Addressing Fear
The objectives of the Addressing Fear workshop may include: understanding your own emotions and behaviours in stressful situations, trying out different approaches when we feel fear, giving encouragement for overcoming fear and for empowerment.
Exercise Examples
Circle of Trust
Type of exercise: Experiential exercise
Duration: 30 minutes
Materials: /
Exercise description
Everyone stands in a circle with one person in the middle (make sure to start off with someone from the training team). The person in the middle stands with eyes closed, their body upright, their ankles relaxed and their arms by their side. The others hold out their arms and their task is to carefully pass this person around, swaying them about and returning them to the centre of the circle, making sure they do not fall down. After two or three minutes, someone else takes a turn in the middle of the circle.
The circle should not be too wide. (For 20 participants, set up two circles.)
Note
This exercise develops a feeling of security in the group and can also be included in the Trust- Building workshop. It is, therefore, recommended that the training team participate in it. It would be good for everyone to take a turn being passed around, but don’t pressure anyone who does not want to.
It is important to have a few participants who are already familiar with this exercise to show the others how to “sway” the person in the middle and pass them around. If this is not possible, the training team should participate in the exercise. When the person in the middle feels safe and relaxed enough, the circle can be widened a bit by making some room between those standing in the circle. The exercise can also be evaluated if needed.
Falling
Type of exercise: Experiential exercise
Duration: 20 minutes
Materials: Table or chair
Exercise description
A volunteer stands on a table or chair. They stand with their body upright and their arms by their side. Then they fall backwards (with their back towards the floor), while the rest catch them by standing in two rows in pairs facing each other, with their arms interlaced into a net to catch the person falling.
Note
This exercise can also be done as part of the Trust-Building workshop.
It is very important that the person falling keeps their body rigid so as to avoid injury. The participants with their arms interlaced into a net should take particular care to make sure the person falling does not hurt their neck. This exercise should only be done if there are at least a few people familiar with it from before.
Situations When We Were Afraid
Type of exercise: Work in small groups, wall newspapers
Duration: 30 minutes
Materials: Flipchart paper, markers
Exercise description
Split into small groups of three or four. In small groups, discuss the topic: “A situation when I felt fear”. Back in plenary, prepare a wall newspaper about: “What emotions arose during the discussion?”, and then about: “While I was listening, I felt…”
Fear Statues
Type of exercise: Statues Theatre
Duration: 70 minutes
Materials: /
Exercise description
Split into three groups. The groups are separated into different rooms or spaces and given the task to prepare a statue about fear, paying particular attention to how the body responds to fear. Back in plenary, the first group display their statue. The rest are the audience and they say what they saw.
Then the statue performers clarify what they wanted to show. There can be a brief discussion if needed. Then the next group display their statue, and so on.
For more about the Statues Theatre method see the chapter on Creative Conflict Transformation.
Where Do My Fears Come From?
Type of exercise: Individual work, wall newspapers
Duration: 25 minutes
Materials: Paper, pencils, flipchart paper, sticky tape
Exercise description
Everyone works independently, thinking about “My fears” and “Where do they come from?” and noting down their thoughts. They have 20 minutes. Then collect their notes and put them up on the wall newspaper so that everyone can see them.
My Safe Space
Type of exercise: Individual work, presentations in plenary
Duration: 60–75 minutes
Materials: Paper, coloured Paper, felt-tip pens, crayons, magazines, glue, scissors, etc.
Exercise description
Everyone works independently on a drawing or a collage about “My Safe Space”. The collages are presented in the plenary.