RATIONALE

The introductory session gives an overview of the programme and introduces the main elements that define it (objectives, participants, training assumptions, agenda etc.). It plants the spirit-seeds of the whole programme from the very beginning: fun, open way of learning how to create a more inclusive environment. This session introduces also one of the main learning tools: the learning diary.

OBJECTIVES

• Getting acquainted to the objectives and roadmap of the training;
• Understanding the principles that will guide the work.

REQUIREMENTS

Materials:

• One copy of a learning diary for each participant;
• One copy of the daily agenda, for each participant.
• Time: 30 – 45 min., depending on the size of the group.

DESCRIPTION

1. Start the training by introducing the facilitators. Allow the participants to say a few words about themselves. One idea for a name game is the following:

Ask participants to introduce themselves by answering the following questions (it may be helpful to write them on a flipchart):

Name (or how they would like to be called);

Three words, pointing to something essential about their life at that particular moment. For example, one might choose “Romania” (where he/she is from, or “youth work” (his/her current work);

A consistent quality that they bring to any group they belong to.

2. The facilitator will then present the goal of the training: learning about how cultural friction between local populations and migrants is manifested and how to prevent this from being perpetuated in society;
3. Emphasize the fact that the aim of the training is not to determine the participants to think in a specific way. The facilitators don’t plan to tell them what is good and what is bad, but rather to help them explore the issues around gender;
4. Then, the facilitator will introduce the proposed themes and agenda.
5. The programme assumptions (starting points) will then be presented:

“Voluntary” – the programme relies on the fact that participants are there on a voluntary basis, because they are genuinely interested in learning about the topic;

“Interactive” – the training is designed to be very interactive and participants are expected to honestly contribute to the discussions;

“Mutual learning” – we are here to learn from each other and each individual experience is important. The trainer is not the only source of information, but merely one person facilitating the exchange of knowledge and the development of skills and attitudes through different experiences;

“Other’s shoes” – we are willing and actively trying to put ourselves in the “other’s shoes” in order to learn more about the realities surrounding different cultural backgrounds;

“Leaving the comfort zone” – participants are ready and willing to leave their comfort zone while engaging in various experiences provided by the training;

“Fun” – the proposed experiences are meant to help us enjoy the learning process, so the participants are expected to be relaxed and to be themselves during the programme.

“Never enough time” – there will be times when the discussions may seem too short and when a lot of the participants will want to add something, and while we are flexible there will be times we will need to stop before everyone could express themselves.

“No wrong answer” – the purpose of the training is not to find the right answer, but rather to start a reflection process about this.

6. Throughout the training, at the end of the day or at the end of specific activities, participants will have few minutes to write down in the learning diary what they have learned from the recent experiences, what they have discovered about the refugee’s/local cultures, what attitudes changed and what “A-ha moments!!” they had.