Introduction
Every body should be positive (By @wayhomestudio on Freepik.com)
Often, we are unable to send positive messages to the people we live with for several reasons:
- modesty,
- we consider them discounted,
- we do not want them to "get their heads up",
- we don't think that's important.
We must remember, however, that positive messages have a very important effect on people because they help to increase self-esteem and self-esteem is essential for having deep security.
Feeling confident avoids seeing ghosts, feeling threatened, having non-existent fears, needing to blame others for their problems.
This activity is for:
- make people understand the importance of the words and messages we express every day,
- exercise the ability to value and appreciate others
- Reflect on the responsibilities we have towards others and their well-being.
Participants will be encouraged to interact and experience concretely, immediately and "on their own skin", both feeling discriminated against and being valued and welcome.
A good and positive communication and non-violent ways of communication can prevent aggressive behaviour and other kinds of conflict. It is important to adopt a healthy communication code in order to attain peaceful communication and avoid hate speech and violence. Maintaining positive communication helps people to create strong networks based on trust and serenity. Good and strong networks are useful in negotiations and communications with institutions to promote peace.
Learning Objectives
- The learner understands the importance of the international human rights framework
- The learner is able to reflect on their role in issues of peace, justice, inclusion and strong institutions
- The learner is able to critically assess issues of peace, justice, inclusion and strong institutions in their region, nationally and globally
- Critical thinking competency
- Self-awareness competency
- Systems thinking competency
- Anticipatory competency
- Collaboration competency
Instructions
Step 1) Introductory game (30 minutes) The participants stand in a circle with their eyes closed. The teacher sticks a post-it on the forehead of every student (each post-it must contain a positive or negative sentence. Check the notes for educators). The participants start to walk and move freely around the room. When they come across other people, they have to read and represent what is written on the post-it sticked on the foreheads of the people they meet. They cannot make any sound, they cannot talk. They can only use gestures. After everyone has met everyone else, the teacher asks them to sit in a circle to discuss how they felt (the students will still have the post-it sticked on their foreheads). After this discussion, the participants will have to remove the post-it and read it. They will talk to each other for a while: did they feel understood or discriminated against? Did they feel guilty about something? Step 2) “I’m good/I'm capable" (30 minutes) The teacher explains that the meeting is focused on understanding the importance of self-esteem in everybody's life. The teacher gives a piece of paper to everybody with the words "I am capable or I am good" written on it. The teacher asks the students to list some examples of accusatory, destructive, negative messages they heard in their life? (Examples of possible answers could be: "you don't understand anything, you are immature, you are a disaster, you do not do the right thing"…). For each statement, each student will rip a piece from his/her sheet who reported the sentence. The teacher will then ask the students to give examples of positive messages received in their life. (Examples of possible answers could be: "come on! you can do it, look how good you are"). For each positive message each student will reattach (with adhesive tape) the pieces of paper. At the end of the activity, the teacher will ask the students: "What does this reassembled sheet suggest to you?, How do you feel looking it?, How do you feel while you were ripping off your sheet?" and will lead a discussion on this aspect. Step 3) “I like you” (30 minutes) The teacher will explain that the second phase (I am good / I am capable) was the theory. Now we want to move on to practice. The following activity will help us exercise our ability to value and appreciate people and at the same time will allow us to experience the positive effect of positive communication. All participants receive 8 pieces of paper where they will write positive messages for 8 people in the group chosen by the teacher. (Some examples could be: "I like you ...; thank you for ...; I appreciate you ...; I discovered that ...; I'm happy .. .; You're a person..."). The messages are anonymous, they are folded and left at the person's feet. At the end, when everyone has finished writing, they can silently read the received messages and choose their favorite one. They can read it loud to the group. At the end of the activity the teacher will ask the students to form a circle and stimulate the discussion "Was it difficult to write the messages? Was it embarrassing? How did you feel about receiving them? Are you able to give positive messages in life? And negative ones? Why?”. - CALL TO ACTION 1 The teacher and the students will identify a popular square in the city and they organize an information point (with gazebo and tables) for three afternoons in a month. The students put a transparent bowl on the table of the information point. They will stop the passers-by (groups of people, individuals or couples) and they will give them two blank pieces of paper. The students will ask the people to write on the first paper the best compliment or message they ever received. Then the students will ask the people to read it aloud (if the person wants) and to put it in the bowl. The students will ask to write on the second paper a compliment that they will have to hand to the person with whom they are accompanied or to be given to a person they will meet during the day. When they deliver the positive message they should also encourage the other person to do the same (deliver a positive message in the same way). It’s important that the positive message spreads! - CALL TO ACTION 2 Students can create an Online Positive Communication Campaign, in which each week a positive message chosen from among students is published. Before launching the online campaign it is advisable to create a list with inspiring and positive sentences to animate the social networks of the school and create a small virtual image that accompanies the text. Alternatively the learners can write and draw posters that will be hung in a common space of the training center, such as windows, the front door...and the class group will be responsible for changing it every week (for the duration established together). |