Proposal #21: A new CISV programme: Training Camps
I propose that CISV creates and runs a new programme based on the following goals and characteristics:
Goals:
- to promote the "completeness" of CISVs experience for building a more peaceful society.
- to "create" people that have the Attitude, Skills and Knowledge to actually change and improve the world.
- to strongly encourage and inspire participants to act towards concerns stated on CISV's Statement on Peace (Infofile R-01)
Characteristics:
- Age 19++
- Duration: 1-2 months
- Focus on the "external world" instead of on organization
- Careful follow-up on participants
- Planned and executed in cooperation with NGOs/Public institutions that are experts on issues we dont have as much information.
- Target group being people that plan/intend to work on "peace" beyond their free times.
- Application process to participate
- Externally funded.
- More "hard" knowledge on conflict solving, experiential education and facilitation.
- Creative exchange of concrete ideas on how to make a difference on the world.
- Inspirational experiences regarding real-world issues
- Skills Training on the group building, facilitation, conflict mediation, leadership, intercultural awareness, etc.
- Experience and Resources sharing among the participants and staff
It is about time for CISV to start offering more advanced Peace Education experiences. Many CISVers take this "peace business" very seriously and bring it not only to their free time (as volunteers) but to their professional lives. To create an environment that we could encourage and inspire more people to do so and actually give them the necessary skills to be effective at this job could be a major "CISV" contribution to work on towards a more peaceful society.
I recommend that the above mentioned R-01 document is used as an inspiration and that a working group is created to start considering hosting something like this in the next couple of years. I do not think this would be particularly difficult to host, since we already have experience in both logistical and camp-style experiential learning. This programme would also help the CISV to stablish useful contacts with other organizations.
Respectfully submitted, Marcos (BRA)
8 Comments:
I had to read Marcos' proposal twice until I really got the point. Marcos is not just thinking about an "IPP-plus", but want to take CISV education to a new level:
If the traditional programmes such as village and interchange "CISV elementary school", and seminar camp and IPP are "CISV highschool", Marcos thinks we should creat a "CISV university".
The famous A+ASK model symbolyses what CISV programmes focus on nowadays: Awareness + Attitude, Skills and Knowledge. But if we are honest, I think most of the time we settle with 90% Awareness. "training camps" as Marcos describes them would not settle with "good that we talked about it", but engage in straightfoward education of anything that can be included in "peace education" - on a professional level. CISV training camps would make participants trained and certified "peace-workers".
Now that I (think that I) understood this proposal I will have to think a bit to find our whether I like the idea ;).
heheh
Yes, Nick - you got it. Not only got it but made some very clever analogies and comments (University one, and the ASK focused on awareness. : )
Write again when you make up your mind!
Cheers!
The question is: do we have today in cisv people capable of working the "hard knowledge" of peace education "professionally"?
this in practical terms will mean: hiring professionals and partner with goverment (for instance with the european volounteer service) in order to get also to the participants of the program a minimum funding.
we cannot expect to have people which involves themselves in a long term program without financial benefits.
i like idea, but this will require more infrastructure (and in the short term at list higher fixed costs).
You're right, Teo.
A programme like this would have to start with a big budget, so that the participants (I'm guessing with application process) would get funds to come from wherever they are.
I also see people from outside the organization coming from this camps; this way we would reach a target group different from the usual and, at the same time, give one more step on our educational process.
As for the possible limitation of CISV in providing all this content, I agree - that's why I suggest that this programme is made in deep cooperation with other relevant organizations that has more specific knowledge on those issues.
Besides content help, we would also need some other big names to help us with the funding.
: )
I think this discussion brings us back to the question whether we want people to "continue in the name of CISV" or to "spin off from the organisation". Even though we spend much energy in retaining our volunteers, our actual goal should be to move people on to spend there time in "doing real stuff". (I can't come up with a better description, but I think you can grasp what I'm trying to say.)
IPP has long been critisized to fulfill a need of long-time CISVers, who were incapable of leaving the organisation. Why not do good elsewhere? Join Amensty International or Greenpeace? Should we create even more CISV for CISVers?!
So, to detangle the issue a bit more, what exactly are these SKILLS, ATTITUDES and KNOWLEDGES that we wish to teach people? Here's a list of things I can come up with in a quick brainstorm:
- conflict resolution
- teamwork
- intercultural competence
- leadership
- ...
Also, something I can only describe as "attitude to make the world a better place".
I think for most of the things listed above, CISV is already doing a good job in teaching these on a basic level. Moving beyond the basic level, I think there are courses and university degrees out there that can teach the hard facts without CISV. Or organisations that offer the environment to do hands-on work right in a certain area of "peace work".
But, even as other work-camps exist out there, I strongly believe that CISV should add IPP as another flavour to hands-on thematic experiencial learning opportunities out there. Similarly, I wouldn't deny that there is a "market" for the education that Marcos suggests.
But again, what exactly would a "training camp" teach?
As I am struggling to define what this "peace work" exactly is, I remember that any kind of research trying to measure the success of CISV has also failed. As we either settle with a failure to quantify and define what a succesful CISV education is, or solve the CISV identity crisis by redefining what CISV aims for - I think training camps will have to wait. :(
Nick, as usual, makes some very good points that are worth going through.
First of all, I must say that I completely agree with the principle (I like to call it like that) of having people "spin off from the organisation". In fact, this was the fundamental motivation for thinking about the "training camps".
"Training Camps" would be centers for people (not necessarily, and not even primarily CISVers) to come in, get ready, and leave. There is no intention (on the contrary) to keep these people on the organization.
It is not about giving a hands-on opportunity - it's about, as you said, moving on from Peace Education Highschool. Going more deeply on the issues that, as you said, we make a good job "on the basics". I'm sure we could expand and break-down your brainstorm a lot if we have a think-tank for this.
As for the mentioned "CISV Identity crisis", I must say that the problem is that CISV often describes itself by its structures, history and methods more than by its Goals. This makes the organization tend to stagnation or to confusion. (In our case, happily, the last one).
I say this because I think that finding new ways to accomplish our fundamental goals and experimenting these new ways is key for the organization to also understand itself and expand its possibilities.
I could agree that "Training Camps" might have to wait. But then it is one more lost chance for CISV to move forward.
Marcos,
You make a good point, building on Nick's discussion: there is confusion about CISV goals and vision. Many of the most effective organizations use very clear goals and visions to evaluate whether a new program fits with the overall mission of the organization. This would probably make it easier to evaluate the "fit" of your proposal with the organization's priorities at this time.
Having said this, I wonder if your idea could be integrated into CISV's existing programs. For example, is there follow-up after a program to help participants decide "what next?" Maybe your proposal could be developed internally to strengthen our post-program debriefing. That would probably help participants feel empowered about the choices they can make in their volunteer work and future education and career options. If it was successful, maybe there would be the future possibility of adapting the basic ideas into a training program for people without CISV contact.
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