1. Introduction
2. Getting Started
3. Alternatives for teaching dignity

1. Introduction: What is a Course in Dignity?

“A Course in Dignity” is an established curriculum for teaching youth the fundamentals of dignity in society, as well as in their daily lives. This curriculum has been designed to inspire positive action from the plumber to the politician to the bank president, as they volunteer to lead “A Course in Dignity” in classrooms around the world. The goal of “A Course in Dignity” is to provide volunteers, educators, mentors, and individuals with the tools necessary to empower youth to understand the importance of living a dignified life and how to make it happen in their life and the life of others.

A core component of the coursework is centered on these mentors and role models sharing their stories, and creating a dialog, with youth. ‘Getting Started’ will equip you with enough information to teach a class in dignity. In ‘Alternatives’ you will find other ways of organizing your class which you might prefer. Dignity can be taught in many different ways. The main aim is to reach the goals of your teaching session (see below).

2. Getting Started

1. Every human being has a right to lead a dignified life.

2. A dignified life means an opportunity to fulfill one’s potential, which is based on having a human level of health care, education, income and security.

3. Dignity means having the freedom to make decisions on one’s life and to be met with respect for this right.

4. Dignity should be the basic guiding principle for all actions.

5. Ultimately, our own dignity is interdependent with the dignity of others.

Next, the goals for your teaching session are as follows:

o Students will gain an appreciation of the importance of dignity in their own lives and in the lives of others.

o Students will learn to express what dignity means in their own words.

o Students will learn about Global Dignity and understand the dignity principles and how important they are to living a dignified life.

o Students will define what they are for and what they can do to make positive change.

Finally, with the Dignity Principles and the Goals as your foundation, the following are the key guidelines for your successful presentation. A complete 60-minute lesson plan with activities follows for your reference and use in the classroom. You will need a black board or a flip over and the students should each have paper and pencil.

Step 1 (10 min) Tell your own personal story. Who you are. Why you are there. Stories from your own life and experience about dignity. Remember that stories about failures and how you got back up often works well.

Step 2 (10 min) Ask the youth to define dignity with their own words. Can our actions increase other people’s dignity? If so, how? Should we try to do that?

Step 3 (10 min) Go through the dignity principles and discuss them.

Step 4 (15 min) Ask the youth to tell their own stories of dignity.

Step 5 (15 min) Ask the youth to define what they are for and what actions they want to take to make that happen. Ask everyone to write it down and then go through the class asking everyone to say what they are for and what they want to do. (Remember that a small thing like helping a friend or your mother is dignity as good as any. It doesn’t all have to be ‘ending poverty’.)

After having concluded your class, please e-mail us at globaldignity@operationhope.org the following information:

• Your name and e-mail address
• The name of the school
• Which class
• The number of participants
• A picture of the class if possible

3. Alternatives

Icebreaker - Catch (5 min)
Materials: Ball

Begin by introducing yourself to the group.

Ask the group of students to form a circle. Then ask the students to try to remember each student’s name when the student says his/her name.

You then start by saying your name loud, then ask the student to your right say his/her name. Continue until the last person standing to your left side has said his/her name.

Now throw the ball to a student whose name you remember and as you do say his/her name out loud.

The person you threw the ball to has to throw the ball to someone else and has to say his/her name out loud.

Continue until each student has thrown the ball three times.

Another variation of this exercise is to throw the ball and say the name of someone you admire.

Step 1 - A story of dignity (10 min)

Begin by introducing yourself and telling your story and how you came to be in the classroom that day.

Then tell your own personal story about dignity. We would recommend telling a story of dignity from your own life or from someone you met. Other alternatives that might work are:
• Use an historic event as an example of dignity or lack of dignity.
• Use a well known person as an example of dignity (for example Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa or Martin Luther King Jr.)


Step 2 - Defining dignity (10 min)

Ask each student to write down one thing that is important to them. Once every student is done, ask them one by one to state their name and share what they wrote down.

Once complete, ask the students how they would describe or define dignity and to write down what their meaning of dignity is. If the students are having difficulty, give them one example of someone who you believe is living a dignified life and ask them to give you an adjective that describes how that person feels.

Next, ask the students if what they have described relates only to one culture. If a student answers yes, ask them to explain why. If a student answers no, ask the group of students if they agree and let them know that you would like to invite them to join you in exploring global dignity.

Start by sharing your own culture’s definition of dignity and then ask the students to select a culture and provide the definition. Then ask the students to tell you what they found as the common thread of dignity in the multicultural definitions (see below).

Finally, share with the students that one common thread; one common reminder of global dignity is that all young people laugh the same. Alternatively that we all have the same hopes and dreams.


Step 3 - The ABCs of Living with Dignity (10 min)

Go through each letter of the alphabet and assign a letter to each student. Continue to go around the room until each letter is assigned.

Start with A and ask the student to give you an example of dignity beginning with that letter. Continue at a swift pace until you reach the end of the alphabet.

Give praise and kudos to your students for a job well done.

Teachers Reference – ABCs of Dignity

A – Accept differences
B – Be kind
C – Count your blessings
D – Dream
E – Express thanks
F – Forgive
G – Give freely
H – Harm no one
I – Imagine more
J – Jettison Anger
K – Keep confidences
L – Love truly
M – Master something
N – Nurture HOPE
O – Open your mind
P – Pack lightly
Q – Quell rumors
R – Reciprocate
S – Seek wisdom
T – Touch hearts
U – Understand
V – Value truth
W – Win graciously
X – Xeriscape
Y – Yearn for peace
Z – Zealously support a worthy cause

Step 4 - The Dignity Principals (10 min)

Ideally the class has written down the dignity principals and posted them in the classroom before class starts. If not, begin this section by writing down the dignity principals on a board. Share with the students that now that they understand the core definition of dignity in their life and in cultures across the globe, it is now time to look at putting the concept of dignity into action through the dignity principles.

Dignity Principles -

1. Every human being has a right to lead a dignified life.
2. A dignified life means an opportunity to fulfill one’s potential, which is based on having a human level of health care, education, income and security.
3. Dignity means having the freedom to make decisions on one’s life and to be met with respect for this right.
4. Dignity should be the basic guiding principle for all actions.
5. Ultimately, our own dignity is interdependent with the dignity of others.

Go through each dignity principal and ask the students if they have any questions and ask volunteers to give an example of a principle in their own life, and in the lives of others around them. If you want you can introduce the terms ‘dignity-centered leadership’ and ‘dignity-centered decision-making’ and discuss what they mean.