Active Citizens Global Toolkit - Active Citizens - British Council

� What would have helped the process to be more successful? Think
about our attitudes and our approaches to negotiation. e.g. We need to
be clear about the process we’re using, it can be useful to have a
facilitator, dialogue takes time, the way the seats are arranged is
important, the way people speak and ‘body language’ can all have an
effect on a discussion. We should respect other people’s opinions.
Separating ourselves into groups created tension between different
groups this is important when we think about working with different
cultures.
� What are the advantages of this process? Good things E.g. You can
achieve some consensus about Active Citizens. Brings to light
different interpretations. Deepens the groups understanding of how to
negotiate and work with each other. Forms new alliances which were
based on words people preferred, and therefore not based on race,
culture etc. . We think first as individuals and therefore form our own
opinions before entering into a group discussion. Everyone had an
opportunity to speak so more committed to outcomes.
� What’s negative about this process? e.g. Why reduce a complex idea
to just a few words? Is agreement always important? Shouldn’t we
respect differences of opinion? Participation takes time and you may
not come to an agreement.
Globally connected, Locally engaged - Active Citizens: Toolkit. Copyright © 2011 (v2 2012) The British Council
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