to complain that DD had an Empire Day theme at Rainbows?

[DancesWithTimMinchin]

DH is from a former colony. We don't think celebrating our history of colonisation is appropriate or inclusive. When we complained, the people who organise the Rainbow's didn't think there was anything inappropriate about celebrating Empire Day as a theme for a history-based afternoon.

AWBU?

Are they doing their Mission Spectacular badge? I'm doing it with my Rainbows for the rest of term, and there's a part of it which says we have to "Look Back". I'm borrowing old style uniforms and badges for the girls to look at, but also getting one of the mums to come in and talk about her experience of being a Brownie in Nigeria.

Anyway, I think it would be strange to complain however if you're really not happy and also not happy with the response you got from the leaders, you can always contact the district commissioner, her details should be available on the Starting Rainbows forms you should have completed when they joined.

It's an unusual choice and as a guider it's not something that I've seen any activities about.

But YABVU to say that it's anything like blacking the kids up.

Or rather you could explain to the kids why empires were created, who benefitted, and who didn't, rather than painting a very black and white modern day analysis of history.

Why hammer home exploitation - so they hate the UK and feel alienated?

Bet there were games from different parts of the world, food tasting and dressing up. How awful!

Where ARE all these idiotic people with their incandescent anger coming from?

About as appropriate as celebrating Slavery Day or Nazi Day IMO

Exactly

Seems an odd choice.

What did they do exactly, OP?

Have I missed some huge backstory that made the initial answers so snappy?

I was under the impression that Empire day has not been celebrated for years - I think it was replaced with Commonwealth day.

I can think of no reason to celebrate the British Empire, in fact we should as a nation be thoroughly ashamed of many things that took place in the name of 'The Empire' - is this an official celebration in the brownie/scout/rainbow movement? If so I think it should be questioned.

If it isn't and the volunteers have just gone off piste with their celebratory days, then I think it's inappropriateness should definitely be mentioned - for all the reasons stated by the OP.

Volunteers or otherwise is irrelevant - being a volunteer doesn't give you free reign to do whatever you like.

No it's really not the same as slavery day (if that's a thing). All they will have done is learnt about the countries which were once part of the empire.

Like Nazis? Who fought in ww2 again alongside British troops? Soldiers from...?

My immediate response would be send your DD to woodcraft folk who tend to be far more switched on to issues of a political and social nature. But saying that, my best friend runs a rainbows group (and is probably more politically aware than I and I like to think that I am pretty hot on that kind of stuff) and I'm sure she would be horrified. I'd be complaining to the area leader and be taking my DC out of there, it's not acceptable, regardless of being volunteers - empire is not to be celebrated! They have training of what is and isn't ok, and there's lots of other things they could have chosen!

YANBU.

May I suggest Woodcraft Folk as an alternative?

And what a did they actually do to during Empire Day? Do you object to the activities or just the name?

The Empire should not be celebrated in 2016! It should not be referred to with any positivity. If you don't understand the anger then I can't explain it to you.

But YABVU to say that it's anything like blacking the kids up.
It was intentional hyperbole to indicate that surely we could occasionally have cause to complain even though it is run by volunteers - not a comparison.

I am a brownie and guide leader and I think yanbu

Rainbows are 5-7 years old. They could celebrate the commonwealth with perhaps a mention that a long time ago today was empire day but now it's not an empire it's a lot of countries with connections to each other or whatever age appropriate explanation

For guides or older POSSIBLY a history focused empire day, with the emphasis on how things have changed. But still dubious.

I've done the thing of combing a calendar for random events to theme a meeting around. But I'd rather do a really random one like National Hop Like A Frog Day (no idea if that's a thing but i might start it...) rather than a potentially fraught one like empire day.

what activities did they do that upset you ? I imagine it couldnt have been anything too deep wit this age group

Was it celebrated though or was it part of this was history and we are looking at what happened in the PAST. Really can't believe they all made flags and made to chant how great UK is and better than anyone else come on. If they did then of course that's unacceptable but doubt this was the intention because you know it's not 1859

is this an official celebration in the brownie/scout/rainbow movement

I can't talk for the scouts but it's not a Guiding thing. What will have happened is that someone will have looked at the calendar and thought May 24th is free, googled it and found empire day. Then made up some activities about some of the countries.

Not celebrating the empire just thinking of a fun thing to do.

Also the Wikipedia page for empire day doesn't even have a section headed "controversy" and that's how I learn about everything.

Depends on the context. If they do Empire Day as a historical thing but also consider it from a modern viewpoint, looking at it from the point of view of those who found themselves colonised, then I think it would be quite valuable.

If it is a celebration of how wonderful the Empire was, and don't we all wish we could have it back... then no, it's inappropriate.

i think it's completely inappropriate to celebrate empire day. did they do a bit on all the people who died under British rule? maybe a lovely slide show about partition? if they were going to give an accurate account of the british empire, it would involved a lot of death and suffering and I don't think that sounds like rainbows material. the british empire was not a good thing for all the people for were colonised by it. worked out well for us brits though so we celebrate it (or used to: i can't believe people still do)

it's tough to complain and be the weird parent. i complained when my kids' nursery had a friend of one of the staff come in dressed as a disney princess and hand out flyers for her services. i was the only one who thought to odd that a) someone who was not employed by the nursery was allowed access to the kids, b) someone was allowed to basically tout for business and c) princesses FFS!

the best solution is not to be cowed into silence but explain - respectfully and calmly - why the empire is not something to be celebrated for the majority of people it affected. you could quote Johan Hari's research that British policies caused 29 million Indians to starve to death in the late C19th. the empire killed millions. put it like that and you won't seem churlish for wanting to complain.

We happen to be doing the Commonwealth tomorrow, as part of the Queen's 90th Birthday badge. Oh crap, that's my Republican parents pissed off then . . . .

As Akire said, I bet the evening was games, craft, food tasting from different parts of the world (which probably took the leaders a fair few hours to cobble together). Not an indoctrination for 5 year olds into the benefits of jingoism

It was the name we were objecting to - CELEBRATING Empire Day.
In terms of activities - they dressed up as royalty and had a party.
No history lesson. No badge. Exactly what fastdaytears said.

I am actually howling with laughter at Empire Day

Common Wealth day, yes. We studied the Common Wealth 35 years ago when I was at primary school.

I think if we'd had "Empire Day" my father, ex-colony born and bred would have had something to say.

About as appropriate as celebrating Slavery Day or Nazi Day IMO

Indeed.

We lasted 3 weeks at Rainbows. Yes, it's run by volunteers, but that's no excuse for the slack safeguarding I whitenessed, or complete lack of sensitivity regarding certain issues.

I hope they don't do anything about Romans they had an empire to didn't they