Goal
The basic rules lay the foundation for trustbuilding and for a democratic collaboration.
Steps
1. Explain: The ground for collaboration within the seminar is trust. On an individual level, trust is the certainty that things will happen according to my expectations and wishes. On a group level, it is a generally supportive, well-intentioned attitude toward each other. Rules help to facilitate a working culture which enables me to be trustful.
2. Present the rules below and ask your participants to discuss them. Furthermore, ask them, what kind of other rules they'd like to add.
3. Let the group discuss or divide the group into smaller groups.
4. Let the groups or individuals present their results and proposals to the plenum
Discretion rule
The rule refers to right like respect for private life, privacy or security.
- “What we say here stays in the seminar room.”
This also includes pictures, stories, or videos, which are not allowed to be shared in social networks without explicit permission.
Stopping rule
This rule refers to rights like respect for dignity, freedom of expression, voluntary association, self-determination.
- “Whenever a participant feels uncomfortable with something that happened or is about to happen, they are allowed to say: STOP.”
In this event, they do not have to participate (in example in a task touching the personal level of intimacy) and need not to explain why.
Disagreement rule
This rule refers to rights like freedom of expression, non-discrimination or respect for cultural, religious and linguistic diversity.
- "Everybody has the right to agree and to disagree."
Minority perspectives must be heard and respected, which also means that no one’s experience is marginalized or put in relative terms by the majority. Also the majority in a group does not have to agree. The rule asks for an empathic and respectful treatment of disagreement and difference.
Reflection
- What was easy, what was difficult to agree?
- What was the most consensual aspect?
- How do you feel with such rules?
- In what form do you prefer rules?
- When thinking of our group as a part of the society - are these the basic rules or are there as well others similar important for a peaceful and trustful living together?
Depending on your interest this program point might be finished quite fast by presenting the results and deciding on them. Or it takes longer and you take the opportunity to exchange deeper on the attitude of the group members toward democratic procedures and rules.
Handbook for Facilitators: Holistic Learning
E. Heublein (ed.), N. Zimmermann (ed.) (2017). Holistic learning. Planning experiential, inspirational and participatory learning processes. Competendo Handbook for Facilitators.
Experience
The three rules help participants to easier address their needs. The more participants make use of them, the more relevant they will become. The rules are also rights - and adding a rights dimension to the learning process.
Variation
From basic rules too other more specific agreements within a seminar groups or a class, add a further step. In example another method like Code of Conduct.
