• First Morning Workshop:  everyone takes Dialogue and Peace Building 
• Second Morning Workshop:  you choose either Crossing Cultures Through the Arts or Green Your World. 

GYV offers in-depth training.     Instructors show the interdependence of topics, draw on successful models of problem solving from around the world and help you see how one person can make a difference. 
Take all this new knowledge and create a plan of action to make a difference in your hometown!

Watch slides from recent workshops

Dialogue and Peace Building

Learn peace building skills and how to respond productively to conflict and prejudice. Understand conflict styles, learn mediation techniques, and how to create a better balance of power.  Explore non-violence movements, and how to constructively deal with anger. Develop listening and feedback skills and study facilitation techniques.

“I have accomplished the goal of being able to speak in a large group. I learned about dialogue and conflict resolution.

Now I can go back home and resolve conflicts whether they are personal, family, or community conflicts. I can start to make change.”

~ Philip Kane, Northern Ireland

Crossing Cultures through the Arts

The arts play an essential role in preserving and transmitting culture as well as commenting on the issues of the day.  Work with Artists-in-Residence  who have specific expertise in storytelling and music from around the world.  Build writing and interviewing skills. Create stories, video blogs and more using the peers at GYV as your youth voices.  Work with professional musicians and ethnomusicologists exploring different musical styles e.g. Middle East, American roots music, African influences in American music.

Green Your World

Explore the natural world and the complex issues facing our ecosystems. Learn how to be a friend to the environment through changing your every day habits to incorporate sustainable living practices. Discover the meanings behind concepts like eco-tourism, permaculture, fair trade, green building, organic agriculture and renewable energy.

Watch Video from workshops in the past:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPr7t7cKF9Q

Debate vs. Dialogue

assuming there is a right answer                            assuming many people have pieces of the answer

combative                                                                                       collaborative

about winning                                                              about exploring common ground

listening to find flaws, make counter arguments                listening to understand, find meaning

defending assumptions as truth                                               revealing assumptions for re-examination

critiquing the other sides position                                           re-examine all positions

defending own views                                                  acknowledging other views can expand one’s own

seeking a conclusion that ratifies your own position           discovering new options

Obviously, dialogue is more open and builds a foundation for greater understanding!

A good listener:

• Makes appropriate eye contact

• Remains reasonably still

• Nods, smiles, responds

• Leans toward speaker

• Sits alertly, attentively

• Facial expressions reflect interest

• Does not check the time often

• Takes notes

• Verifies information, asks appropriate questions

• Considers speakers points seriously

1) Don’t ask a person to answer on behalf of an entire group/don’t attempt to speak for an entire group

2) Be aware of your mode of communication – timing, tone of voice, body language, privacy of conversation – all play an important role n how your conversation partner will feel in answering your questions.  Remember their sense of timing; tone of voice etc may be different than your own.

3) Watch your assumptions – don’t assume you know the other’s motivations, rationale or opinion, ask for clarification.

4) Check yourself before speaking: is the question appropriate?  Why do you want to ask it?  Why do you want or need the information?

5) Respect the person’s choice to accept or decline to answer your question.

Be a peacebuilder!!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIj8BzYlE1E

We sing it all the time in the morning – Cali

Yin is learning drum and singing.  She played piano and clarinet when she was younger, but gave those up.

Nick played the flute in 8^th grade,

“We’re learning a lot about music – the high notes and the low, and the between, and the drumming.”  A., a GYV participant from Iraq started drumming on the table as he demonstrated what he was learning in his Arabic music class.  The class, lead by Arabic musician Sami Abu Shumays, is bringing speakers of more than 5 languages, from 4 countries together to learn to sing and play music from the Middle East.  For many, it’s their first experience playing music.  M., also from Iraq, has never been involved in music, but has learned to drum for the class.  A. has worked professionally as a DJ, creating beats for commercials and songs. 

Other participants were already accomplished musicians when they joined the class, but are enjoying learning a new form.  Klara, from Germany, plays jazz and classical saxophone, and is excited to be learning a new form of music.  Cali, from the United States, plays violin, piano, clarinet, flute, drums, and lap harp.  She says, “It’s a lot of fun because we get to meet each other and learn.”  Nick, from Chicago, agreed.  “It’s bringing us closer together.”

Learning to sing in Arabic has been a challenge for the non-Arabic speaking participants.  Cali says the aspirated Hs are particularly difficult.  She explained her difficulty, and it turned into a mini-lesson on the correct pronunciation.  The Arabic speaking students in the class spend a lot of time helping the others understand the meaning of the music they are working on. 

Both sections of the class are looking forward to performing the song they are learning at Sharing Night.  “It’s a catchy song,” says Nick.  “We sing it a lot in the mornings,” Cali added.

The Peacebuilding Workshop is a kind of workshop  that focuses on communication and dialogue as tools to bring about peace, understanding and experimental knowledge.  It helps promote listening, expressing thoughts and sharing personal experiences to build connecting bridges between participants to bring them closer together so that they could comprehend and appreciate each other in a peaceful and productive manner.  Providing a safe and comfortable environment for the participants is the key to beneficial communication and it accommodates speaking up and learning diverse techniques about conflict resolution skills by experiencing the facts rather than studying them.  Demonstrating that respect and positive attitude leads to a win/win result provokes the participants to try to make a difference through embracing dialogue and peace as the lane that leads to solutions for our problems. 

When I first came here I was really confused about my goals and I had so many thoughts in chaos that I didn’t know how to sort them out, but I have experienced in this workshop that there is really no way to peace, peace is the way.  I finally have the motivation that I was lacking to go for my dreams which is to make a positive difference in my society.

~ Iraqi Participant Session B, 2009

Community Involvement Program (CIP)

• Three-weeks with international and US youths at the Global Youth Village
•  plus  6- days  in Washington DC

Ages: 15-18
Dates:  July 17-August 4

Your program is a special initiative and selection process,  and includes in-country assistance with application, visa process, group flight details and a chaperone for groups of 10 or more.

For more information, please contact the following people:

Stella Abuah Project Coordinator
Telephone: 773-297-5557
Email : patabu@hotmail.com

Martina Omoaka Nigeria Outreach Assistant Coordinator
Telephone : 234-805-584-4208 Or 802-323-9268.
Email : martykjs@yahoo.com