Moving from CONFLICT TO CONSENSUS
Moving from Controversy to Consensus is an 8-hour advanced training program designed to help organizations address controversial topics and resolve conflict by training members as effective facilitators. Participants in this highly interactive program will learn the techniques that they will need to lead workshops, panel discussions, and guided conversations, with the goal of creating a safe environment conducive to honest and open discussion. Effective facilitators allow all participants to feel respected, valued, supported, and heard.
This program will address the following topics:
1. Creating, Communicating and Enforcing
Ground Rules
Creating effective ground rules and communicating them to participants is
the first step towards facilitating an effective program. Ground rules should
clearly establish the expectations for all participants. Clear ground rules will
help to avoid conflict during the program, and if conflict does arise,
facilitators can refer back to ground rules to help diffuse the situation.
During this section of the workshop facilitators will be presented with
strategies for developing an effective set of ground rules.
2. The Facilitation Team
The PVPI uses a team facilitation model. This allows at least one team
member to focus on leading the program and one team member to act as a support
person who will be free to work with participants who need support on an
individual basis. Since most programs deal with very emotional topics, it is
likely that some participants will need to talk outside of the group setting.
This section of the program will clearly define the roles of both the
facilitator and the support person.
3. Effective Facilitation
Effective facilitation requires preparation and practice. During this section of
the workshop facilitators will explore strategies for effective facilitation and
will participate in activities that will help them to: Create a safe and welcome
environment for all participants; Set and meet facilitation goals; Create a
facilitation framework/outline; Develop appropriate facilitation questions;
Respond to a participant disclosure; Encourage participation from a quiet group;
Deal effectively with a "difficult" participant.
4. Effective Support
An effective support person will allow the program to flow smoothly by
dealing with issues that may arise, allowing the facilitator to lead the group
discussion. During this section of the workshop participants will be presented
with techniques for effective facilitation support such as: Recognizing
and responding to a participant in distress; Dealing appropriately with a
participant disclosure; When to make an outside referral; When to assist
facilitator by offering clarification or explanation.
5. Diffusing Emergent Situations
Discussing sensitive topics such as violence, oppression prejudice, poverty,
etc, will be very painful for some participants, no matter where they stand on
the issue. On rare occasions this pain or anger may result in an emergent
situation developing such as a fight, suicide threat or attempt, or other
unexpected action. During this section of the workshop facilitators will
explore: Recognizing and diffusing escalating situations; Strategies for safely
intervening in violent situations; When to call the police, or or get outside
assistance.
6. Guided Practice
Effective facilitation requires practice. During this section of the
program, participants will practice facilitating discussions using controversial
topics such as the sexuality debate, poverty, genetics, justice for women, and
other suggested topics.
Bullying and Harassment Prevention
Prejudice Reduction and Community Building
