ArabicRATIONALE
The activity allows participants to explore their feelings and experiences about societal issues and to explore their cultural identity and how it relates to others. This activity also helps them begin to understand the origins of learned biases and prejudices by encouraging self-reflection, introspection, and inter-group dialogue.
REQUIREMENTS
- Estimated Time: 45-60 minutes
- Materials: List of discussion prompts
DESCRIPTION
- Divide the participants into two groups and have them form two circles of chairs where they each face a partner (inner circle is „circle A‟ and outer circle is „circle B‟).
- Explain to participants that the facilitator will pose a series of questions and each pair will have two minutes to have a conversation about the questions or topics. The facilitator will time these two minutes and give a signal after one minute (to know half the time has passed) and after two minutes (to know time is over).
- After two minutes have passed, the facilitator will instruct participants in “Circle B” to switch partners by rotating one seat clockwise.
- Repeat this process after each question, preferably until each participant from circle A discussed one time with each participant of circle B.
DISCUSSION TOPICS (DEBRIEFING & EVALUATION)
- What are 1-2 words that describe what this activity was like for you?
- How did you feel about answering the questions?
- Which questions were easier to answer? More difficult?
- What did you learn about yourself?
- What insights did you gain during the activity?
- What surprised you the most about how you answered the questions?
- Did you answer all the questions honestly? If not, why? If so, what allowed you to disclose?
Source: inspired by the activity of the Office of Intercultural Affairs Stonehill College, “Diversity Based Teambuilders and Icebreakers”.
Concentric Circles Discussion Prompts
(choose the ones you feel to be the most appropriate)
- Please share the story of your name: how did you get it and what does it mean to you?
- Describe one quality that you think you have.
- Share with your partner a little bit about your family. Who is in it? Who do you consider family? What does it mean to you?
- What topic was “taboo” to discuss in your family growing up?
- Share with a partner a preconception that others have about your own social group (cultural, religious, ethnical etc.) that disturbs you.
- Share with your partner a cultural trait of your social group (national, regional, religious etc.) that you are proud of and one of which you are not so proud of.
- Share with a partner a preconception about a social group different than your own (cultural, religious, ethnical etc.) that you grew up with.
- Think about an advantage/privilege that you have due to the fact that you belong to a specific social group (cultural, religious, ethnical etc.), compared to others that do not belong to the same group.
- Describe to your partner what you feel when you meet in your community people from a different country than yours.
- (or) Describe to your partner what you feel when you meet in your community people from a different religion than yours.
- Share your opinion about the migration of people from your country to other countries. Why do you think this is happening?
- Share your opinion about the migration of people from other countries to your country. Why do you think this is happening?
- Describe a time when you observed an act of prejudice or exclusion towards someone because they were different than the others. How did you feel?
- If you could change one thing in your society, what would this be?
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