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Human Rights Education and Compass, a Brief
Guide for Practioners > How to use COMPASS |
How to use COMPASS
There are many different ways of teaching and learning about
human rights. How you approach the topic will depend on whether
you are working in the formal or non-formal sector, the political,
social and economic conditions of your country, the ages of the
young people, and also their interests and motivation to learn
about human rights. It will also certainly depend on your experience
with human rights issues, on your own attitude and relation with
the target groups and on your "learning style".
You may be a youth worker, a trainer, schoolteacher or adult
education tutor, a workshop facilitator or a member of a church
discussion group, or a young person who cares about human rights.
Whoever you are and wherever you are working, we trust there will
be something for you in this manual. We make no assumptions about
teaching or training skills or about prior knowledge of human
rights.
In this section we explain what we mean by participation and
co-operative and experiential learning and why we use these educational
approaches. We indicate how you might use the activities in formal
and informal settings and try to give some answers to commonly
asked questions. In the section of tips for facilitators we describe
how the activities are presented and how to choose one. There
are notes on discussions and group work, and on facilitating activities
including debriefing and evaluation.
COMPASS should be seen as a flexible resource. Promoting human
rights is an on-going and creative process, of which you - as
a user of this book - are an integral part. We hope you will take
the ideas that we have presented and use and develop them to meet
your own needs and those of the young people you work with. We
hope you will also review what you have learned and give us feedback
on your experiences, which we can incorporate into the next edition
of this manual. There is a feedback
form.
How to work with the manual
We strongly suggest you begin by looking briefly through the
whole manual to gain an overall picture of the contents. There
is no special starting point; we intend that you should pick and
choose the parts that are relevant for you.
In chapter 2 you will find 49 activities at different levels
for exploring global themes and human rights. These are the tools
for your work with young people. Chapter 5 contains supporting
material. There is background information on the global issues,
definitions of human rights and information about their evolution.
In addition, there are summaries of the main declarations and
conventions on human rights, references and lists of further resources.
There should be enough material to enable you to begin work
on HRE with young people. It is important to remember that you
do not have to be an "expert" in human rights to start;
having an interest in human rights is a sufficient qualification.
Neither do you have to be a qualified teacher or trainer. However,
you do need to understand our educational approach in order to
get the most out of the activities.
The educational approaches
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It's
not just what you do, but the way that you do it. That's what
gets results. |
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Before you work with the activities it is
important to understand the educational approaches we have used.
Human rights education is about education for change, both personal
and social. It is about developing young people's competence to
be active citizens who participate in their communities to promote
and protect human rights. Our focus is the educational process
of developing knowledge, skills, values and attitudes. In this
process we:
- start from what people already know, their opinions and experiences
and from this base enable them to search for, and discover together,
new ideas and experiences.
- encourage the participation of young people to contribute
to discussions and to learn from each other as much as possible.
- encourage people to translate their learning into simple
but effective actions that demonstrate their rejection of injustice,
inequality and violations of human rights.
The knowledge, skills and attitudes of someone who is literate
in human rights are described here.
These competencies, especially the skills and values of communication,
critical thinking, advocacy, tolerance and respect cannot be taught;
they have to be learned through experience. This is why the activities
in this book promote co-operation, participation and learning
through experience. We aim to encourage young people to think,
feel and act; to engage their heads, hearts and hands. Knowing
about human rights is important, but not enough. It is necessary
that young people have a far deeper understanding about how human
rights evolve out of people's needs and why they have to be protected.
For instance, young people with no direct experience of racial
discrimination may think that the issue is of no concern to them.
From a human rights perspective this position is not acceptable;
people everywhere have a responsibility to protect the human rights
of others.
It does not matter whether you are discussing the right to life
or freedom of expression; human rights are about democratic values,
respect and tolerance. These are skills and attitudes which can
only be learned effectively in an environment - and through a
process - that promotes these values. This needs to be emphasised.
Co-operative learning
Co-operation is working together to accomplish shared goals.
In co-operative learning people work together to seek outcomes
that are beneficial both to themselves and to all members of the
group.
Co-operative learning promotes higher achievement and greater
productivity; more caring, supportive, and committed relationships;
and greater psychological health, social competence, and self-esteem.
This is in contrast to what happens when learning is structured
in a competitive way. Competitive learning promotes self-interest,
disrespect for others and arrogance in the winners who work against
others to achieve a goal that only one or a few can attain, while
the losers often become demotivated and lose self-respect.
The essential components of co-operation are positive interdependence,
face-to-face interaction, individual and group accountability
and interpersonal skills. The most effective way of promoting
co-operative learning is through structured group work.
Participation
Participation in HRE means that young people make the decisions
about what and how they are going to learn about human rights.
Through participation young people develop various competencies
including those of decision-making, listening, empathy with
and respect for others, and taking responsibility for their own
decisions and actions. The teacher's or trainer's role is that
of a facilitator, that is to "help" or "facilitate"
young people's participation in the learning process. In schools
there may be timetabling and curriculum constraints that determine
how nearly the ideal of participation can be achieved, and the
activities will need to be adapted accordingly.
The activities in this manual demand participation. You have
to be active and engaged; you cannot sit back and be a passive
observer. In this respect the methodology used in this manual
owes much to the work of Augusto Boal and other pioneers in non-formal
awareness raising.
Possibly the single, most important task in human rights education
is to find the spaces in which young people can become active
participants and influence the form and outcome of the activities.
By definition, human rights education cannot be imposed; it is
really up to each facilitator, educator, teacher, trainer or leader
to find the moment to create the spaces and opportunities for
participation.
Experiential learning
Human rights education in common with, for example, education
for development, peace education and education for citizenship
uses a methodology of experiential learning based on a learning
cycle with five phases:
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Phase
1
Experiencing
(activity, "doing") |
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Phase 5
Applying (using what they have learnt, changing
old behaviours |
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Phase 2
Reporting (sharing reactions and observations
about what happened) |
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Phase 4
Generalising (discussing patterns and how what
people have learnt relates to the "real world")
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Phase 3
Reflecting (discussing patterns and dynamics
in order to gain insights into the experience) |
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In phase 5 people explore practical actions that might address
the issue in question. It is crucial that people find real opportunities
for involvement. This is not only a logical outcome of the learning
process but a significant means of reinforcing new knowledge,
skills and attitudes which form the basis for the next round of
the cycle.
Activities as tools for experiential learning
When you use the activities in the book you should bear the
above learning cycle in mind.
The activities demand participation and involvement so that
the people doing them gain an experience through which they learn
not only with their heads but also with their hearts and hands.
These sorts of activities are sometimes called "games"
because they are fun and people play them with enthusiasm. You
should remember, however, that the activities or games are not
"just for fun", but they are purposeful means to achieve
educational aims.
You don't just "do" an activity (phase 1 of the learning
cycle). It is essential to follow through with debriefing and
evaluation to enable people to reflect on what happened (phase
2), to evaluate their experience (phases 3 & 4) and to go
on to decide what to do next (phase 5). In this way they come
round to phase 1 of the next cycle in the learning process.
In a school setting, activities can help break down artificial
barriers between subjects and provide ways of extending links
between subject and interest areas to promote a more holistic
approach to an issue. In a non-formal educational setting, activities
can awaken interest in issues and, because they promote learning
in a non-didactic way, they are often intrinsically more acceptable
to young people.
Activities help people to:
- be motivated to learn because they are fun
- develop their knowledge, skills, attitudes and values.
Games provide a safe environment in which to do this because
they allow people to experiment with new behaviour and to make
errors without incurring the costs of similar mistakes in real
life.
- change. Activities are one way of conveying the message
that everyone can choose to change themselves or their relationships
with others.
- get involved. Activities encourage the participation
of the less expressive and less dominant group members.
- take responsibility. Because participants contribute
their own experiences and skills, each group uses the game at
its own level and in its own way.
- encourage self-reliance and improve self-confidence.
Activities provide a structure that can be used to reduce dependency
on the leader as the one who 'knows it all'. The participants
are forced to accept some responsibility for making their part
of the activities work.
- feel solidarity with others. Activities encourage
cohesiveness in the group and a sense of group identity and
solidarity.
Activities offer a framework and structure to group experiences
which will allow you to work within the limits of your own and
the young peoples' experience and competencies. When carefully
facilitated, activities are an effective method of learning within
a task-orientated setting.
Facilitation
In this manual we use the word "facilitators" for
the people who prepare, present and co-ordinate the activities.
A facilitator is someone who helps people discover how much knowledge
they already have, who encourages them to learn more and helps
them explore their own potential. Facilitation means creating
an environment in which people learn, experiment, explore and
grow. It is a process of sharing, of giving and taking. It is
not a question of one person, who is "an expert", giving
knowledge and skills to others. Everyone must grow through the
sharing experience, participants and facilitators alike.
Opportunities to be a facilitator for young people and to work
in an atmosphere of equality and mutuality differ across Europe,
both between countries and within them. In the formal education
sector we find differences in the aims and philosophy of education,
techniques of classroom management and curricula. It is not common
for pupils and students to decide what they want to learn within
the framework of a broad curriculum nor for teachers to have a
facilitating role, although there are exceptions. In the non-formal
sector there are equally large variations not only in the aims
and philosophies of the different organisations but also in the
activities and opportunities they offer. These differences are
evident both between countries and also within countries.
We all work within the educational and social norms of our own
societies. It is easy to overlook or forget the fact of our own
ethnocentrism and, as a result, to take the way we interact with
young people for granted and normal. You may find it helpful to
reflect on your own style and practice in order to develop your
facilitation skills.
Thinking, learning and teaching/training styles
We are all individuals and think and learn in different ways.
We all use a mixture of styles but each of has a preferred way
of mentally representing the world around us (thinking style)
and a preferred learning style. As facilitators we should be aware
of this and use a variety of methodologies to excite the talents
and interests of young people.
It must be stressed that the following are preferred styles;
we all use all of the styles but each of us has a preferred style.
For more information, see the references to David Kolb's work
at the end of the chapter.
Which of the following is your preferred style?
Summary of thinking styles
- Visual people tend to mentally represent the world
in pictures. They may use phrases like "I see what you
mean".
- Auditory people tend to remember more of what they
hear and may use phrases like "That sounds like an interesting
idea".
- Kinaesthetic people tend to remember things through
feelings, both physical and emotional. They may use terms like
"I love that idea, lets go for it".
Summary of learning styles
- Activists learn best from activities where there are new
experiences, problems and opportunities from which to learn.
They can engross themselves in games, teamwork tasks and role-playing
exercises. They enjoy the challenge of being thrown in at the
deep end. Activists react against passive learning, solitary
work such as reading, writing and thinking on their own, and
against the demands of attention to detail.
- Reflectors learn best when they are allowed to think over
an activity. They enjoy carrying out detailed research, reviewing
what has happened and what they have learned. They react against
being forced into the limelight, being given insufficient data
on which to base a conclusion and having to take short cuts
or carry out a superficial job.
- Theorists learn best from activities where what they are
learning about is part of a system, model, concept or theory.
They like being in structured situations with a clear purpose
and dealing with interesting ideas and concepts. They do not
necessarily always like having to participate in situations
emphasising emotions and feelings.
- Pragmatists learn best from activities where there is an
obvious link between the subject matter and a real problem,
and when they are able to implement what they have learned.
They react against learning that seems distant from reality,
learning that is "all theory and general principles",
and the feeling that people are going round in circles without
getting anywhere fast enough.
Teaching/training styles
Different people have different styles and approaches to teaching
and taining.. Your approach as facilitator will depend on your
own values, beliefs and assumptions, your personality, past experience
of training and being trained, and how confident you feel both
working with young people and handling human rights issues.
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Theory
X. Teachers/Trainers who think people: |
are basically lazy &
don't want to learn, are irresponsible |
must be coerced |
need discipline |
need to be led |
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Theory
Y. Teachers/Trainers who think people: |
want to learn & will
direct themselves |
are creative |
want to be consulted |
want responsibility |
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trainer is in charge plans
flexibly |
talks at people |
discipline/structure is
imposed |
trainees instructed, told
by the expert |
trainer gives answers to problems, others' views or
solutions to problems are right or wrong |
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trainer seeks participation,
plans inflexibly |
trainer leads with consent
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discipline/structure is by
agreement |
people responsible for their
own learning |
people encouraged to hold theiown views and to seek
their own solutions to problems. |
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These are obviously two extremes of training style at either
end of a continuum. It should be noted that it is the theory Y
assumptions that are appropriate to HRE. The aims of HRE are to
develop values of respect, equality, co-operation and democracy.
These values can only be promoted through a process which is itself
inherently based on these values.
Think back on your own experiences. What was it like to be taught
by these two extreme types of teachers?
Using COMPASS in formal and non-formal education
The educational approach and the types of activities described
in this manual may seem easier to apply in the non-formal sector
than in the formal sector. The curriculum in the non-formal sector
tends to be more open and focuses more on the personal and social
development of young people. Also the starting point of the work
is the interests of the young people. It allows for greater participation
and flexibility and for young people to get involved with human
rights issues in a practical way.
In a non-formal educational setting your starting point could
be a question about something that is happening in your area or
something that someone has seen on television. If you want to
take the lead and stimulate people's interest in human rights,
suggest showing a film or video. An excellent guide to useful
films is "Europe on Screen: Cinema and the teaching of history"
by Dominique Chancel (Council of Europe, January 2001). You can
also put up posters or use pictures to stimulate spontaneous discussion,
or have a music evening playing songs that call for people's freedom.
You could then suggest going on to use one of the activities that
explores general human rights, such as "Where
do you stand?" or "Act
it out".
The curriculum in the formal sector is often bounded by an agreed
set of knowledge, which pupils and students have to acquire and
be tested on. Personal and social development, while recognised
as important, is not always the main focus in the way that acquiring
knowledge as a preparation for future work or further study is.
This does not preclude most of the activities in this manual being
adapted to fit into any curriculum subject in different classroom
settings in schools and colleges throughout Europe. In fact, many
have been designed with a classroom setting in mind.
For further descriptions of involving young people in participatory activities, you can look at "Section 3" of DOmino and the educational approach outlined in the Education Pack. Problem solving and conflict resolution as
a basis for HRE
Human rights issues are often controversial because different
people have different value systems and therefore see rights and
responsibilities in different ways. These differences, which manifest
themselves as conflicts of opinion, are the basis of our educational
work.
Two important aims of HRE are first, to equip young people with
the skills of appreciating - but not necessarily agreeing with
- different points of view about an issue, and second, to help
them develop skills of finding mutually agreeable solutions to
problems.
This manual and its activities are based on an understanding
that conflicts of opinion can be used constructively for the learning
process, provided that the facilitator feels confident in addressing
possible conflicts in a group. As in many non-formal educational
activities, the purpose is not so much that everyone agrees with
a given result but rather that the participants can also learn
from that process (e.g. listening to each other, expressing themselves,
respecting differences of opinion, etc.).
For example, the activity, "Play the Game" specifically
works with developing conflict resolution skills.
Common questions about Human
Rights Education
The following answers are short, but we hope they will answer
some of the questions asked by people who are beginning to incorporate
HRE into their work.
Don't young people need to learn about responsibility, rather
than rights?
Answer: This manual places emphasis on both rights and responsibilities.
The activities are designed to show that the relationship between
an individual's rights and other people's rights is not always
clear cut, and that everyone has a responsibility to respect the
rights of others.
What if the participants ask a question I can't answer?
Answer: No one should expect anyone to know all the answers
to everything! It is perfectly acceptable to say that you don't
know some particular facts and then involve the participants in
finding the answers. You should always consider reflecting the
question back to the group by asking: what do you think about
this?
It is also important for everyone to remember that the answers
to questions on human rights are rarely simple. Complex moral
questions cannot be answered with "yes" or "no".
From the educational viewpoint, raising the question is as important
as finding an answer. By introducing complex issues and allowing
young people to think about them, we equip young people with the
knowledge, skills and attitudes to deal with such questions later
in life.
What do we do if we don't have a photocopier or enough materials?
Answer: Many of the activities in this manual are designed so
that they don't need expensive materials or a photocopier. However,
for some activities you may have to copy role cards or fact sheets
for group work by hand and make multiple copies using carbon paper.
You will have to be creative and find your own solutions.
Won't parents, school heads and community leaders oppose the teaching
of human rights as political indoctrination which will incite
rebellious behaviour?
Answer: Human rights education develops citizens who are able
to participate in society and in the development of their country.
It is important to distinguish between the development of participation
competencies and party politics. Human rights education through
discussion and participation encourages young people to develop
critical and enquiring minds and to behave rationally. In this
respect, human rights education is also related to civic and political
education and it also allows young people to make the connections
between human rights, social issues, education and policies. As
a result, it may happen that young people do engage in local or
national political parties - as a result of their right to political
participation and freedom of thought, association and expression.
But that should remain their own choice.
Isn't it the government's responsibility to ensure that people
have the opportunity to learn about human rights?
Answer: Member countries of the United Nations have an obligation
to promote human rights education in all forms of learning. That
is in formal, non-formal and informal education. Despite this,
many governments have done very little towards the promotion of
human rights education and the incorporation of human rights in
the curricula. Individual educators and non-governmental organisations
can do a lot to encourage the development of human rights education
through their own or collaborative efforts in schools and other
educational programmes, and also by lobbying and putting pressure
on their governments to fulfil their obligations in this regard.
What if there are no human rights violations in my country?
Human rights education is not only about violations. It is first
of all about understanding human rights as a universal asset common
to all human beings and about realising the need to protect them.
In addition to this, no country can claim that there are no violations
of rights. One easy way to address reality is to look at the immediate
social environment or community. Who is excluded? Who lives in
extreme poverty? Which children do not enjoy their rights? Another
way is to look at the role of your own country in the violation
or promotion of human rights in other countries (e.g. the environment
and the right to development, the arms trade, global poverty,
etc.).
Tips for users
This manual and its activities can be used at school in a classroom
or in extra-curricular activities, in a training course or a seminar,
at a summer camp or in a work camp or in a youth club or with
a youth group. They can also be used even if you work mostly with
adults.
How to choose an activity
You should choose an activity that is at the right level for
you and your group and that will fit into the time you have. Read
the activity through carefully at least twice and try to imagine
how the group may react and some of the things they will say.
Make sure you have all the materials you will need. Check that
there will be enough space, especially if the participants will
be breaking up for small-group work.
Again we emphasise that the instructions for each activity are
only guidelines and you should use the material in the way that
suits your own needs. Indeed, it is not possible to write activities
that will exactly suit every situation across Europe. We expect
you to adapt the activities. For example, you might take the basic
idea from one activity and use a method from another.
Each activity is presented in a standard format. Icons and headings
are used to make it easy to get an overview of the whole.
Key to symbols and headings used to present
the activities |
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Level of complexity |
Levels 1-4 indicate the general level
of competencies required to participate and/or the amount
of preparation involved. |
Themes |
The global themes that are addressed
in the activity (e.g. poverty, environment, peace and
violence, gender equality). |
Overview |
Gives brief information about the type
of activity and the issues addressed. |
Related rights |
Rights addressed in the activity (e.g.
the right to life or freedom of expression). |
Group size |
How many people you need to do the activity.
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Time |
The estimated time in minutes needed
to complete the whole activity including the discussion.
If the group size was "any", then the time
is estimated for a group of 15 people. |
Objectives |
The objectives relate to the learning
objectives of HRE in terms of knowledge, skills, attitudes
and values. |
Materials |
List of equipment needed to run the activity.
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Preparation |
List of things the facilitator needs
to do before starting. |
Instructions |
List of instructions for how to run the
activity. |
Debriefing and
Evaluation |
Suggested questions to help the facilitator
conduct the debriefing evaluation and evaluate the activity
(phase 2-4 of the learning cycle). |
Tips for facilitators |
Guidance notes. Things to be aware of.
Where to get extra information. |
Variations |
Ideas for how to adapt the activity for
use in a different situations. |
Suggestions for follow-up
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Ideas for what to do next. Links to other
activities. |
Ideas for action |
Suggestions for the next steps to take
action |
Key dates |
Commemorative dates related to human
rights. |
Further information |
Extra background information relevant
to the activity. |
Handouts |
Role cards, action pages, background
reading material, discussion cards, etc. |
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Complexity
The activities are coded from level 1-4 to indicate the general
level of competencies required to participate in experiential
activities and the amount of preparation involved. In general,
the two variables go together; level 1 activities need very little
preparation while those at level 4 activities need much more.
Level 1. These are short, simple activities mostly useful as
starters. Energisers and icebreakers fall into this category.
Nonetheless, these activities are of value in the way that they
make people interact and communicate with each other.
Level 2. These are simple activities designed to stimulate
interest in an issue. They do not require prior knowledge of human
rights issues or developed personal or group work skills. Many
of the activities at this level are designed to help people develop
communication and group work skills while at the same time stimulating
their interest in human rights.
Level 3. These are longer activities designed to develop deeper
understanding and insights into an issue. They demand higher levels
of competency in discussion or group work skills.
Level 4. These activities are longer, require good group work
and discussion skills, concentration and co-operation from the
participants and also take longer preparation. They are also more
embracing in that they provide a wider and deeper understanding
of the issues.
The global links
The activities in the manual are designed to encourage exploration
of human rights and the links between rights and several global
themes. Thus three "themes" are indicated in the description
of each activity. The sixteen global themes are: |
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1. General human rights |
2. Children
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3. Citizenship |
4. Democracy |
5. Discrimination and Xenophobia
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6.Education |
7. Enviromnent |
8. Gender equality |
9. Globalisation
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10. Health |
11. Human security |
12. Media |
13. Peace and Violence |
14. Poverty |
15. Social Rights |
16. Sport |
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Tips for
facilitation
In the manual, we use the term facilitators to describe the
role of the people (trainer, teachers, youth workers, peer educators,
young volunteers - or whoever) who are co-ordinating the work
and running the activities. This terminology helps to emphasise
that HRE requires a democratic and participative approach.
"Section 8" of DOmino presents a range of generic activities - from SWOT Analysis to personal action and evaluation - which you might find useful in the planning of activities.
We assume that you are facilitating groups of young people,
for example in a classroom, in a youth club, a training course
a youth camp or at a seminar.
Group work
Group work happens when people work together, combine their
different skills and talents and build on each other's strengths
to complete a task. Group work:
- encourages responsibility. When people feel they own what
they are doing, they are usually committed to the outcome and
take care to ensure a good result.
- develops communication skills. People need to listen, to
understand what others say, to be responsive to their ideas
and to be able to put their own thoughts forward.
- develops co-operation. People soon learn that when they are
working towards a common goal they do better if they co-operate
than if they compete with each other.
- involves consensual decision-making skills. People quickly
learn that the best way to make decisions is to look at all
the information available and to try to find a solution that
satisfies everybody. Someone who feels left out of the decision-making
process may disrupt the group's work and not honour decisions
which are made by the rest of the group.
Group work techniques
In Chapter 2 of the manual there are references to techniques
such as "brainstorming" or "role-play". The
following notes explain these terms and give some general guidelines
about how to use them.
Note that successful group work must be task-orientated. There
must be a clear question that needs answering or a clearly stated
problem that requires solutions.
Brainstorming
Brainstorming is a way to introduce a new subject, encourage
creativity and to generate a lot of ideas very quickly. It can
be used for solving a specific problem or answering a question.
Instructions:
- Decide on the issue that you want to brainstorm and formulate
it into a question that has many possible answers.
- Write the question where everyone can see it.
- Ask people to contribute their ideas and write down the ideas
where everyone can see them, for instance, on a flipchart. These
should be single words or short phrases.
- Stop the brainstorming when ideas are running out and then
- Go through the suggestions, asking for comments.
Note these points:
- Write down EVERY new suggestion. Often, the most creative
suggestions are the most useful and interesting!
- No one should make any comments or judge what is written
down until the end, or repeat ideas which have already been
said.
- Encourage everyone to contribute.
- Only give your own ideas if it is necessary to encourage
the group.
- If a suggestion is unclear, ask for clarification.
Wall writing
This is a form of brainstorming. Participants write their ideas
on small pieces of paper (e.g. "Post-its") and paste
them on a wall. The advantages of this method are that people
can sit and think quietly for themselves before they are influenced
by the others' ideas, and the pieces of paper can be repositioned
to aid clustering of ideas.
Discussion
Discussions are a good way for the facilitator and the participants
to discover what their attitudes to issues are. This is very important
in HRE because, as well as knowing the facts, participants also
need to explore and analyse issues for themselves. The news, posters
and case studies are useful tools for stimulating discussion.
Start people off by asking "what do you think about...?".
Buzz groups
This is a useful method if no ideas are forthcoming in a whole-group
discussion. Ask people to discuss the topic in pairs for one or
two minutes and then to share their ideas with the rest of the
group. You will soon find the atmosphere "buzzing" with
conversations and people "buzzing" with ideas!
Small-group work
Small-group work is in contrast to whole-group work. It is a
method that encourages everyone to participate and helps develop
co-operative teamwork. The size of a small group will depend on
practical things like how many people there are all together and
how much space you have. A small group may be 2 or 3 people, but
they work best with 6-8. Small-group work can last for fifteen
minutes, an hour or a day depending on the task in hand.
It is rarely productive to tell people simply to "discuss
the issue". Whatever the topic, it is essential that the
work is clearly defined and that people are focused on working
towards a goal that requires them to feedback to the whole group.
For example, assign a task in the form of a problem that needs
solving or a question that requires answering. |
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Ladder
ranking
most important |
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least important |
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Ranking
This is a useful method to use when you want to provide specific
information or to stimulate a focused discussion in small groups.
You need to prepare one set of statement cards for each small
group. There should be 9 cards per set. Prepare 9 short, simple
statements related to the topic you wish people to discuss and
write one statement on each card.
The groups have to discuss the statements and then rank them
in order of importance. This can either be done as a ladder or
as a diamond. In ladder ranking the most important statement is
placed at the top, the next most important under it and so on
to the least important statement at the bottom. |
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In diamond ranking people negotiate what
the most important statement is, then the two second-most important,
then the 3 statements of moderate importance and so on as shown
in the diagram. Because issues are rarely clear cut, diamond ranking
is often a more appropriate method. It is less contrived and therefore
more acceptable to participants. It also gives better opportunities
for consensus building. A variation of the ranking method is to
write 8 statements and to leave one card blank for the participants
to write for themselves.
Role-play
A role-play is a short drama acted out by the participants.
Although people draw on their own life experiences to role-play
the situation, it is mostly improvised. It aims to bring to life
circumstances or events which are unfamiliar to the participants.
Role-plays can improve understanding of a situation and encourage
empathy towards those who are involved in it.
- Role-plays differ from simulations in that although the latter
may also consist of short dramas they are usually scripted and
do not involve the same degree of improvisation.
- The value of role-plays is that they imitate real life. They
may raise questions to which there is no simple answer, for
example about the right or wrong behaviour of a character. To
gain greater insights, a useful technique is to ask people to
reverse roles.
Role-plays need to be used with sensitivity. Firstly, it is
essential that people have time at the end to come out of role.
Secondly, everyone needs to respect the feelings of individuals
and the social structure of the group. For example, a role-play
about disabled people should take into account the fact that some
participants may suffer from disabilities themselves (maybe not
visible) or may have relatives or close friends who are disabled.
They should not feel hurt, be forced to be exposed or marginalised.
If that happens, take it seriously (apologise, re-address the
issue as an example, etc.). Also, be very aware of stereotyping.
Role-plays draw out what participants think about other people
through their "ability" to play or imitate them. This
is also what makes these activities great fun! It may be useful
to always address the issue in the debriefing by asking, "do
you think that the people you played are really like that?".
It is always educational to make people aware of the need for
constant, critical reviewing of information. You can therefore
also ask participants where they got the information on which
they based the development of the character.
Simulations
Simulations can be thought of as extended role-plays that involve
everybody. They enable people to experience challenging situations
but in a safe atmosphere. Simulations often demand a level of
emotional involvement, which makes them very powerful tools. People
learn not only with their heads and hands but also with their
hearts.
Debriefing is especially important after a simulation. Players
should discuss their feelings, why they chose to take the actions
that they did, any injustices they perceived, and how acceptable
they found any resolution that was achieved. They should be helped
to draw parallels between what they have experienced and actual
situations in the world.
Pictures: photographs, cartoons, drawing, collage
"A picture says a thousand words". Visual images are
powerful tools both for providing information and for stimulating
interest. Remember also that drawing is an important means of
self-expression and communication, not only for those whose preferred
thinking style is visual but also for those who are not strong
in expressing themselves verbally. Ideas for activities using
pictures and drawings are given with the "Picture
games".
Tips for building up a picture collection
- Pictures are such a versatile tool that it is a good idea
for facilitators to build up their own stock. Images can be
collected from innumerable sources, for instance, newspapers,
magazines, posters, travel brochures, postcards and greetings
cards.
- Trim the pictures, mount them on card and cover them with
transparent, sticky-backed plastic (sold for covering books)
to make them durable and easy and pleasant to handle. The collection
will look more like a set if the cards are all made to one size.
A4 is ideal, but A5 is a good, practical compromise.
- It can be a good idea to write a reference number on the
back of each picture and to record the source, original title
or other useful information elsewhere. Thus, people will have
only the image to respond to and will not be distracted by other
clues.
- When choosing pictures, look for variety. Be aware of gender,
race, ability and disability, age, nationality and culture including
sub-cultures. Try to get a selection of images from North, South,
East and West, different natural and social environments and
cultures. Also bear in mind the impact that individual pictures
have because of their size and colour. This effect can distort
people's perception of a picture, so try to trim your collection
so you have a reasonably homogeneous set.
Films, videos and radio plays
Films, videos and radio plays are powerful tools for HRE and
popular with young people. A discussion after watching a film
should make a good starting point for further work. Things to
talk about are people's initial reaction to the film, how true
to "real life" it was, whether the characters were portrayed
realistically, or whether they were trying to promote one particular
political or moral point of view.
Newspapers, radio, television, Internet
The media are an infallible source of good discussion material.
It is always interesting to discuss the content and the way it
is presented and to analyse bias and stereotypes.
Taking pictures and making films
The technology of camcorders and disposable cameras now makes
making films and taking pictures much more accessible for everyone.
Young people's pictures and films vividly show their points of
view and attitudes and make excellent display material. Video
letters are a proven way to break down barriers and prejudices.
They enable people who would not otherwise meet face to face to
"talk" and to share insights into how they live and
what is important to them.
General tips on running activities
Co-facilitating
If at all possible, always co-facilitate together with someone
else. There are practical advantages in that there will then be
two people to share the responsibility of helping with small-group
work or dealing with individual needs. When two people run a session,
it is easier to alter the pace and rhythm to keep things interesting
and the participants on their toes. Two facilitators can support
each other if things do not go as planned and it is also more
rewarding to conduct a review with someone else than to do it
alone. Better even than working with two facilitators is to develop
your activities in a team, possibly involving some young people
in the preparation.
Managing time
Plan carefully and not try to cram too much into the time available.
If the activity is taking longer than you anticipated, try to
shorten it so that you have plenty of time for discussion (see
notes on the learning cycle). On the other hand, if you have lots
of time in hand, do not try to drag the discussion out, have a
break or do a quick energiser activity for fun.
Create a non-threatening environment
People must feel free to explore and discover, and to interact
and share with each other. Be genuine, friendly, encouraging and
humorous. Do not use jargon or language that participants do not
understand.
Set ground rules
It is important that everyone in the group understands the ground
rules for participatory, experiential activities. For example,
everyone should take their share of the responsibility for the
session, that everyone should have a chance to be listened to,
to speak and to participate. No one should feel under pressure
to say anything they do not feel comfortable with. These ground
rules may be discussed and agreed when you first start working
with a class or group.
Give clear instructions
Always make sure everyone has understood the instructions and
knows what they have to do. The simplest way is to invite questions,
and to write down what is most important. Do not be afraid of
questions; they are very useful and give you (and the rest of
the group) the opportunity to clarify things. No questions sometimes
means a sign of general confusion ("but I am afraid to ask
because everyone else seems to understand").
Facilitating discussions
Discussion is central to the HRE process. Pay special attention
to ensure everyone in the group can participate if they wish to.
Use words, expressions and language common to the group and explain
words with which they are unfamiliar.
Invite participants to offer their opinions. Ensure that there
is a balance of global and local aspects so that people see the
issue as directly relevant to their own lives.
Debriefing and evaluation
Give the participants plenty of time to complete the activity
and if necessary come out of
role before discussing what happened and what they learned. Spend time at the
end of each activity talking over what people learnt and how they
see it relating to their own lives, their community and the wider
world. Without reflection, people do not learn much from their
experiences.
We suggest that you try to go through the debriefing and evaluation
process in sequence by asking the participants questions that
relate to:
- what happened during the activity and how they felt
- what they learned about themselves
- what they learned about the issues addressed in the activity
- how they can move forward and use what they have learned
Reviewing
It is important to review the work and the learning periodically.
This may be at the end of the day at a seminar or at the end of
a series of two or three lessons or meetings. You may find that
the group finds reviewing boring especially if there has already
been a lot of discussion. Remember that reviewing doesn't have
to be through discussion; you can also use other techniques including
body language, drawings, sculpting, etc.
Co-facilitators should find time to relax and wind down and
review how things went for them. Talk about:
- How the activity went from your point of view: preparation,
timing, etc.
- What the participants learnt and if they met the learning
objectives
- What the outcomes are: what the group will do now as a result
of doing the activity
- What you yourselves learnt about the issues and about facilitating
When things don't go the way
you expected them to
Activities rarely go exactly the way you expect them to, or
the way they are presented and described in this manual! That
is both the reward and the challenge of working with participatory
activities. You have to be responsive to what is happening and
to think on your feet.
Timing
It may be that everyone is very involved and that you are running
out of time. You should consult with the participants on whether
to stop immediately, in 5 minutes or how else to resolve the problem.
Flagging energy
Sometimes, especially with longer sessions, it may be necessary
for you to use an energiser or to suggest a short break.
Difficult discussions
Sometimes discussions get "stuck". You will have to
identify the cause. It could be many things, for example, because
the topic has been exhausted or that it is too emotional. You
will have to decide whether to prompt with a question, change
tack or move on. You should never feel that you have to provide
the answers to participants' questions or problems. The group
itself must find its own answers through listening to each other
and sharing. They may, of course, ask your opinion or advice,
but the group must make their own decisions.
Feedback
Feedback is a comment on something someone has said or done.
It may be positive or critical in a negative sense. Giving and
receiving feedback is a skill and you will need to help the group
members learn how to do it. Too often, feedback is received as
destructive criticism even though this was not the intention of
the speaker. The key words with regard to feedback are "respect"
and "arguments".
When giving feedback, it is important to respect the other person,
to focus on what they said or did and to give reasons for your
point of view. It is better to say, "I disagree strongly
with what you have just said because...." rather than "How
can you be so stupid, don't you see that....?". Giving negative
feedback comes readily to many people, which can be painful.
It is your role as facilitator to find ways of ensuring that
people give feedback in a supportive way. For example by:
- ensuring that people start giving the feedback with a positive
statement
- respecting the other person and not make any derogatory remarks
- focusing on the behaviour, not on the person
- giving a reason for what they are saying
- taking responsibility for what they say by using "I
- messages"
Receiving feedback is hard, especially when there is disagreement.
Your role is to help people learn from their experiences and to
help them feel supported and not put down. Encourage people to
listen carefully to the feedback without immediately defending
themselves or their position. It is especially important that
people understand exactly what the person giving the feedback
means and that they take time to evaluate what has been said before
accepting or rejecting it.
Resistance from the participants
Being involved in participatory activities is very demanding
and while you will be using a variety of techniques, for instance,
discussion, drawing, role-play or music, it is inevitable that
not all activities will suit all participants all of the time.
If a participant is confident and able to explain why they do
not like a particular activity then you will be able to accommodate
his or her needs through dialogue and negotiation.
By 'resistance', we mean behaviour that is purposefully disruptive.
All facilitators experience resistance from participants at one
time or another. Resistance can take several forms. An insecure
young person may disturb by scraping his or her chair, humming
or talking with their neighbour. More subtle ways of disrupting
the session are by asking irrelevant questions or making a joke
out of everything. Another "game" resisters play is
"undermine the facilitator". Here they may say, "You
don't understand, it's a long time since you were young",
or "anything but more discussions, why can't we just do activities?"
A third type of "game" is to try to avoid the learning.
For example people say, "yes but....".
Obviously, it is best if you can avoid resistance. For example,
- Be aware of each person in the group and any sensitive emotions
which might be triggered by a particular activity or by a particular
part in a role-play or simulation.
- Make sure everyone knows that they are at no time under any
pressure to say or reveal anything about themselves that they
do not feel comfortable with.
- Allow participants time to warm up before any activity and
to wind down afterwards.
- Remember to allow enough time for debriefing and discussion
so everyone feels that their opinion and participation is valued.
You will have to decide yourself on the best way to handle a
difficult situation but bear in mind that usually the best way
to solve the problem is to bring it out into the open and to get
the group as a whole to find a solution. Do not get into long
discussions or arguments with a single group member. This can
cause resentment and frustration among the other participants
and cause them to lose interest.
Managing conflict within
the group
Conflicts may happen in groups. This is normal and your role
is to help participants deal with them. Conflicts may develop
if participants feel insecure dealing with questions related to
emotions and values, if they have insufficient competencies in
group work or if they have completely different approaches to
the issue or different values. Try to stay cool and do not become
involved in conflicts with individuals.
- Remember that conflict can be helpful and creative if managed
properly.
- Take enough time for the debriefing and discussion. If necessary
make more time.
- Help to clarify people's positions, opinions and interests.
- Ease tensions in the group. For example, ask everyone to
sit down or to talk for three minutes in small subgroups or
say something to put the situation into perspective.
- Encourage everybody to listen actively to each other.
- Stress what unites people rather than what separates them.
- Search for consensus. Get people to look at their common
interests rather than trying to compromise and move from their
stated positions.
- Look for solutions which may resolve the problem without
"recreating" the conflict.
- Offer to talk to those involved privately at another time.
If more serious and deeper conflicts arise, it may be better
to postpone seeking a solution and look for another more appropriate
opportunity to resolve the problem. In the meantime, you could
consider how to address the conflict from another angle, for example,
by playing a short game such as "Fist and Palm". By
postponing the resolution of the conflict you leave time for those
involved to reflect on the situation and to come up with new approaches
or solutions.
Conflicts that arise in the group and ways of resolving them
can be used to develop understanding and insights into the causes
and difficulties of conflicts in the wider world. The reverse
is also true; discussion of international conflicts can give insights
into local conflicts.
Further information on dealing with conflict can be found in
the activity "Play the game!".
Some methods and techniques
for supporting effective learning groups
We have described group work and its role in experiential learning.
Here we describe a few general activities at level 1 that specifically
promote group-work skills. These activities make good ice-breakers
and energisers and, in conjunction with other activities in the
manual, are good methods for introducing human rights issues.
It is often a good idea if you, the facilitator, also join in
with the ice-breakers.
Taking responsibility, communication and co-operation are key
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Get
into line
This activity is very simple,
yet has all the characteristics and procedures for helping people
learn to take responsibility within the group. It makes a good
ice-breaker.
Complexity: Level 1 |
Group size: Any |
Time: 15 minutes + |
Instructions
- Tell the group to line up in order of height, the shortest
person at the front and the tallest at the back. They should
not talk but may communicate using sounds, sign language and
body language.
- When they are in line, check that the order is correct.
- Repeat the exercise getting people to line up according to
other criteria that make the game fun but not threatening, for
instance, age, the month of their birthday (January to December),
shoe size, etc.
Debriefing and evaluation
Try to help the group analyse how they worked together and what
makes good group work. Suggested questions are:
- What problems did you have getting organised?
- What slowed the group down?
- Was a leader needed? Did anyone serve as a leader? How were
they chosen?
- What responsibility did each group member have in solving
the problem?
- How could the group solve the problem faster next time?
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Go on, I'm listening
This activity focuses on listening
skills, but it also helps develop logical thinking and confidence
in expressing an opinion.
Complexity: Level 1 |
Group size: Any |
Time: 35 minutes |
Instructions
- Brainstorm with the whole group what makes a good listener.
- Ask people to get into threes: one person to be the speaker,
one to be the listener and one the watchdog.
- Tell the speakers that they have 5 minutes to tell the listener
their personal view on an issue that interests them (for example,
the death penalty for crimes against humanity, limits of free
speech or any other topic that requires description, analysis
and an opinion).
- The listener has to listen and make sure that they understand
what the issue is about, why the speaker is interested in it
and what their point of view is.
- The watchdog observes the listener's active listening skills.
They should not participate in the discussion but observe the
discussion carefully, withholding any suggestions for improvement
until time is called.
- After 5 minutes, call time and ask the watchdogs to give
feedback. Swap round until everyone has had a chance to be speaker,
listener and watchdog.
Debriefing and evaluation
Discuss the activity. Some useful questions may be:
- Did the speakers successfully convey their ideas and feelings
about the topic? Did they find it helpful to speak to someone
who was using active listening skills?
- How was it to be a listener? Was it difficult to listen and
not interrupt in order to make a comment or add their own opinion?
Tips for facilitators
The group may initially come up with some of the following points.
Hopefully by the end of the activity, they will be able to list
them all - and some more.
A good listener:
- shows respect, maintains eye contact with the speaker and
doesn't fidget.
- signals that they are attentive and listening by nodding
occasionally or saying "go on, I'm listening".
- does not interrupt.
- does not rush to fill silences but gives the speaker time
to think and resume talking.
- does not take the focus of the conversation away from the
speaker by commenting or disagreeing.
- uses open-ended questions to encourage the speaker to continue
speaking or to elaborate.
- summarises or restates the speaker's remarks from time to
time to show that they have understood.
- responds to the feelings that may lie behind the speaker's
words, and shows that they understand how the speaker feels.
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The
People Machine
This is a non-verbal exercise
to show how group members can respond to each other and link their
individual contributions into an integrated working unit.
Complexity: Level 1 |
Group size: 6 or more |
Time: 15 minutes |
Instructions
- Ask people to stand in a circle.
- Tell them that they have to construct one huge mechanical
machine together, using only their own bodies.
- Ask one person to start. S/he chooses a simple repetitive
movement, such as moving one arm up and down rhythmically. At
the same time they make a distinctive sound, for instance, a
long whistle.
- Ask a second person to come up and stand close to, or just
touch the first. They choose their own action and noise. For
example, they may bob up and down and make a "chkk ...chkk"
sound, keeping in time and rhythm with the first person.
- Call for more volunteers, one at a time, to join in. They
can join on to any existing part of the machine. They add their
own movement and sound.
- At the end the entire group should be interconnected and
moving in many inter-related ways and making many different
sounds.
- When everyone is involved and the machine is running smoothly
you can "conduct" everyone to make the machine go
louder or softer, faster or slower.
Debriefing and evaluation
You may like to ask the group:
- What similarities can they see between 'the machine' and
an effective learning group?
- What skills did they need? Responsibility? Listening and
responding skills? Co-operation? What else?
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Fist and palm
This game is useful for developing co-operation.
Complexity: Level 2 |
Group size: 8+ |
Time: 40 minutes |
Instructions
- Write the score sheet on a flipchart.
- Ask people to get into pairs; one is A, the other B.
- They both put their hands behind their backs and together
count 1, 2, 3.
- On the count of 3, they must simultaneously bring their hand
to the front and show either a fist or a palm.
- Tell the pairs to keep the score.
- Play 10 rounds.
- At the end, list on a flipchart both the individual and combined
scores of each pair.
Debriefing and evaluation
Questions to ask can include:
- Who got the highest score out of all the pairs? How did you
play to win?
- Who has the lowest score? How do you feel? What happened?
- Did any pairs make any agreements about how to co-operate?
If so, did anyone break the agreement? Why? How did your partner
feel?
- Compare the combined scores in those groups where people
competed and where they co-operated. Were there any advantages
in co-operating? If so, what? (Total score? Feeling good? Still
friends?)
Methods and techniques for
developing discussion skills
Discussions are also an opportunity to practice listening, speaking
in turn and other group skills which are important for respecting
other people's rights. To allow everyone to participate, it is
important that the group is of a manageable size. If your group
is very large - say for example more than 15 or 20 people - it
might be better to break up into smaller groups for the discussion.
To encourage interaction and participation, it is preferable to
seat participants in a circle or semi-circle where they can see
one another. General guidelines that should be discussed and agreed
by the group may include:
- Only one person should talk at a time.
- Judgmental comments or any form of ridicule are discouraged.
- Each person should talk from their own perspective and experience
and not generalise on behalf of others; that is, use "I"
statements.
- Remember that there is likely to be more than one 'right'
answer.
- Agree to maintain confidentiality when talking about sensitive
issues.
- Everyone has the right to be silent and not take part in
discussion on a particular issue, if they so wish.
You may find the following strategies helpful: |
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Microphone
This is effective with groups that have difficulty
in listening.
Instructions
The group sits in a circle. An old microphone from a tape recorder
(or a similarly shaped object) is passed around the circle. Only
the person holding the microphone is allowed to speak; the others
are to listen to, and look at, the speaker. When the speaker is
finished, the microphone is passed to the next person who wishes
to speak. |
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The
dilemma game
This is useful for encouraging people to express
their opinion, listen to others and to change their opinion in
the light of new understanding. It can be varied in different
ways.
Instructions
- Prepare 3 or 4 controversial statements relating to the issue
you are working with, for example, "there should be no
limits to freedom of speech".
- raw a line along the floor with chalk or tape.
- Explain that to the right of the line represents agreement
with a statement; to the left represents disagreement. The distance
from the line represents the strength of agreement or disagreement;
the further from the line, the greater the agreement or disagreement.
The walls of the room are the limit! Standing on the line shows
that that person has no opinion.
- Read out the first statement.
- Tell participants to stand at a point on either side of the
line that represents their opinion about the statement.
- Now invite people to explain why they are standing where
they are.
- Let everyone who wishes to, speak. Then ask if anyone wishes
to change position.
- When all who wish to move have done so, ask them their reasons
for moving.
- Ask another question.
Methods and techniques for
developing collective decision-making skills
Making collective decisions by consensus is a lengthy process
and requires people to have good communication skills, be sensitive
to the needs of others and to show imagination and trust and to
be patient. Only then can people explore issues honestly, express
opinions without fear of censure or ridicule and feel free to
change their minds as a result of reasonable argument.
The object of working for consensus is to make people aware
of the range of opinions in the group and to consider all those
opinions thoughtfully so that decisions are made based on mutually
agreed common interests. Consensus decision-making is not easy
to facilitate.
Decision-making processes can end up in several different ways:
- One side persuades the other. This, of course, is
what most people think they are
- doing when they take a majority vote, but it may well be that
some important point of view has been overlooked. When consensus
is achieved through persuasion, it means that virtually all
in the group agree that the arguments in favour of one point
of view are compelling and overwhelming, and they forsake their
previous positions and support that point of view.
- One side gives in. Sometimes people decide that it
is not worth the energy and decide to abandon their position.
The point of view of dissenters is essential to creative decision-making;
often a single person holds key information that can be decisive.
People should be able to change their minds freely as new information
becomes available. When working for consensus, people should
be free to explore a number of positions and should not feel
they are deserting their party if they change their minds.
- Both sides find a new alternative. Disagreement can
sometimes be overcome if people stop trying to defend the positions
they have taken and attempt to find a different solution that
will satisfy both sides. Frequently neither group has to give
up anything and both groups come out feeling that they have
"won".
- The group redefines the issue. A sincere search for
consensus frequently leads people to realise that their conflict
is caused by semantic difficulties or by a misperception of
the other party's position. Sometimes both sides realise that
they have overstated their positions and, as they strive for
consensus, they moderate their stands and find a way of viewing
the issue that both can support.
- Each side gives in a little. Sometimes when people
look at what they have in common they can come to an agreement
that meets most of the needs of both sides rather than all the
needs of one side and none of the other's.
- Both sides agree to have a break. Sometimes all involved
agree that they do not yet have enough information to make a
prudent decision, or that they are too upset to arrive at a
workable solution. They may choose to postpone the issue until
they can return with the knowledge and attitudes required to
make a rational decision.
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Knots
This activity makes a good ice-breaker and
energiser. It involves co-operation and decision making.
Complexity: Level 1 |
Group size: 10-20 |
Time: 10 minutes |
Instructions
Tell everyone to stand shoulder to shoulder in a circle with
their arms stretched out in front of them.
- They should now reach out and grab hands across the circle,
so that each person holds hands with two other people. No one
may hold the hand of someone immediately beside them. (The result
is what looks like a big knot of hands!)
- Now tell people to untangle the knot without letting go of
the hands.
- Note: They will have to climb under and over each other's
arms. It takes a little patience, but the surprising result
will be one or two big circles.
Debriefing and evaluation
- You can ask the group how they worked together to untangle
the knot.
- Was it a democratic process?
- How many ways were there of coming to a solution?
- Did everyone make suggestions or did one person assume leadership
and direct the unravelling?
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Points down
This is an energetic game that involves co-operation
and group decision making. Also a good ice-breaker and energiser.
Complexity: Level 1 |
Group size: 6-25 |
Time: 15 minutes |
Instructions
- Explain to the group that in this game there are nine "points"
of the body that can touch the floor: 2 feet, 2hands, 2 elbows,
2 knees and 1 forehead.
- Tell people to spread out in the middle of the room. Call
out a number between 1 and 9 and tell each player that they
must touch the floor with that number of points. Repeat twice
more.
- Tell people to find a partner. Call out a number between
2 and 18. The pairs have to work together to put the correct
number of points down. Repeat twice more.
- Repeat the rounds with people working in groups of 4, then
8, and then 16 until everyone is working together.
Tips for the facilitator
You can allow people to talk or to communicate only with sign
language.
When four people play together, the number could be as low as
2 if two people each stand on one leg while carrying the other
two!
When four people play, the lowest practical number is probably
4. (The highest number will be 4 multiplied by 9 = 36).
In each round the highest number called may not be more than
9 times the number of people in the group! |
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Pairs to 4s
This activity involves a process of discussion
and negotiation.
Complexity: Level 1 |
Group size: 4+ |
Time: 45 minutes |
Instructions
- Ask the group to get into pairs to complete a task that involves
the need to discuss and make a decision, for instance, to agree
on a date for a group outing, or a definition of human rights
or to agree the 3 most important human rights.
- Allow 10 minutes for this stage.
- Then tell the pairs to get into fours and repeat the process.
- Note: If you are using this exercise to make a collective
decision about a practical matter, for example about the group
trip, then you should continue the exercise and do rounds with
groups of 8 and then 16 until everyone is in one big group and
a consensus has been reached that best meets the needs of everyone.
If you are using this method to discuss the definition of human
rights, get into plenary after the groups of 4 have finished
discussing. This avoids the exercise getting repetitive and
boring.
Debriefing and evaluation
Suggested questions for discussing the nature of the decision-making
process are:
- The method takes a long time. Was the outcome worth it?
- Does everyone feel consulted and involved in the decision-making
process (even if in the end the outcome was not their preferred
choice)?
- Were there any minority needs that could not be accommodated?
(For example, with the date of the trip).
Activities for reviewing
During training or any teaching programme, it is important to
review periodically. The following activities can be used at any
time. They are fun ways to help people learn from their experiences.
They include drawing, sculpting, and story-telling methods. |
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End game
This can be a very a quick way of getting feedback.
The more rounds you do the more feedback you get.
Complexity: Level 1 |
Group size: Any |
Time: 3 or 4 minutes per round |
Instructions
- Tell people to sit in a circle.
- Remind them briefly about what they have been doing.
- Choose one of the pairs of statements below.
- Go round the circle, ask each person in turn to complete
their statement. No comments or discussion are allowed.
- Do further rounds if you have time or if you want to get
further feedback.
Examples of statements:
- The best thing about the activity was.... And the worst was....
- The most interesting thing was..... The most boring thing
was...
- What I resented most is... What I appreciated most is...
- The funniest thing... The most serious thing...
- I would have liked more of ... and less of...
- The thing I enjoyed doing most ... the thing that I least
liked doing...
- I felt most confident doing .... I felt least confident doing
...
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High and low
This method is very quick and uses body language.
Complexity: Level 1 |
Group size: Any |
Time: 50 minutes |
Preparation
Think of 3 or 4 questions to ask, for example, "Did you
enjoy the activity?" or "Did you learn anything new?"
Instructions
- Read out the first question.
- Tell the group to consider their response and then to show
with their whole bodies how they feel. If they strongly agree
with the statement they should reach up as high as they can
and may even stand on tiptoe! People who strongly disagree should
crouch down low or even lie on the floor. People can also find
their own in-between positions to indicate their level of response.
- Ask people to relax and read out the second question.
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Points of view
This activity combines movement with the option
of discussion.
Complexity: Level 1 |
Group size: 10+ |
Time: 10 minutes |
Preparation
3 or 4 questions, for example, "Did you enjoy the activity?"
"Did you learn anything new?"
Instructions
- Name the four walls of the hall 'yes', 'no', 'I don't know'
and 'I want to say something', to represent four different points
of view.
- Ask the first question about the activity and tell people
to go to the wall that represents their response.
- Let those who want to say something have their say. Only
people at the fourth 'I want to say something' wall may speak.
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Weather report
This uses a "story-telling" method.
It can be used at the end of an activity as a review.
Alternatively, it works well part way through
a long project to enable people to look back and then to look
forward.
Complexity: Level 1 |
Group size: 6+ |
Time: 45 minutes |
Preparation
Paper and pencils optional
Instructions
- Give people 5 -10 minutes to think about the day/training/project/work
you are involved in and get them to ask themselves: "Am
I enjoying it so far? What am I getting out of it and is it
going to be successful?"
- Then ask them one at a time to describe how they feel in
terms of a weather report.
Tips for facilitators
If people need an illustration of what you mean you could say,
"My day started dull and overcast... then I had to put up
my umbrella to keep me from the downpour.... but many of you helped
me hold up the umbrella... showers are also forecast for tomorrow,
but next week I foresee it will be bright and sunny". This
could mean that you started off not too sure, then things got
really bad and you were glad of people's support, you are not
too sure about immediate plans but you think you will get there
in the end.
The timing given is for a group of 10-12 people. Bigger groups
need more time.
Variations
- People could draw their weather forecast instead of speaking
it.
- You can use this basic idea to review your project as though
you were doing a commentary on a football or cricket match,
or any other event that is relevant.
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Hit the headlines
The idea is for the group to produce a mock-up
of the front page of a tabloid newspaper. The headlines summarise
the group's thoughts and feelings about what they have been doing.
Complexity: Level 2 |
Group size: 8+ |
Time: 45 minutes |
Preparation
You will need an A3 size sheet of paper and some felt-tip pens
for each small
group.
Instructions
- Tell the participants to get into small groups of three or
four.
- Tell them to discuss what they have been doing and what they
have got out of the project or activity, and to brainstorm the
highlights and the disasters.
- Each small group should agree together on 5 or 6 "stories".
They should write a headline for each story together with a
few sentences to give the flavour of the story if they wish.
They should not write the whole story. A "photograph"
is optional but a good idea.
- Display the pages.
- Presentation and discussion is optional.
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Rucksack
This activity involves drawing and creativity.
Complexity: Level 1 |
Group size: Any |
Time: 40 minutes |
Materials:
Papers and coloured pens
Instructions
- It is the end of a workshop or seminar. Ask people to draw
themselves going home with a rucksack on their back. The rucksack
contains all the items that they would like to carry home them.
- They should consider everything that they have learnt and
want to keep. Things may include items such as books or pictures,
feelings, people, ideas, new ways of seeing the world, strengths
they have gained from overcoming a difficulty, or values.
- They can also show things lying on the ground - things that
they want to leave behind. These might be things like bad habits,
old ideas, difficult moments, bad food, no sleep - whatever!
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References and further reading
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