Who Am I? From Where Do I Draw the Strength to Be Who I Am?
Materials: Magazines, newspapers, collage paper, flipchart papers, crayons, felt- tip pens, glue, scissors, music Exercise description Instructions: Use the available materials to make a collage about “Who am I?...
Where I Live
Make a large “carpet” by connecting the flipchart papers with masking tape (so they don’t move around). It should be large enough so that the participants can gather round it...
Where I Come From
Everyone has a few minutes to think about the place they come from (however they understand it – city/country/region) and the things they like about it. Then, sitting in a...
What Type of Man Do I Like? What Type of Woman Do I Like?
Materials: Flipchart paper, markers Exercise description The participants split into four groups: two of just men and two of just women. One male and one female group (separately)...
What Tells Us That We Are (Not) Living in Peace? What Could Lead to a New War? 2
Materials: Flipchart paper, markers Exercise description Instead of splitting up into small groups, wall newspapers can be prepared collectively for each of the three topics. What tells us that...
What Tells Us That We Are (Not) Living in Peace? What Could Lead to a New War?
Materials: Flipchart paper, markers Exercise description Split into three groups. Each group is tasked with preparing a wall newspaper about one of the following topics: What tells us that...
What Should We Remember as a Society?
Materials: Flipchart paper, markers Exercise description Split into smaller groups. Step 1:Prepare a wall newspaper about “What do we remember (from the recent past) as a society?” Step 2:...
What I Liked/What Bothered Me in Our Communication
Materials: Post-its, pencils, flipchart paper Exercise description Everyone is given a few post-its. More post-its are kept on hand in case someone needs them. The participants are tasked with...
What I (Don’t) Like in Communication with Others
Materials: Flipchart paper, markers Exercise description On the wall or flipchart stand, put up a large paper with the title What I don’t like in communication with others. The...
What Can We Do?
Materials: Flipchart paper, markers Work in four mixed groups of about five participants each. The task is to discuss what they could do to reduce discrimination against women and against...
What Can We Do to Take a Step towards Reconciliation?
Materials: Flipchart paper, markers Exercise description Step 1. Split into groups based on home countries and prepare wall newspapers about: “What can we do to take a step towards...
What Can Others Do?
Materials: Flipchart paper, markers Exercise description Split into four mixed small groups. The small groups discuss: “What would I like to hear from others and what would make it...
What are the Greatest Challenges in Peacebuilding?
Materials: Flipchart paper, markers Exercise description Split into small groups. Discuss and prepare a presentation about: “What are the greatest challenges in peacebuilding?” This is followed by presentations and...
Training Motivation
Going around in a circle, each person answers the questions: Why did you decide to attend this training? What attracted you and motivated you?
Three Events that Affected My Engagement
A timeline is drawn on the board or flipchart representing three periods: before the war; during the war; after the war. For each of the three periods, each participant writes...
This Picture Speaks about Me
The collection of postcards and photographs is placed in the centre of the circle. Everyone has a few minutes to look through them and pick one that speaks about them...
The Media Image of the Past
Materials: Different daily newspapers and political magazines from the region, Flipchart paper, scissors, glue Exercise description Split into three groups. Each group gets a few different dailies and political...
The Heroes 2
Subject: Personal heroes. Participants work individually and write down who their heroes were during childhood and who they are now. . They split into small groups (made up of people...
Strengths and Weaknesses in Ways of Decision Making
Materials: Flipchart paper, markers Exercise description Split into four small groups. Each group is assigned one way of decision making: compromise, consensus, voting and “follow the leader”. The task is...
Similarities and Differences 2*
Materials: Worksheets, pencils Exercise description The participants are given copies of the worksheet with the following questions: Three things I like Three things I don’t like ͳ Three things we...
Shame and Pride in the Narratives of My Society
Materials: Flipchart paper, markers Exercise description Split into small groups based on ethnicity. The task is to prepare wall newspapers about: “Shame in the Narratives of My Society” and “Pride...
Reconciliation Has Arrived!
Materials: Multicoloured post-its, pencils, Flipchart paper Exercise description Everyone gets a few multicoloured post-its (have extra post-its on hand if needed). The task is to imagine that reconciliation has...
Reconciliation and Me
Materials: Flipchart paper, markers Exercise description Flipchart papers are laid out on the floor, each with one of the following questions: What is my biggest challenge in reconciliation? With...
Questions I’m Not Supposed to Ask
Materials: Flipchart paper, markers Exercise description Split into groups according to the participants’ home countries. The task is to prepare a wall newspaper about “Questions I’m not supposed to...
Pros and Cons
Materials: Large pieces of paper, markers Exercise description Division into small three groups. Step 1. Question: What would those who are against these kinds of meetings say to us? List...
Plenary Presentations with Started Sentences
Everyone sits in a circle. The started sentences are displayed so everyone can see them. One by one, each person introduces themselves in plenary and completes the started sentences: ͳ...
Places that are Important to Me (The Map)
A map of the former Yugoslavia, Europe or the world (it can be a geographic map, road map or just contours drawn on flipchart paper) is put up on the...
Past, Future
Materials: Paper, felt-tip pens Exercise description Task: Pair up. 1) Think of at least three to five important moments in your relationship to peacebuilding so far. Write each on...
Participants’ Expectations
Hand out the different coloured post-its. Give the participants a few minutes to write down their answers to the following questions: - What do I expect from this training? -...
My Three Identities
Materials: Paper and pencils Exercise description Everyone writes down a few of their identities and then chooses three to read out loud. Then one person stands up and reads...
My Safe Space
Materials: Paper, coloured Paper, felt-tip pens, crayons, magazines, glue, scissors, etc. Exercise description Everyone works independently on a drawing or a collage about “My Safe Space”. The collages are...
My Path Up to Here
On a blank sheet of paper, everyone draws an arrow that illustrates the course of their life, “my path up to here”, and marks important events on this timeline. Time...
My Name
Each person in the circle says their name and tells a story about it: what it means, how it was given to them, who gave it to them etc.
My Foreign Friend
Materials: Flipchart paper, markers, felt-tip pens Exercise description Determine categories beforehand and write them out as titles on flipchart papers/wall newspapers. Examples of categories: my friend from another region, my...
My Definition of Peace
Materials: Different coloured paper, felt-tip pens Exercise description Everyone in the group writes their definition of peace on a different coloured piece of paper. Then a “colourful sea” of...
My Contribution to Reconciliation
Exercise description The task is for each participant to say what they see as their contribution to reconciliation, taking turns around the circle. Before they start, they should be given...
Mapping the Patriarchy and Militarism
Materials: Flipchart paper, markers Exercise description Split into two groups. One group is to map the patriarchy and the other is to map militarism in our societies. They should...
Magazine Analysis
Materials: Daily newspapers, weeklies, magazines Exercise description Split into three groups: one “female”, one “male” and one “mixed”. Work in groups. Instructions for the working groups: “Your task is...
Let Me Introduce You
The participants split into pairs. Everyone tells their partner some information about themselves. The other person listens carefully and tries to commit this information to memory. They then switch roles....
Let Me Introduce Myself
Everyone takes a sheet of paper. They write their name in the middle. Then they write: ͳ in the upper left corner: how I feel at the moment ͳ in...
Left and Right Hand Signatures
Exercise description Paper and pencils are distributed to the participants and they are asked to sign their name. Then they are supposed to use one word to describe how it...
Labyrinth
Materials: Blindfolds, chairs Exercise description Divide into small groups of six or seven people. In each group, one person wears a blindfold. Using chairs, the others make a small...
Justice, Forgiveness, Truth, Reconciliation*
Materials: Flipchart paper, markers Exercise description The participants split into four small groups: justice, forgiveness, truth, and reconciliation. The groups discuss and prepare a presentation about: “Why are you...
Iceberg
Materials: Flipchart paper, felt-tip pens, markers Exercise description The trainer introduces the meaning of the term “iceberg”. The iceberg is a symbolic representation of what we show and what we...
I Will… / I Need…
Materials: Different coloured post-its, pencils Exercise description Distribute several post-its in various colours to participants. Participants should think about what they have gained from the training, what they have...
I Compete When…
Materials: Flipchart paper, pens Exercise description Split into three groups. Each group is tasked with preparing a wall newspaper about one of the following topics: - I compete when... -...
How the war marked my life
Materials: Chairs The hot seats method Use the hot seats method. The task is to use the item they have selected and brought along to tell their story about...
How I See Peacebuilding
Exercise description Split into smaller groups. Questions for discussion and preparing a presentation: What is peacebuilding for me? Values we connect to peacebuilding. Reasons why peacebuilding is relevant/ needed in...
Finishing Sentences
Materials: Big paper, felt-tips Exercise description Big pieces of paper are everywhere on the ground and there is a sentence that has been started on each of them. Participants...
Exploring Expectations: Tree of Expectations
Distribute the post-its. Give the participants a few minutes to write down their answers to the following questions: ͳ What would I like to see happen in this training? (on...
Exploring Expectations: Travel Bag
The participants draw a travel bag on the paper. They divide it into two equal parts. In one part they list What I brought to this training and in the...
Enemy images 2
Split into three smaller groups: The participants discuss: Who are the enemies in our societies, who are the “others”? What are images of the enemy used for? Who constructs these...
Enemy images
Materials: Flipchart paper, markers Exercise description Split into groups according to the participant’s home country/region. Step 1. The participants are instructed to list the groups their environment presented as enemies...
Drawing by Instruction
Materials: Paper and pencils Exercise description Everyone gets a sheet of paper and pencil. The trainer gives instructions for drawing geometric shapes that will make up a concrete drawing....
Documentary from the Series on Simulated Dialogue
Materials: Equipment to show and watch the film Exercise description The documentary series Simulated Dialogue* establishes indirect dialogue between people from the Balkans. Each of the films deals with the...
Developing Ideas About Peace/Nonviolent Activism 2
Exercise description Divide the participants into smaller groups. Participants develop the idea and plan how to implement peace activities using a catalogue of questions as a basis. Then they present...
Developing Ideas About Peace/Nonviolent Activism
Materials: A few copies of the questionnaire, a large piece of paper, markers Exercise description Divide the participants into smaller groups. Each group should talk through ideas for peace...
Denial, Justification, Truth Seeking
Materials: Flipchart paper, markers Exercise description The participants split into three smaller groups, each of which is to work on a wall newspaper addressing one of the following types...
Dealing with the Past in My Society
Materials: Flipchart paper, markers Exercise description The participants split into groups based on the countries they come from. Their task is to prepare a presentation on the state of...
Cooperation Agreement
Materials: Flipchart paper, markers Exercise description Participants give suggestions for terms of the Cooperation Agreement. Someone from the training team writes these down so everyone can see them. If...
Conflict and Modelling Clay
Materials: Modelling clay Exercise description The participants use modelling clay and plasticine to make a sculpture about conflict. An exhibition of sculptures is set up where everyone presents their work....
Collective Narratives About the 1990s Wars
Materials: Flipchart paper, markers Exercise description The participants split into smaller groups based on the countries they come from. Their task is to make a wall newspaper with the...
Box
Materials: Flipchart paper, markers Exercise description The participants split into men and women. Each group gets a flipchart paper with a rectangle drawn in the middle symbolising the “box”...
Better Understanding
Materials: Flipchart paper, markers Exercise description Split into four groups. Group discussions about: “What contributes to better understanding and constructive dialogue? Which modes of communication shut down dialogue and...
Analysing Behaviour in Conflict Using a Chart
Materials: Flipchart paper, markers, prepared conflict behaviour analysis charts Exercise description The participants fill out the chart in small groups. They give presentations in the plenary, followed by a discussion....
A Fair Attitude to the Past?
Materials: Flipchart paper, markers Exercise description Step1. Split into smaller groups based on nationality, ethnicity or religion. Each group is tasked with making a wall newspaper on: “What would...
“Power” Barometer
Materials: Large piece of paper, markers Exercise description Barometer method Suggestions of issues: Power is a negative attribute. Everyone wants power. I am powerful. Power can always be abused...