MOSAIC - The training kit for Euro-Mediterranean youth work

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Explain that the information should be as concrete and as detailed as possible:
for each case, participants should try to explain what was the cause of the suffering
and they should attempt to give (rough) statistical information. Give them
15 minutes to think about this.
Invite people to get into pairs or small groups to share their information with
others. Ask them to try to assess their own information and that provided by
others in terms of the following questions:
– To what extent do you think the information is balanced? Would the other
side in the conflict agree?
Bring everyone together to share the results of the discussions.
Debriefing and evaluation
Ask each group in turn to share briefly the results of their discussion, but explain that
the plenary discussion that follows will then try to focus on the way people think
about conflict, rather than on the details of specific conflicts.
Do you think that you and others in your group managed to give a fair and
objective representation of the conflicts?
Did you manage to recall any statistics? If so, were these statistics from both
sides of the conflict or did they mostly record victims from your side?
What type of reasons did you give for particular acts of hostility? Did the reasons
differ if the hostile acts were carried out by your side?
Did you represent hostile acts committed by your side as any ‘more justified’
than those committed by the other side? If so, why do you think this was the
case?
Did you notice any similarities or differences between the way you represented
your conflict and the way others represented theirs?
Can you draw any conclusions about the way that conflict is perceived and
remembered? What are the main influences that shape our perceptions or
memory of a conflict?
Did you feel you needed more information? Where did most of your information
come from? Do you think this is a reliable source?
Can you imagine that more information might alter your view of this conflict?
Can you draw any similarities with on-going conflicts in the Euro-Mediterranean
area?
Did you learn anything about yourself in this activity?
At the end, invite anyone who wants to share their feelings about the activity as a
whole. Ask them whether they found it difficult/ useful/ challenging/ upsetting.
Tips for the facilitator
This activity could provoke very strong feelings and you need to be aware
whether there are likely to be participants in the group who come from different
sides of a particular conflict. You should be prepared to deal with any potential
conflict that might arise.
MOSAIC - The training kit for Euro-Mediterranean youth work