Political Systems
Who
Equality Cooperativa Sociale Onlus
Why
The purpose is to ensure that all young persons regardless of political interest or awareness gets to experiment different kind of political systems and methods of decision making.
Variant: This workshop can be used when a brand-new group is constituting in order to see how its members organize themselves.
What
Four workshops on Political Systems aiming to explain how political systems function and how differently they work. Equality has been tested it on groups in 4 consecutive weeks with good outcome. The target-groups consist of mix-gender and mix-backgrounds young persons in Equality residential care service between 15 and 20 years old.
At the end of each workshop a discussion is led on the degree of satisfaction, the results obtained and the feeling, ease or unease during the activity.
How
1)Autocracy: All the participants are divided in two groups. The professional chooses one of them that will take a role of a leader. At this point to the young people is given a box with straw, needles and glue. Indications are to follow the leader who orders to build a structure. To one of the groups is told that they must obey the orders of a leader although they do not like the instructions.
2)Democracy: All the participants are gathered in one group and we deliver them modelling clay. Input is to create something together with the material, putting everyone together and making decisions together. The professional stays with the group taking the role of a mediator to prevent someone from taking a leading role or being in conflict.
3)Absence of rules : Give to entire group a piece of large paper, pens, ,markers and all the materials available to paint. Instructions are that each one of them does what everyone wants for 20 minutes on that piece of paper.
4)Conclusion: Take the art work created in three previous workshops on political systems and invite the group of young persons to evaluate which workshop they felt better doing explaining the three systems they have experienced.
When
Continuously, whenever we have a new group of beneficiaries of our residential host service.
Effect
Increased knowledge on the topic proposed that can be “assessed” through questionnaire before and after the involvement in the activity.
Assessment
Effectiveness:
High degree / regularly
Gender sensitivity:
High degree / regularly
Culture sensitivity:
High degree / regularly
Doable (practical):
High degree / regularly
Participatory:
High degree / regularly
Replicable and adaptable:
High degree / regularly
Assessment/evaluated:
High degree / regularly
Type of good practice
Practical tool
Themes
Democratic dialogue, Youth civic participation
Duration
One month or less
Type of activity
Group activity
Resourses
Materials: Straw, needles, glue, modelling clay, paper, pens, markers and painting material. Human resources: 1-2 professionals.