Workshop Example

Game

Brainstorming: Violence

Duration: 5–10 minutes

Large Barometer: Violence

Type of exercise: Large barometer

Duration: 90–120 minutes

Materials: Pieces of paper prepared with statements (see exercise description)

Opis vežbe

The large barometer method

Some statements for the barometer:

1. Balkan countries are racist.
2. The diaspora shouldn’t be allowed to vote.
3. The state should help cure homosexuality.
4. Citizens are against Roma moving into their neighbourhood because they don’t want to see it turned into a dumpsite.
5. HIV-positive children should not attend school with other children.
6. Christianity is the most peace-loving religion.
7. Refugees from Muslim countries spread fundamentalism in Europe.
8. Minority languages should be mandatory school subjects.
9. If you don’t like the country you live in, you can leave.
10. People should be allowed to display any flag they want on their homes.
11. Macedonia is the country of all Macedonians.
12. Minorities should fight for their rights themselves.
13. National minorities and persons with disabilities should have priority when it comes to employment.
14. The international community is establishing democracy in Libya.
15. It would be best to build a special residential area completely adapted to the needs of persons with disabilities.
16. It’s easiest to find employment if you’re a member of a ruling party.
17. NATO countries bombed Yugoslavia to prevent a humanitarian disaster.
18. Let revenge become justice.
19. The German people started the Second World War.
20. Unemployed refugees are getting their power shut off because they did not pay the bill.
21. Operation “Storm”.
22. He is a loyal citizen of this country.
23. A third entity should be established in BiH for Croat national interests.
24. Laundry is women’s work.
25. Those who came first have the right to the land.
26. War criminals have the right to repentance.
27. Republika Srpska should be abolished.
28. The Roma are a carefree people.
29. A call to prayer can be heard from the only mosque in a majority Christian town.
30. Sexual orientation is a private matter to be kept within your own four walls.
31. Serbia is a country of the Serb people and all the citizens that live in it.
32. Serbia is a Christian Orthodox country.
33. Everyone should learn the official language of the country they live in.
34. All the Chinese should learn our language.
35. All those who served in the army during the war were in favour of the war.
36. We should help Africa become civilised.
37. At the Hague Tribunal they decide how guilty we are.
38. All sides are always to blame in a war.
39. The army makes a man out of you.
40. If people can’t live together, it’s best to separate them.
41. Great Albania
42. Great Britain
43. Great Serbia
44. Religious instruction ennobles the spirit.
45. Women are more peace-loving than men.

Note

The large barometer method is one of our favourites because it can be useful in many ways. It is excellent for developing sensitivity towards violence and bringing to light less visible forms of violence structural and cultural. Listening to others explain why they experience something as violence adds nuance to our own perceptions and creates room for empathy, or at least makes us think before we start justifying a behaviour or policy. It is also useful for sharing information about the social contexts we come from and better understanding of those contexts.

At the very beginning participants may be reluctant for fear of conflict, because the suggested statements are closely linked to social conflicts as well as our emotions and identities. However, when they see that opposing views can be discussed constructively, they will be encouraged to continue the dialogue. And that dialogue is what we sorely need. Dialogue about difficult topics can bring us closer together and build trust.

This is an exercise that is difficult to stop and it can go on until everyone is completely exhausted. You should bear in mind that it can be very demanding for participants who are not used to listening to and following what some twenty people are saying, because it requires a high degree of concentration over a long time period. If possible, this exercise should be done in the morning session, because concentration tends to decrease in the afternoon. You should also take a break after 90 minutes. Depending on the energy of the participants, the exercise can be continued in smaller groups (but not too small) that can discuss the statements from the barometer they care about the most, because working in small groups is not as demanding and can be helpful for people who do not feel comfortable speaking in larger groups. If you are not sure whether to continue in smaller groups or in the plenary, ask the participants. Sometimes, despite being tired, they want to continue working in the plenary.

Wall Newspaper: Type of Violence

Duration: 10–15 minutes

Violence According to Galtung, Structural and Cultural Violence

Type of exercise: Short presentation

Duration: 10–15 minutes

The post Violence appeared first on CNA Priručnik.

Workshop Example

Game

Life on an Island

Type of exercise: Role play

Duration: 70–90 minutes

Materials: Flipchart paper, markers

Exercise description

The participants split into small groups (of 5 to 7 people). They are told that they find themselves on a desert island – each small group on its own island – and that there is no way to leave. To organise life on the island, they have to agree on and establish a common system of rules. They have 10 minutes to agree on their rules, and then they present them in the plenary.

In the next step, get one volunteer from each group. Volunteers are taken out of the room and told that they will be going back to a different “island”. Their task is to defy the rules agreed on by the group on their new island and to try to change the rules or to boycott them.

After 10 minutes of the volunteers being on their new islands, the exercise is stopped and followed by evaluation.

Evaluation

Suggested questions to evaluate the exercise:

Ask each group: What happened? Then tell them about the instructions given to the new islanders.

How did the newcomers feel about their role as rule-breakers, and how did the islanders feel about their system being disrespected?

Who was the victim and who was the aggressor? How does this experience relate to real life?

Note

If some of the participants are familiar with this exercise from before, you can ask them to be observers and contribute valuable insights to the evaluation.

Conflict Barometer

Duration: 30 minutes

Exercise description

The barometer method

Suggested statements for the barometer:

• Every conflict is bad.
• Conflict is the same as violence.
• You should show your emotions in a conflict.
• The victim also bears responsibility for the conflict.
• I am responsible for the conflicts in my society.
• If there are opposing interests, the conflict cannot be resolved.
• Power determines how the conflict will be resolved.

Wall Newspaper: Conflicts Arise Because of…

Trajanje: 5–10 min.

Zidne novine: Vrste ponašanja u sukobu

Duration: 5–10 minutes

Wall Newspaper: Types of Behaviour in Conflicts

Type of exercise:

Duration: 5–10 minutes

Discussion of Behaviours in Conflict Situations in Small Groups

Type of exercise: Work in small groups

Duration: 25–30 minutes

Exercise description

Split  into  small  groups  (of  four,  for  example). Discussion topics:

• What do I find hardest in conflicts?
• What dilemmas do I have?
• In which situations do I find myself at a loss about how to respond?
• What can help?

Alternative version of the exercise

Discussion topics:

–     Behaviours in communication with others (among the group, during the training) that I liked.

–     Behaviours that I perceived as creating fertile ground for conflict.

–     Behaviours that do not contribute to conflict transformation.

Or:

Everyone remembers a conflict that has been transformed or that is still ongoing and writes down:

–     a description of the conflict,

–     their own behaviours in the conflict,

–     their own feelings in relation to the conflict.

Then they discuss in small groups, without feedback in the plenary.

Note

This alternative version of the exercise is especially useful if there are animosities in the group or simmering conflicts, as a space for reflection and to encourage communication about such difficulties.

The post Understanding and Analysing Conflict appeared first on CNA Priručnik.

Examples of Exercises

Wall Newspaper: How Is Trust Lost?

Trajanje: 10 min.

Wall Newspaper: What Contributes to a Feeling of Mutual Trust?

Duration: 10 minutes

Blind Following*

* Inspired by an exercise from: Lünse, Dieter et al. Zivilcourage. 1995. p. 66.

Type of exercise: Small group work, presentations in plenary

Duration: 60–80 minutes

Materials: Blindfolds, chairs

Exercise description

Divide into small groups of six or seven people. In each group, one person wears a blindfold. Using chairs, the others make a small labyrinth that isn’t too difficult to find your way out of. They put one chair inside the labyrinth for the person with the blindfold to sit on. They stand around the labyrinth and, one by one, they give the person with the blindfold precise instructions that will lead them to the assigned chair (e.g., “take two steps forward”, or “turn left”, or “take half a step back”). The person with the blindfold cannot use their hands and should keep them next to their sides. When they manage to sit down on the chair, they have navigated the labyrinth; they can take off the blindfold and rejoin the others. A new person is blindfolded and taken through the labyrinth until everyone has had a turn.

Evaluation

Suggested questions for evaluating the exercise:

• How did you feel issuing instructions?
• How did you feel making your way through the labyrinth?
• Which role was more difficult?
• What did you notice?

Labyrinth

Type of exercise: Small group work, presentations in plenary

Duration: 60–80 minutes

Materials: Blindfolds, chairs

Exercise description

Divide into small groups of six or seven people. In each group, one person wears a blindfold. Using chairs, the others make a small labyrinth that isn’t too difficult to find your way out of. They put one chair inside the labyrinth for the person with the blindfold to sit on. They stand around the labyrinth and, one by one, they give the person with the blindfold precise instructions that will lead them to the assigned chair (e.g., “take two steps forward”, or “turn left”, or “take half a step back”). The person with the blindfold cannot use their hands and should keep them next to their sides. When they manage to sit down on the chair, they have navigated the labyrinth; they can take off the blindfold and rejoin the others. A new person is blindfolded and taken through the labyrinth until everyone has had a turn.

Evaluation

Suggested questions for evaluating the exercise:

• How did you feel issuing instructions?
• How did you feel making your way through the labyrinth?
• Which role was more difficult?
• What did you notice?

Elephant Walk

Type of exercise: Interactive, experiential exercise

Duration: 90 minutes

Materials: Blindfolds, tables, chairs, textiles, other props

Exercise description

Before the workshop, ask participants to bring something to the workshop that they can use as a blindfold (a scarf, kerchief, T-shirt, etc.).

1. Take the participants out of the room where the “labyrinth” will be. Give them the following instructions: “The goal of this exercise is to make your way through a labyrinth. You will all be blindfolded except for one person who will be the Eyes. You will have 12 minutes to agree on a strategy and to elect someone to be the Eyes. While making your way through the labyrinth, the Eyes is not allowed to touch other members of the group or to talk to them. You can do one test run in the labyrinth. This will be your chance to try out your strategy and to see if the signals and signs you agreed on are working.”
2. While the group is strategising, construct a labyrinth in the workshop room: use chairs, tables and other props. Think about the path that the group has to travel, for example jumping over a chair, going under a table, getting past a hanging textile, etc., but make sure it is not too difficult.
3. When the 12 minutes are up, the trainer brings the Eyes into the room to show and explain the path to them. It’s best to take the Eyes through the labyrinth once. The Eyes then go back for everyone else and take them through the labyrinth using the signals they agreed on.
4. After their test run, the group has five minutes to improve on their system of signs for communicating. Let them know that new obstacles will be added to the labyrinth.
5. While the group is strategising, make a new path that is somewhat more complicated than the previous one. Again, bring the Eyes in and take them through the labyrinth.
6. While the group is making their way through the labyrinth, the trainers should get in their way. Start with small distractions and build up to more difficult ones: make noises, give false signals imitating the signs that the group makes, throw “bombs”, throw balloons at them, tickle them with a feather, etc. The opportunities are endless. The point of the distractions is to make the task more difficult and to increase stress levels, up to a reasonable point. Make sure that you don’t go too far and also that the task isn’t too easy.

Evaluation

Suggested questions for evaluating the exercise:

• What was this experience like?
• How did you elect the Eyes?
• How did you agree on the signals?
• How did you make this decision?
• How did the Eyes feel?
• Were there other special roles?

Circle of Trust

Falling

The post Trustbuilding appeared first on CNA Priručnik.

Workshop Example

Game

Why Reconciliation?

Type of exercise: Wall newspaper, role play

Duration: 20–25 minutes

Materials: Flipchart paper, markers

Exercise description

The participants should imagine themselves having to  explain  to  someone  why  we  need  reconciliation and find arguments in support of it. One person from the training team takes a sceptical position regarding reconciliation  and  asks  that  every  argument  is explained until it is completely clear and acceptable. The arguments are written on a wall newspaper/board.

My Contribution to Reconciliation

Type of exercise: Individual work, presentations in plenary

Duration: 45–50 minutes

Exercise description

The task is for each participant to say what they see as their contribution to reconciliation, taking turns around the circle. Before they start, they should be given some time to think about what they will say.

Note

This exercise can also be used for the Peacebuilding topic. In that case, everyone talks about their contribution to peacebuilding.

Reconciliation Barometer

Duration: 40 minutes

Exercise description

Barometer method

Suggested statements for the barometer:

• Nation building is part of the reconciliation process.
• Recognising that an injustice has been committed and apologising are preconditions for reconciliation.
• Prosecuting war crimes is a precondition for reconciliation.
• Truth is a precondition for reconciliation.
• Dialogue with the enemy is a precondition for reconciliation.
• People who are impartial should work on reconciliation.
• There can be no reconciliation without justice for all victims.
• Everyone has the right to reject reconciliation.

Reconciliation and Me

Type of exercise: Individual work

Duration: 30 minutes

Materials: Flipchart paper, markers

Exercise description

Flipchart papers are laid out on the floor, each with one of the following questions:

• What is my biggest challenge in reconciliation?
• With whom and with what am I supposed to reconcile/build relationships?
• Who is supposed to reconcile with whom?
• Who can I, who should I, and who do I want to forgive for what?
• Who do I want and need forgiveness from?

Everyone walks up to write their answer or read what is written. Give people some time to look over what was written.

Note

This exercise is particularly useful when we need to go back to ourselves and our role in society, and especially if the group is motivated to discuss socio-political processes but not to reflect on their own roles and responsibilities in them. These issues can also be discussed in the plenary or in small groups, of course, but sometimes it can be useful to close the discussion space and open up space for self-reflection.

Reconciliation Has Arrived!

Type of exercise: Individual work, presentations in plenary

Duration: 30 minutes

Materials: Multicoloured post-its, pencils, Flipchart paper

Exercise description

Everyone gets a few multicoloured post-its (have extra post-its on hand if needed). The task is to imagine that reconciliation has arrived and think about what else becomes possible that was impossible before and write it down on a post-it. One example per post-it. Set aside two or three minutes for thinking and writing. Then everyone is supposed to read what they’ve written and attach their post-its to the wall newspaper so that all the newly opened possibilities are gathered in one place.

Note

It can be useful for someone from the training team to start off the presentations with a few creative examples to set the tone and open up a space for the imagination. Since mutual inspiration is inevitable, let people take extra post-its and volunteer for another turn to read their ideas.

The post Reconciliation appeared first on CNA Priručnik.

Workshop Example

Game

Associations

Type of exercise: Independent work, discussion in the plenary

Duration: 35–45 minutes

Materials: Post-its, Flipchart paper, pencils

Exercise description

For this exercise, you need to prepare a dozen terms denoting different social groups. For example: religious persons, soldiers, feminists, fundamentalists, female politicians, homosexuals, atheists, Americans, Germans, NGOs.

All participants are given a dozen or so post-its. They are told that the trainer will give them a term and their task is to write on one of their post-its the first thing that comes to their mind when they hear it. They only have a short time, maybe 15 or 20 seconds. After each round the training team collects all the post-its and attaches them to a flipchart paper where the terms have been written as a heading. Then the trainer says the next term and the participants write their association on a new post-it.

When the exercise is complete and all the post-its have been attached under the corresponding terms, the flipchart papers are displayed around the room so that everyone can read the various associations.

Discussion in the Plenary

Suggested questions:

How much did you censor yourself? How surprised were you by what you wrote? Where do these associations come from? How are these associations related to prejudices?

Note

It is useful to have some of the terms denote social groups that some of the participants belong to. Some participants may be hurt by some of what they read, and those who wrote it may feel guilty or act defensively. If the point does not arise clearly in the discussion, point out that the instructions were not for people to write their personal opinion, but just the first thing that popped into their head. All the notes illustrate the images and prejudices present in our environment that we are often bombarded with. We can deny that prejudice exists and censor ourselves, but that will probably not do anyone any good. On the other hand, we can discuss prejudices openly with other people and try to find ways to change things together.

Prejudice about Ethnic/National Groups

Type of exercise: Work in small groups, presentations and discussion in plenary

Duration: 90 minutes

Materials: Flipchart paper, markers

Exercise description

Step One (prejudice about your own group): The participants split into groups according to ethnicity. Each group should write on the wall newspaper what they have heard about their ethnic group in their environment (to be clear, it does not have to be what they themselves believe), or answer the question: What are [Serbs, Croats, Bosniaks, Albanians, Macedonians, Montenegrins, etc.] like?

Step Two (prejudice about other groups): Participants pick an ethnic group they do not belong to (from among the ethnic groups that at least one of the other participants belongs to). It is important that each group has roughly the same number of participants. They write on the wall newspaper what they have heard that ethnic group is like.

The wall newspapers from Step One are presented, then from Step Two, followed by a discussion in the plenary.

Discussion in the plenary

Suggested questions: What do you think about this? How does it make you feel? How often do you encounter these prejudices in everyday life? What can be done about them?

Note

It is very important to carefully introduce this exercise and give precise instructions. The task is to write down opinions you know exist, not your personal opinion. There will often be participants who do not want to define themselves in terms of ethnic belonging and will therefore not want to participate in an exercise that puts them in such a position. This is another reason why it is important

to clarify the purpose of this exercise. In our contexts, often nobody asks us what ethnic (or other) group we belong to, they simply classify us whether we like it or not, without regard for how we feel about it. You can suggest to those who do not want to identify themselves in terms of ethnic belonging that they pick the group they are most often categorised as by others. Some may decide to form a new group in protest and call it “extraterrestrials” or “cosmopolitans”, which should be allowed, although it does deviate from the topic.

There may also be self-censorship, because “it’s not nice to write such things about someone”. It should be clarified that the purpose is to map existing prejudices (that may not necessarily be ones we subscribe to ourselves, but are something we heard said around us), and then think about how to deal with them. One approach is denying their existence, but that is unlikely to do much to dispel them. Bear in mind that this exercise is often difficult for people because it is the first time they are put into a situation where they have to tell those “others” what kind of prejudice exists about them. However, if the exercise is conducted carefully it can actually lead to building mutual trust.

Prejudice Barometer

Duration: 30 minutes

Exercise description

The barometer method is described in detail here.

Suggested statements for the barometer:

• I have prejudice.
• I have the right to my prejudice.
• Prejudice leads to discrimination.

Brainstorming: Where Do Prejudices Come From?

Duration: 10–15 minutes

The post Prejudice and Discrimination appeared first on CNA Priručnik.

Workshop Example

Game

Chair Statues About Power

Type of exercise: Independent work, plenary discussion

Duration: 30 minutes

Materials: 6–7 chairs

Exercise description

Instructions: The task is to use six or seven chairs to construct a statue that symbolises power. After the first person constructs a statue, participants can say what they see/notice and then the “artist” can explain their statue. At least five or six people should construct a statue.

Brainstorming: Power

Duration: 5–10 minutes

Airplane

Type of exercise: Role play

Duration: 90 minutes

Materials: “Lifesavers” made of paper (prepared in advance), large piece of paper, markers

Exercise description

Prepare lifesavers in advance by cutting them out of a large piece of paper (see photograph). Write out the names of different social groups on them:

• youth
• he army
• multinational corporations (e.g. McDonalds, Coca-Cola, etc.)
• peace workers
• senior citizens
• people with disabilities
• black people
• the media
•  the government
• women

Each social group appears on two lifesavers. An alternative to the lifesavers is to write the names of social groups in big letters on an A4 piece of paper (that participants can tape to their chests using masking tape, sticky tape or a clothes pin).

Step 1: Select groups. Participants have to select one of the social groups and take the corresponding lifesaver.

Step 2: Describe the task. Describe the task slowly and clearly:

“Participants who represent the same group are a pair. Each pair has one vote. Pairs cannot be separated.

You are all travelling by plane to a conference. The topic of the conference is conflict and violence in the world and possible responses. At the conference you will be representing the group you have selected.

Suddenly, the pilot informs you that due to technical difficulties, everyone has to evacuate the plane within the hour. However, there aren’t enough parachutes for all the passengers. Three pairs will be left without parachutes. The pilot has their own personal parachute and isn’t willing to give it to anyone else.

Each pair has the task of writing out the reasons why they should be given a parachute, thus ensuring that they will continue their journey to the conference and their work on dealing with conflict and violence in the world. Decide which one of you two will be the spokesperson. You have five minutes for this task.”

Step 3: Presentations. Spokespeople present the reasons why they (their group) should be saved. They have three minutes for their presentation.

Step 4: Voting in pairs. Pairs have five minutes to discuss who should be given a parachute and to choose five groups to cast their votes for (they cannot vote for themselves). Voting is done in secret: pairs write out a list of five groups on a piece of paper.

Step 5: Voting. A list of all the groups that are on the airplanes is on the large piece of paper. Trainers tally the votes next to each group’s name. Three pairs who have the fewest votes are not given parachutes and they have to take off their lifesavers. If there is a draw, the pilot declares that she will not wait around for a decision and that they have five minutes to make up their minds or else she will catapult herself out of the plane to save her own life and leave everyone else to their fate. Therefore, they have to vote again.

Evaluation

Suggested questions for evaluating the exercise:

• How did you select which group to represent? How satisfied were you with your choice? How difficult was it to justify your survival?
• How did you feel when deciding who to cast a vote for? How did you decide who to cast a vote
• How do the groups that weren’t chosen feel? What did you get out of/learn from this exercise?

Powerful Chair

Type of exercise: Hot seat

Duration: 20 minutes

Materials: Chair

Exercise description

One chair is turned to face the whole group. One by one participants take this seat and call out several sentences that start with: “I have the power to…”. Take your time!

Note

This exercise has an empowering effect on participants.

The post Power appeared first on CNA Priručnik.

Perception exercises are particularly suited to working with young people encountering topics such as conflict for the first time. They are not demanding, but easy and even fun, and are a good option to do after more difficult workshops that result in tensions or where emotions run high.

Exercise Examples

5 Minutes of Silence

Type of exercise: Experiential exercise, work in plenary

Duration: 10–15 minutes

Exercise description

Everyone sits in a circle in silence. Their task is to listen to the sounds in the room and coming in from outside. After five minutes, the participants list the sounds they heard.

What Do You See in the Drawing?

Type of exercise: Work in plenary

Duration: 5 minutes

Materials: A copy of the drawing for each participant

Exercise description

Prepare one or more drawings with different images beforehand. Hand out copies of the drawing to the participants. Then ask them what they see.

A sample drawing for this exercise for printing on A4 paper is available here.

“Little Red Riding Hood” Story

Type of exercise: Work in plenary

Duration: 30 minutes

Materials: “Little Red Riding Hood” from the wolf’s perspective

Story of the Little Red Riding Hood from the Wolf’s Perspective

I lived in the woods. It was my home and I did my best to keep it clean and tidy. One sunny day, as I was picking up bits of food left behind by people, I heard

footsteps. Looking behind a tree, I saw a girl with a basket coming down the path. She seemed suspicious to me right away – she was dressed so strangely, all in red, with a hood on hear head, as if she wanted to disguise herself.

Although I know that you shouldn’t judge people by their appearance, she was in my woods and it seemed right that I should try to find out more about her. I asked her who she was, where she came from, and so on. First she rudely told me she did not talk to strangers. I, a stranger? I, who live in these woods with my whole family, a stranger?! Then she calmed down a bit and told me about her grandma. The grandma was ill and she was bringing her lunch. Actually, the girl seemed like an honest person to me and I thought it would be good to set her straight and teach her that it’s not nice to skulk around other people’s woods dressed so suspiciously.

I let her go on her way, but I hurried down a shortcut to her grandma’s house. When I got to grandma’s I explained the whole situation to her and she agreed with me that it would be good for her granddaughter to learn to be more polite to others. We agreed that she should hide under the bed until I called her.

When the girl arrived, I called from the bedroom where I was lying in bed dressed in her grandma’s clothes. Her cheeks ruddy, she came into the room and right away said something insulting about my ears. I was no stranger to being insulted, so I tried not to make a big deal out of it and simply said that I needed big ears to hear her better. What I wanted to say was that I found her likeable, but she should take more care about how she talks. But then she started making fun of my eyes. Surely you understand that my feelings about the little girl quickly shifted and from someone likeable, to me she suddenly seemed like a very unpleasant creature. But, as I was experienced in controlling my anger, I simply said that I needed my big eyes to see her better.

With her next insult, however, she really crossed the line. I’ve had some dental issues in the past and that girl really couldn’t come up with anything better to say than to remind me of my oversized teeth. I know I shouldn’t have reacted so impulsively, but I jumped from the bed and growled at her that my big teeth would come in handy when I ate her!

Let me be clear that no wolf would ever dream of eating a little girl. Everyone knows that. But to my surprise, the silly girl started running through the house screaming. I ran after her to try to calm her down. I took off grandma’s clothes. But suddenly I heard a pounding at the door and the forester came in, a man seven feet tall with an axe in his hands. When I saw him, I knew I was in big trouble. Quickly, I jumped out the window and ran away.

If only that were the end of the tale, but grandma never told anyone my side of the story. Soon rumours spread that I was a horrid creature and not to be trusted. I don’t know what happened to the girl afterwards, but I can tell you that the rest of my life was ruined.

Evaluation

Suggested questions to evaluate the exercise:

What do you think about this story? What does it tell you?

Note

Before reading the story, check whether the participants know the original version of “Little Red Riding Hood”, because if most don’t, the story will not have the desired effect.

Drawing by Instruction

Type of exercise: Experiential exercise, work in plenary

Type of exercise: Individual work, plenary presentation

Duration: 15 minutes

Materials: Paper and pencils

Everyone gets a sheet of paper and pencil. The trainer gives instructions for drawing geometric shapes that will make up a concrete drawing. A house, for example. She does not mention a house to the participants, but gives the following instructions:

“(1) Draw a large square in the middle of the paper, (2) then two smaller squares inside the large one, (3) then a rectangle at the bottom of the large square, (4) and a triangle on top of the large square.”

A small exhibition is put up at the end to show all the drawings.

Drawing on Your Neighbour’s Back

Type of exercise: Experiential exercise, work in plenary

Duration: 20 minutes

Materials: Paper and pencils

Exercise description

Everyone stands in a circle and turns sideways so that they are looking at the back of the person next to them. One person draws something with their finger on the back of the person next to them (they choose what to draw and don’t tell anyone), then the person receiving the drawing draws the same thing on the back of the next person and so on. When the drawing comes full circle back to the person who started the round, everyone takes a paper and pencil and draws what they drew on the back of their neighbour. Everyone puts their drawing in front of them for a small exhibition.

Let Me Tell You a Picture

Type of exercise: Experiential exercise, work in plenary

Duration: 20–35 minutes

Materials: A picture with a lot of details

Exercise description

The participants split into three groups. A volunteer from each group leaves the room. The trainer shows the volunteers a picture with a lot of details and then they describe the picture to the next person from their group. It’s important that the rest of the group don’t hear this description. The second person describes it to the third, the third to the fourth and so on. The three last persons from the three groups to hear the description go on to describe the picture in the plenary. Then the picture is shown to everyone so they can see what they have been describing to each other.

Evaluation

Suggested questions to evaluate the exercise:

What happened?

“Husband, Wife, Compote” Story

Type of exercise: Individual work, work in pairs

Duration: 35 minutes

Materials: Paper and pencils

Exercise description

The participants split into two or three groups. A volunteer from each group is taken aside and the story below is read out to them. Then they tell the story to another person from their group (without the rest hearing it), the second person tells it to a third person, and so on. The last person to hear the story is supposed to write it down and read it in plenary. When all three groups have read out the final versions of the story as they heard it, the original version is read to everyone.

Husband, Wife, Compote

You won’t believe what I heard yesterday. These people, a husband and wife, acquaintances of my parent’s godparents, they were eating apple compote after lunch. A piece of the apple got stuck in the husband’s throat. The wife slapped his back. The husband thought she wanted to fight. A neighbour walked in without knocking. She left the door open. A Roma woman walked in after her. At that point, a report about the earthquake in Izmir started on TV. The Roma woman tried to hold back the wife and the neighbour took hold of the husband. The husband dropped his wallet on the floor. After the tussle, the neighbour went back to her apartment and the Roma woman followed. The TV said more than 3000 people lost their homes and that a shipment of flour had arrived in the Izmir harbour, but no one knows how long it will have to stay there because the customs provisions have not been fully regulated. The postman showed up. The husband went to take out his wallet to pay the TV bill. The wallet was gone. They all went down to the police station. They stayed there for a long time because the Roma woman read their palms.

Evaluation

Suggested questions to evaluate the exercise:

What happened?

Wall Newspaper: What Determines Perception?

Duration: 10 minutes

Who Is This?

Type of exercise: Individual work, work in pairs

Duration: 20 minutes

Materials: Small pieces of paper with the names of all participants, “hat”, paper and pencils/felt-tip pens

Exercise description

The small pieces of paper with the names of the participants are put into a “hat”. Everyone takes out a paper. If they take out their own name, they put it back and take another. Their task is to draw the first thing that comes to their mind when they think of the person whose name they picked out of the “hat”. When they are finished, they can look at what everyone else has drawn. If the drawing reminds them of someone, they can write that person’s name next to it.

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There can be different objectives for the Peacebuilding workshop, but some of the main ones are: better understanding about what constitutes peacebuilding, better understanding of values and principles, developing a culture of criticism and self-criticism, creating space for better understanding of others and promoting nonviolence.

Workshop Example

Game

What Tells Us That We Are (Not) Living in Peace? What Could Lead to a New War?

Type of exercise: Work in small groups, presentations in plenary

Duration: 40 minutes

Materials: Flipchart paper, markers

Exercise description

Split into three groups. Each group is tasked with preparing a wall newspaper about one of the following topics:

• What tells us that we are living in peace?
• What tells us that we are not living in peace?
• What could lead to a new war?

They have 20 minutes. Then they present their work in the plenary.

Alternative version of the exercise

Instead of splitting up into small groups, wall newspapers can be prepared collectively for each of the three topics.

Large barometer: Peacebuilding

Type of exercise: Large barometer

Duration: 60–90 minutes

Materials: Prepared pieces of paper with statements (see exercise description)

Exercise description

The large barometer method

The poles of the barometer are “Is peacebuilding” and “Is not peacebuilding”.

Some statements and social phenomena for the barometer:

1. 1. The return of refugees
   2. Religious institutions
   3. Emphasising your national identity
   4. Capital punishment
   5. NATO bombing of Serbia and Montenegro
   6. ICTY
   7. KFOR
   8. Feminism
   9. Alternative civilian service
   10. Trying war criminals in their own countries
   11. Abortion
   12. Legalising soft drugs
   13. Censorship of the media
   14. Better to deal with KFOR tanks than Serb policemen
   15. Gay/lesbian marriages
   16. Gay/lesbian couples adopting children
   17. Peace activism
   18. 51% women in politics
   19. Arming for defence
   20. International community
   21. Patriotism
   22. Humanitarian aid
   23. Dayton Agreement
   24. Privatisation – a step towards Europe
   25. Female pilot, female psychologist, female judge, female president, female miner, female minister, female locksmith, female mayor…
   26. Introducing religious instruction in schools
   27. Rebuilding the Ferhadija Mosque in Banja Luka
   28. National flag on a church steeple
   29. Better living standard
   30. Positive discrimination (affirmative action)
   31. Non-governmental organisations – NGOs
   32. Globalisation
   33. Tradition
   34. The Chinese
   35. The Americans
   36. Equality of women in the military
   37. Revision of Second World War history
   38. White Armbands” action in Prijedor
   39. Peace activists at a commemoration for military casualties

Note

We usually pick 10 statements for a group of 20 participants. Each statement is printed twice so that everyone has an opportunity to put at least one statement on the barometer. Often the same statement ends up in different positions on the barometer.

My Definition of Peace

Type of exercise: Individual work, presentations in plenary

Duration: 30 minutes

Materials: Different coloured paper, felt-tip pens

Exercise description

Everyone in the group writes their definition of peace on a different coloured piece of paper. Then a “colourful sea” of paper is made on the floor and everyone reads.

Wall Newspaper: Why is Peacebuilding Needed in My Society?

Duration: 15–20 minutes

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Game

Planning Work on Peacebuilding in the Local Community

Type of exercise: Small group work, plenary presentations and discussion

Duration: 2–3 work blocks (360–540 minutes)

Materials: A few copies of the handout, a large piece of paper, markers

Exercise description

Step 1. Three participants from different communities  are  given  a  task  beforehand  (a  few days)  to  prepare  a  presentation  in  order  to  make other  participants more  familiar  with  the  issues  in their communities (those relevant to the work of peacebuilding). They present what they have prepared and others have the opportunity to ask questions and get clarification.

Step 2. Participants choose one of the presented communities. Three working groups are formed according to chosen local communities (it would be good to have a more or less equal number of participants in each group). They should imagine that they live in the chosen community. Their task is to choose one specific issue relevant to the work of peacebuilding and to develop an approach relating to the issue. Each group receives a handout outlining the task and a series of questions that can help in the course of the work:

“Your task is to choose an issue you will focus on and to develop an approach relevant to this issue.”

Handout with guiding questions:

1. How do you decide on what is the issue? (Why this specifically?)
2. What are your goals?
3. Define the principles of your actions.
4. What are your strengths/weaknesses? Which capacities are you missing?
5. What resources do you use in order to get to know the environment?
6. With whom is it important to establish cooperation? In what way are you doing that? (Who are your potential allies?)
7. How do you want the community to see you? (What kind of image do you want to project?)
8. What are the possible negative side-effects?
9. What concrete steps are you able to carry out? Why these?
10. Three issues that matter to you and are not on the list.

The handout for printing on A4 format is available for downloading here.

Step 3. After completing the work, groups take their place in the hot seat one by one, and present what they did, while the rest of the group asks questions and provides feedback.

Step 4. Everyone has the opportunity to reflect and write down on post-its: What was difficult for you in this task? What dilemmas do you have? Questions that are left unanswered? A brief discussion in plenary follows.

Step 5. Wall newspaper: What insights did you gain about the work in the local community? The wall newspaper is made in the plenary.

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Workshop Example

Game

Quick Situations

Type of exercise: Discussion in plenary

Duration: 35–60 minutes

Exercise description

Read out a scenario (that simply demands a response) and ask the question: “What do you do?” The participants share their ideas about possible reactions. The goal isn’t to determine the most appropriate or the best response, but to collect a range of possible reactions that can inform participants’ behaviour in certain situations.

Some ideas for the situations:

You’ve come back from a seminar attended by people from the former Yugoslavia. You meet with acquaintances who ask you how it went. One of them comments, “You were hanging out with Shiptars* again?!” What do you do?

You are at a monoethnic family gathering. There is one person present who is of a different ethnicity. One family member is provoking that person by telling inappropriate jokes (for e.g. “What’s up, Šokica*?”). You notice that the person is having a difficult time. What do you do?

At a family celebration, your cousin declares, “All the Serbs left Kosovo voluntarily”. What do you do?

Graffiti has appeared on a neighbouring building that says “Croats to the reservation!” (or: “Serbs should be hanged! “ or “Bosnians belong in chains!”). What do you do?

At work, a colleague complains, “Look at these Albanians: all the rights we gave them and this is the thanks we get!” What do you do?

You are at a peace conference. A representative of an association of missing persons’ families says that only victims have the right to engage in peacebuilding. What do you do?

You are in a taxi. When the taxi driver learns that you are from Bosnia, he asks, “How are you dealing with all the Muslims?!” What do you do?

Your friend is fired from work because of their sexual orientation. What do you do?

Your neighbourhood is planning a construction of housing for the Roma community. A neighbour asks you to sign a petition against the construction project. What do you do?

Note

This is a good introductory exercise for the peacebuilding and peace activism topic because it serves as a reminder that all of us can and should engage in peace activism on a daily basis, even when we do not have the ideal circumstances and when we don’t have material support in the form of resources and donations. It is important to choose or create scenarios that feel familiar and realistic to the participants. At least 4–5 scenarios should be discussed. The first few take about 10–15 minutes per scenario, and the others generally go a bit faster. It is recommended to keep the entire exercise under 60 minutes because people become tired of just listening and sitting in one place.

Wall Newspaper: Examples of Nonviolent Action

Duration: 25 minutes

Developing Ideas About Peace/Nonviolent Activism

Type of exercise: Small group work, plenary presentations and discussion

Duration: 90 minutes

Materials: A few copies of the questionnaire, a large piece of paper, markers

Exercise description

Divide the participants into smaller groups. Each group should talk through ideas for peace activism, across borders or in a single community, choose one and develop it so that they can answer the following questions:

–    Short description of the activity.

–    Who would be your allies and who would be your adversaries?

–    What would you need to realise this idea?

–    What are the risks involved?

–    Which preconditions need to be fulfilled?

–    What are the necessary steps that need to be taken? What obstacles need to be overcome?

After 40 minutes of small group work, there are presentations. After each presentation you should leave some time for questions from the rest of the group and the team of trainers.

Variation

Participants develop the idea and plan how to implement peace activities using a catalogue of questions as a basis. Then they present their idea for activities in front of the others and have the chance to receive feedback.

Questionnaire:

Developing the idea

1. Vrsta aktivnosti:
2. Trajanje aktivnosti:
3. Ciljna grupa:
4. Cilj:
5. Tim, mesto, vreme (ukoliko se zna):
6. Kratak opis ideje, koji bi obuhvatio odgovore na sledeća pitanja:

• Na koji način se doprinosi ostvarenju navedenog cilja?
• Šta želite da postignete? Očekivani rezultati? Kratkoročni i dugoročni?
• Zašto je izabrana navedena ciljna grupa?
• Kakav legitimitet imam spram njih?
• Postoje li aspekti ove aktivnosti koji doprinose razgradnji mira?
• Koje dileme imam? Koje strahove?

Planning the implementation

• Resources that I have and that I still need? (strengths and weaknesses
• What kind of support do you need? Expected support from CNA (kind and amount)?
• Do I see others from this group being involved? How?
• Describe the implementation process (in steps/bullet points)
• Following steps? Make a timeline.
• Make a table with responsibilities and deadlines!

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