Merging Ethiopian Wise-Counsel Mediation and Facilitative ...

Iv.2The Function of Role Play in TrainingsWhether the roles participants act out in a role play are based on real life cases or are designed, role play imitates reality. Throughrole play, attitudes, situations and experiences come to life in a dramatic and enjoyable way. They help participants to applylearned skills and deepen learning through experiencing and feeling.Role play can be used in training sessions at any appropriate time to deepen the learning process, however, it is often best usedat the end of a learning session. It is very important to take enough time to explain to the participants the setup of a role play inorder to enable them to “enrol,” that is, to really engage in playing their assigned roles. Trainers can use different role plays to helptrainees better understand the essentials of mediation. The following are examples of role plays used in this manual.The communication exercisesFor effective mediation, communication—especially by mediators—matters most to help parties understand each other’s positions.Here, communication emphasises the conflicting parties’ feelings, fears, wishes, etc. so that appropriate solutions can be reached.The Mediation Tree House, The Mango Tree, The Ladder role-play exercisesThese role plays unveil parties’ change of perceptions and the shift from their positions to interests and needs. Initially, the partiespresent solutions that they each want to reach but that are unacceptable to the other party. These role plays practice mediators’skills in using grounding questions and enabling the parties to bring forward their needs and interests.The Fishery Game, The Donkey StoryIndispensable role plays that help to facilitate conflicting parties’ change of perspective analysis. Like the aforementioned roleplays, these games begin with the participants initially reflecting on the positions of the conflicting parties. In the process ofintensive interactions, however, the parties begin to feel the possibility of losing and start to reconsider their positions. As such,they start to see the interests of the other party and begin to work out win-win solutions by generating different options.Training Skills99