3. WORKSHOPS, SEMINARS, TRAINING, WORKCAMPS, ETC

When constructing the programme of any gathering of people, care needs to be taken in choosing working methods and creating the conditions necessary for an appropriate atmosphere. Setting out to confront value systems and prejudices requires much preparation and attention to detail: intercultural learning in practice! It is hard work, but can also be enjoyable as participants and preparatory team discover causes and look for solutions together. In the following pages you will find tips prepared for EYC training course participants, then some relevant methods are suggested.

Lecturers/Speakers:

• Are they well briefed about the main points to cover in their talk? Are they acquainted with the aims of the programme and with the profile/background of the participants?

• Are they receptive to suggestions from the team?

• How do they intend to involve or question the participants?

• It is always useful to brief the lecturer/speaker as much as possible about the group, the specific aims of his/her speech, and about the preceding elements in the programme.

• Always inform him/her about the materials/conditions you have: overhead projectors, photocopiers, interpretation, etc. Try to get him/her to write something on paper beforehand - at least the major points of his/her intervention.

Working groups:

• Are the aims of the groups clear to the participants and to the team?

• Make sure everybody in the groups understands the aims and what is expected as a result and how the results are to be used: written reports, verbal reports, no report at all, etc.

• Depending on the situations, you might find it essential to appoint or ask for volunteers to chair/animate the groups or to report.

• Be clear about how the participants are to be split into groups, and where they have to meet. Always be aware of any language difficulties which may exist in the groups.

Visits to institutions:

• Make sure that both the group who visits and the visited person know already something about each other. Be aware also of language difficulties and of the time it may take to go from one place to the other.

• If the group is visiting, for example, a youth group try to find out methods/ways to encourage contact between your group and theirs. No "royal" visits!!!

• Always be prepared to receive gifts, souvenirs from people you visit, especially if you are in a foreign country. It may be embarrassing to receive plenty of gifts and have only a leaflet to give to your hosts!

Simulation or role games

• Few games can be used without being adapted to the specific aims of the activity or of the group.
Don't be afraid of trying new methods, but make sure you master and dominate the process (and that the message is understandable and understood by the participants).

• It is usually very difficult to run a simulation or role play which you have never played before yourself! If you are not familiar with the method, don't hesitate in trying it out in a smaller group (of family, friends, etc.) and ask people for their comments on the exercise.

• Think whether the effort you put into preparing an exercise is justified by the importance it has for your aims! There is no point in spending one week's work for a method which is used as an optional activity in the informal programme. One criterium to evaluate this is to reflect on whether the method could be usable on other occasions.

• Always check whether the method proposed is suitable for the actual participants, e.g. an exercise which demands lots of movements and physical energy may not be fitted for some people with disabilities. Even simple things such as the clothing worn by participants can alter the dynamic of a physical exercise!

Much more guidance and complementary tips for facilitators can be found in the other publications on this web site; clicking on the titles will take you directly to the relevant sections:
Human rights education: Compass
Peer group education: DOmino
Intercultural education: Education Pack