Participation

• Technique used: Group work
• Materials required: Handout (see below), flipchart paper, marker pens
• Aim of activity: To encourage students to consider different ways in which people might particpate
• Underpinning components: UC 9.1
• Connection with other competences: Empathy

Short description

Each group is given the following and are asked to show the participation of those involved in some way on a flipchart.

"Ali Wandaha had been very ill for a number of weeks so it was not a great surprise when he passed away late one Thursday evening. Nevertheless, the loss of her son was a devastating blow to Ali’s mother, the widow Mariamu. Her cries were heard throughout the night and a number of neighbours came to join her in the lament.

The next day, according to custom, Ali would be buried in the family compound and a feast would be provided for the mourners. At first light a neighbour’s boy was sent to Wafula, the coffin-maker who had already prepared the casket for Ali’s burial. A few of the neighbouring women assisted her in preparing the food while boys and girls were sent to spread the news to family and friends throughout the parish and outlying villages. By mid-day one or two of the women had taken on the role of comforting Mariamu who was almost incapable with grief.

A large number of people gathered for the funeral, an old Sheikh was called in to officiate while many of the village men, young and old, took a hand in bearing the coffin to the grave site.

Three of Ali’s relations sent messages that they were unable to attend the funeral but sent money to help cover the expenses, one uncle did not send anything but a message. Some people arrived late and left as soon as the food had been served and eaten while others remained to assist in the clearing up. Many of the women who had cooked helped to clean up after the guests had gone home.

Two women remained with Mariamu throughout the following night."

Groups share and discuss their representations of participation.

In the discussion be sure to draw out different qualities (and purposes) of participation as well differing quantities or degrees of participation.

• Technique used: Role play
• Materials required: None
• Aim of activity: To encouage students to think about leadership styles
• Underpinning components: UC 9.4
• Connection with other competences: 

Short description

In groups, students are given the following activity or similar. You are the leader. Within your group, someone needs to be a wolf, be a rabbit, represent a cabbage. The other two are the boat. The task is to get the wolf, rabbit and cabbage to the other end of the room without them getting wet, but you can only take one thing in the boat at a time.

Note: if the wolf and the rabbit are together without you, the wolf will eat the rabbit. If the rabbit and the cabbage are together without you, the rabbit will eat the cabbage. Remember, only one thing can go in the boat at a time.

In plenary discuss ways that the leaders approached the task e.g. top down, or bottom up, collaboratively?

• Technique used: Visualisation technique, i.e. clarification of causes and effects using cards (A4 divided into 3) to facilitate particpation in the discussion. 
• Materials required: Cards (A4 sheet cut into three) tape or similar to fix cards to wall
• Aim of activity: To build a group consensus of key probelms and possible actions required in which everyone in the group can participate.
• Underpinning components: UC 9.2; UC 9.3
• Connection with other competences: Decisiveness

Short description

Select a situation known to the group and decide on the core problem. What are the effects of this problem? What are the other problems which contribute to the core problem? (NB Avoid writing down a lack of solutions as problems, rather state the problem itself that needs to be solved, e.g. rather than writing “Lack of awareness on effects of dumping”, say, “Townspeople dump waste in street.”) Build up the ‘tree’ from the core problem in the middle with causes below and effects above:

Add more cards to extend the tree as the discussion develops. Draw a line around a certain part of the tree in order to define a manageable project.

Rules of engagement

• Participants write their own cards unless they are unable to write in which case take care to ensure that their ideas are being recorded faithfully
• Only one idea to be written on each card so ideas can be moved around
• Ask participants to write legibly
• Write a maximum of three lines per card so that it can be read easily
• Use key words that have been shared by the group
• The facilitator is not normally a stakeholder

This technique enables all stakeholders to participate in a sophisticated discussion of causes and effects.

NB To turn this into a hierarchy of project objectives, simply turn each card around and write a positive version of the ‘problem’ that was written there.