[Oe List ...] Facilitation challenge

[Susan Fertig]

Hey, no reason we couldn't do that here with the elephant and donkey.
 
Susan
 

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From: oe-bounces at wedgeblade.net [mailto:oe-bounces at wedgeblade.net] On Behalf
Of Otto, Ken
Sent: Monday, February 15, 2010 3:42 PM
To: Order Ecumenical Community
Subject: Re: [Oe List ...] Facilitation challenge


Jim,
This may or may not be useful to you.  But when I was in Zambia I was quite
impressed with how they held elections in a partially illiterate society.
I can not remember how many seats were represented in Parliament, ( this is
like the house of Commons).  There is also the House of Chiefs, you can
imagine that this is all the tribes and these are not elected.  I think
there were around 50 members in the House of Commons.  About 4 or 5
candidates ran for each seat, remember everyone belongs to the same party
OK.  At campaingn time each candidate was assigned an animal, yes an animal,
like a frog or cow or whatever.  When one made a speech the picutre of the
animal was beside you.  And guess what was on the ballot?  yes the animal.
People made the connection to the animal at political speeches etc.
I conclude that the facilitator would need to make some connection with some
symbol like the animal,  that is familiar to the participates and then
connect that to what the discussion issue is. Let me know if this was useful
OK.  You probably already know all this though.
Ken
 

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From: oe-bounces at wedgeblade.net [mailto:oe-bounces at wedgeblade.net] On Behalf
Of James Wiegel
Sent: Monday, February 15, 2010 1:46 PM
To: ToP Trainers ListServe
Cc: OE list serve; Colleague Dialogue
Subject: [Oe List ...] Facilitation challenge


 I have an event coming up next week with some unique challenges and I would
be 
> grateful for your thoughts and experience.
I got this request from another list, looking for wisdom on how to engage
participants who don't read or write.  Wondering if some on the list might
have experience to share


Jim Wiegel
> 
> The event will be held in Addis Ababa for Oxfam and it concerns designing 
> baseline research for an 11-year program to develop water rights in 
> moisture-stressed regions. It is based on an innovative approach to
measuring 
> impact using so-called Theories of Change.
> 
> 
> The facilitator challenge (apart from the difficulty in getting my head
around 
> all this) is that among the participants there will be several illiterate 
> farmers. Looking at most of the design ideas I am working on, there is
always 
> the assumption that our participants can read and write. Furthermore, they

> (and a few of the other participants) don't speak English and simultaneous

> whispered interpretation will be provided.
> 
> 
> Have you had events with illiterate participants? How did you manage? I
think 
> the challenge is both inclusion and ensuring that we are not patronizing.
> 
> 
> Any thoughts or ideas would be most welcome.
> 
> 
> Thanks in advance,
> 
> Dan
> 
 
Jim


"If you really want to succeed, then you have to have the big heart, heroic
will, tenacity, courage, and commitment to fearlessly engage with the
evolutionary process until something profound, mysterious, and extraordinary
happens that cannot be undone." Andrew Cohen


Jim Wiegel
401 North Beverly Way, Tolleson, Arizona 85353-2401
+1 623-936-8671 +1 623-363-3277
jfwiegel at yahoo.com www.partnersinparticipation.com 


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