Train the Trainers on the Learning to Live Together Manual in Sri Lanka

Hello, 

So much has happened during the last months that I wonder if I will have time until the end of the year to update my blog.  My next posts will be about Wedding Anniversary in Thailand, workshop and experiences in Nepal, meeting in Belgium, Master thesis and holidays and conference in Portugal.  

Let me share with you the great experience I had in Sri Lanka during the South Asia Regional Train the Trainers Course on the Learning to Live Together Manual developed by Arigatou International in close cooperation with UNESCO and UNICEF.  The TtT was organized by the GNRC South Asia Secretariat and hosted by Sarvodaya with the participation of 24 participants from 9 different countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines and Sri Lanka. The workshop was held from 12 to 18 August 2011. 

I worked with Arigatou and the GNRC for almost six years (the last one and a half year as a consultant) and I facilitated several workshops on the Learning to Live Together manual in more than 15 countries, and I must say that this workshop was for sure the most rewarding, enriching and powerful workshop I had.  The high profile of the participants (with a lot of experience in the field, knowledge of the topics and a genuine interest in intercultural and interfaith education), the excellent group of facilitators, the venue, the context and the atmosphere were the perfect components for a successful workshop.

We had the opening ceremony with a traditional Sri Lankan dance that led all participants and guests from outside of the venue to the main conference hall where Dr. Vinya Ariyaratne, General Secretary of Sarvodaya, welcomed the participants. We were honoured by the presence of Dr. A.T Ariyaratne, founder of the Sarvodaya movement who shared some wise words with us.  Children from some of the Sarvodaya programs also were present. 

Welcome ceremony

Next day we started the workshop with an activity to get to know each other better, where we learned about participants' professional activities, some of their personal experiences, where they come from and had time to share with one another.  We found commonalities, differences and got connected.  It was a great start for the workshop.  People were very enthusiastic, open to share and very excited about what was going to happen during the next days.

The venue was great and very conducive to learning from one another, leaving behind prejudices and predispositions.  We had the workshop at the Vishva Niketan International Peace Center that belongs to Sarvodaya.  Vishva Niketan in Sanskrit means “Universal Abode” and is symbolic of the Centre’s desire to include all nations, religions, and ethnicities in its vision of world peace.

We went through the educational approach of the manual, its content and methodologies, reflected about its different applications and ways of understanding according to particular settings and situations.  Participants internalized what it means for each of them. 

Manela, one of the youth who were part of the GNRC youth workshops when I worked in Arigatou came for a couple of days.  It was great to meet her!

We used several methodologies: experience-based, discussion-based, introspection-based, problem-solving based and cooperative-based.  We used case studies, meta-plan, dilemmas, simulation, world cafes, role-plays, walking meditations, among many other techniques to engage in dialogue, learn from one another and enhance learning. 

Participants discussing the foundational principles of the Learning to Live Together

Activity about different points of view, understanding others' beliefs and challenging one point of view

Going through the learning modules of the manual through experiential activities, participants prepared activities and reflected about learning process and methodologies

Understanding conflicts, transformation and cooperation through a game

With Sayed, whom I met in Baku, Azerbaijan in June in a course I gave about intercultural education.  He applied for this TtT and got selected, so here we are!

Participants prepared a very special evening, where they shared about their spiritual traditions, about their countries and danced together!

Participants were tasked to plan, prepare and facilitate a training session for adults on how to use the Learning to Live Together.  This was a fantastic experience.  I enjoyed a lot each session, participants' creativity, team work and commitment to make a great job. 

Participants planing and preparing their sessions

Group photo!

Trainers' team: with Vijay and Vinu from India and Suchith from Sri Lanka.  What an excellent team!  The academic and practical expertise of each of us brought a great added value to the workshop.  The diversity of the team in terms of gender, religion, spoken languages, background and facilitation style was excellent. There was synergy and trust among us, which was perceived by the participants.  Each of us complemented each other and respectfully supported each session.   

 

Collaborative work prepared by some of the participants!

Cultural evening: performances by local dancers and after that each participant performed something traditional from their countries.  

Cultural evening

Sharing plans to implement the Learning to Live Together back home.  There were very good ideas for implementation of the manual: 1) Possibility to introduce it to the Ministry of Education in Sri Lanka for implementation in the national curriculum. 2) Training of Teachers of the ASP.net in Indonesia with the support of UNESCO.  3) Possibility to organize a workshop in the Philippines and introduce the GNRC in South East Asia.  4) Possibilities to introduce the manual in Afghanistan and Pakistan through the participants’ organizations. 5) Development of a Basic Training Workshop in Nepal and implementation of the manual in several formal and non formal organizations through the Peace Education Network of Nepal, PENN, and 6) Several possibilities to form a group of trainers in Sri Lanka and expand the use of the manual in several organizations and settings in the country.

Closing ceremony.  At the end of the workshop we created a mandala where we shared the learning in terms of content, what we took from the workshop and commitments. It was a very simple moment but very powerful. 

In the evening we went to a restaurant close to the beach! We enjoyed a lot and said goodbye!

The Sri Lankan participants prepared a surprise for all of us and gave us some presents, which was very touching and bonding.

The workshop ended in a spirit of friendship, collaborative learning, support, happiness, inner awareness, commitment and determination to implement programs based on the Learning to Live Together manual in their countries.   

What a powerful experience! The connection created and the synergy that emerged really touched me and made me reflect, once again, about the power of bringing together individuals who are committed to changing the world with others!  Thank you for this wonderful opportunity.

Peace,

Malu