Objectives: To develop the understanding that each person can have different, but not necessarily faulty, ideas on the same things.

Length: About 90 minutes.

Materials: Two chairs, a vessel, pieces of paper, pens.

Process: You can do this exercise in order to deepen your knowledge on a certain topic. Also, to strengthen the team’s trust in each other. Nevertheless, it is important to make sure that everyone has a chance to share and have their thoughts

supplemented, instead of criticized. This is an environment for everyone to get involved and learn equally.
Choose topics, such as bullying, critical thinking, stereotypes and so on. Then write down those topics on the pieces of paper and put them into the vessel. Pick two volunteers, who will come and sit on the chairs. Then draw the first piece of paper with a topic and the volunteers start talking. The audience cannot say or comment anything, but can come, pat a speaker on the shoulder and then the speaker leaves the chair to sit among the audience, while the newcomer sits down on the chair and becomes the talker, developing the topic further. Someone from the audience may come, when they want to add something or express their disagreement with the information discussed. If the speakers have nothing much to say on the topic, they must continue their conversation, based on what they know. The audience can keep changing the speakers. A discussion on a single topic may take about 8 minutes.

Summary:

Summary questions after all discussions are done:
1. How were the discussions?
2. Were there any moments, when you wanted to interrupt, but didn’t dare to? 3. Did you notice cases of the speakers discussing the topics in a completely different way than you would, but completely agreed with them?
4. Could you learn some understanding on certain topics from other people?
5. Was it difficult to accept a different position?

We can often notice people talking on the same things, but engaging in conflicts nevertheless. Everyone has their own understanding of each topic, developed by certain experiences in their lives. And those people could see certain things completely differently than you, but it doesn’t mean that they’re wrong. Each person thinks different and you need to learn to listen to them and accept their opinion. Constructive answers may not only help people grow and improve in various areas of life, but also take the good example and continue to use it in life, such as adding to someone’s thoughts, instead of merely criticizing them.