Leadership in International Groups

Was the catchy title

Donetsk, “Lesnaya polyana” hotel, May 19-20 2007 – place and date

22 young, fresh from overnight travel participants, including the prep-team who slept 2 hours to prepare the program

This is what we have started with.

We ended with creating great group atmosphere, where people felt safe and comfortable, focused for learning, open to different games, simulations and exercises. We covered all the topics planned, discussed future steps and got a lot of energy, ideas and inspiration to continue with volunteer work and international volunteer projects. We got new leaders enthusiastic about volunteer projects, willing to co-organize and contribute to them.

The prep-team members with fresh memories and knowledge gained during the peer motivation training in Ulan-Ude were full of ideas, prepared piles of flipcharts, icebreakers, cases and different methods to mix the group well together, keep participants focused and interested; energizers against sleeping. The program included information on volunteer projects and voluntary service organizations, what is short-term volunteer project and who is involved in its preparation and realization, roles and responsibilities of all sides involved; styles of leadership, conflict resolution and intercultural learning; components of international volunteer project and responsibilities of leader, facilitation, emergency situations. We had sessions of intensive group of work and discussion, thematic inputs, discussions of practical experiences and situations, questions and answers. We also had fun sessions with a panel of judges in fancy hats, who gave candies to everyone under the motto “friendship is winning”, activities aimed at group trust, self exploration, blind walk, team work activities and many nice jokes – it felt like we know each other for months and weeks already, and not just for hours.

The outcomes – we elaborated several short-term international volunteer projects in detail, planned next preparation steps and participation, divided responsibilities. Discussed other possibilities for young people to get involved in volunteer projects, and how SVIT could help and support local initiatives and activists. We empowered the participants with skills, experience and information to be leaders in international volunteer projects.