding of 'others'.
SEL should be implemented systematically to start a global movement. Children should first become familiar with the concept of self-awareness and slowly move towards interpersonal awareness, becoming vigilant about their ecosystem. Social-Emotional needs can vary from place and place and therefore should be catered accordingly. Topics like appreciating interpersonal dependence or common humanity are at the end of the pyramid and if it's not implemented step by step, the essence of promoting agency can easily get lost.
Since the pandemic hit the world last year, cases of racial inequality have been more prominent, but even before we were still struggling in mainstreaming biases around race and gender. As people of colour, we are constantly dealing with it, and therefore making SEL a part of the system is the need of the hour. It should not be considered as a discourse provided only to the privileged sections, instead be accessible to all.” - Remi Busch
About Remi Busch:
Remi Busch is a certified Montessori Education Specialist, Youth and Child Counselor and Empowerment Trainer, who uses a Solution Focused Brief Coaching approach to empower the individual through creative and cognitive thinking. Remi's work has a holistic focus on emotional intelligence and the intersection of race, gender, class, and other power relations, in order to impact a community which is more aware and compassionate.