Active Citizens Global Toolkit - Active Citizens - British Council

An appreciative approach to our
communities: The wall of greatness
(60 minutes)
Learning outcomes:
1. Have a better understanding of the relationship between personal,
local and global connections.
2. Have a strong sense of our own cultures and identity.
3. Feel more motivated and able to share with and learn from others.
4. Have curiosity and value difference.
Summary: An ‘appreciative’ approach to thinking about our cultures.
Participants write, drawn and present what makes them proud about their
communities followed by a gallery walk (see page 21)
Materials: Participants are asked in advance of the event to bring a small
memento, magazine cutting or article to depict what they are proud of in
their community. Participants bring materials with them to the workshop
Approach:
1. Ask participants what the word community means to them. Capture
their words on a flip chart E.g. geographic locality (local, regional,
national, international) or a community of interest (e.g. women, youth,
Islam, business, arts etc.) which interact around shared interests and
values.
2. Tell the group we are now going to take an ‘appreciative’ look at our
communities by answering the question: ‘what makes me proud of my
community?’
3. They should do this by preparing their mementos and writing or
illustrating their answer on to sheets of paper. They can do this on their
own or, if there are distinct communities in the room, in small groups.
4. Put the text and images for each person or group together on the wall
and the mementos on the tables below.
5. Participants should now, in mixed groups of three or four visit their
images and mementos and share what makes them proud about their
community? What these items and images signify. Give ample time for
participants to inquire, explore and mix.
Debrief:
� What did people feel during that activity? Why?
� How was the experience of being appreciative? Why?
� Have we altered any of our assumptions about the communities we
encountered?
� What was inspiring? Did we all have something to learn and something
to share? Ask for examples.
� Are there any things which we feel we would like to share about our
communities globally?
Globally connected, Locally engaged - Active Citizens: Toolkit. Copyright © 2011 (v2 2012) The British Council
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