BEE What You Want To Be!

Fit for
Leadership!
Empowerment Tools for
Girls In Rwanda
BEE
What You Want To Be!

Leadership and Empowerment Training for

Girls and Young Women in Rwanda

Resource Book 2005

Georgina Nitzsche • Edit Schlaffer

Team:
Sarah Mchugh
Alexander Nitzsche
Joanna Godwin-Seidl
Ruth Bauer (Illustrator)

Supported by the Austrian Social Ministry

Contents
5 Planning the Sessions

8 Brain Games

Leadership training exercises

14 Theme one ≈ Leadership and Gender
26 Theme two ≈ Identity and Orientation
34 Theme three ≈ Skills for Public Life
42 Theme four ≈ Zones of Impact
56 Theme five ≈ Fit for Life! - Your Personal Force
68 Theme six ≈ Communication
78 Theme seven ≈ Diversity and Synergy

Applied Leadership: project steps

90 Introduction
94 Project step 1: Innovation
98 Project step 2: Preparation
102 Project step 3: Operation
104 Project step 4: Reflection

Acknowledgements

Why the bee?

Despite their bright warning colours, bees are
animals with highly developed societies and com-
munication skills. They work together to support
and provide for eachother. That’s why we chose
the bee as the logo for this manual.

3
 “The Obstacle is the Path”
To the girls and young women of Rwanda
Worldwide women are on the move. Women change the world and you will
be part of this challenging movement. But how will it happen? The most
important step is your determination. Just let the slogan of the interna-
tional women’s movement guide you: “The personal is political!” How you
live, how you think, how confident and energetic you are will both affect
your own life and the future of Rwanda. Your personal ambitions, your cre-
ativity and dreams will open windows to the world and help to make it a
better place.

For as long as anyone can remember, boys and men have been the leaders
on the earth. They were the head of the tribe; head of the farm; of the
household, of the company, the minister, the president and the priest. Men
are famous for inventions, innovations, discoveries and skills such as painting
or sports. So it would be reasonable to think that only boys should get
leadership training.

Not so! It may well be that history has recorded the stories and successes
of men, but there is still plenty of historic evidence right across the world,
of women having been equally important in the human story, though they
are not always appreciated or respected. Indeed, certain customs or tradi-
tions actually hurt or hold women back. Women experience exclusion, lack
of freedom, violence and hatred. Women often enforce these same customs
on their own daughters believing they are the weaker sex.

It takes a great deal of bravery for one person to realise that certain
behaviour is out of date, or mean or just not working. The human race can
be grateful that over the many years of civilised existence these brave
people lead the way for change. Many were not ‘born leaders’, aristocrats,
or landowners either. They were ordinary men and women who felt strongly
about something.

“Ladies first!!” might be a polite gesture of outdated patriarchy, but why

not take it seriously and put yourself first for a change? Make the choice
to take your future into your hands. You will not be alone in this adven-
ture. Look around you and you will find many allies – friends, teachers,
family members, books. The starting point will be to identify the limits you
might have set yourself from within. Explore your inner-self, gather
strength and confidence to realise your potential. Many girls and women
around the globe are together in this. They rock the boat, they take risks,
they explore opportunities beyond the limitations of societal expectations
Together you will be stronger, you will define your goals, explore your
options, shape your lives and move the barriers!

Edit Schlaffer, Chairperson, Women without Borders

4
Planning the Sessions
“Education is not the filling up of a hole, but the lighting of a fire”
Welcome to the ‘Fit for Leadership!’ training manual from Women without
Borders. In your hands is the material for up to 25 hours of leadership and
empowerment training for young girls. The curriculum is designed using mod-
ern interactive methods of teaching. Together with the personal inputs of a
facilitator, this is a ready-made, stand alone and flexible programme, so that
girls’ groups can work, under local supervision, on long-term projects inde-
pendently.

The workshop section one tackles themes such as leadership, gender, partic-
ipation, civil society and personal skills. Girls and young women can learn to
develop their abilities for future roles in public life, such as management and
decision-making. The applied leadership section twois a step-by-step guide
from start to completion of a project undertaken in small teams. The proj-
ect subjects are inspired by typical government ministry portfolios, such as
human rights, environment and social concerns. The project teams are then
organised into mini-ministries. These ‘mini-ministries’ can work independently,
or even with the support and mentoring of local organisations working in sim-
ilar areas.

The Fit for Leadership! curriculum is offered as an after school club, often
held in a school or community building. Facilitators prepare and conduct work-
shop sessions on a weekly basis, using the exercises and games available in
this resource book. Whilst it is perfectly possible to supplement, enhance or
develop any of the material in this book, it is advisable not to mix the train-
ing themes within a workshop. The order of the themes has been designed to
fit with the project steps in section two. Each theme contains enough mate-
rial for one or more workshops. Workshops should have a certain amount of
routine/ritual to them, for example: warm-up exercises, introduction to the
training theme, and a good mix of activities. There should be no more than
20 girls in one group.

The applied leadership projects are an integral part of the curriculum – there
is no better way to teach responsibility than to give it. This section (two) is
constructed in four project steps: innovation, preparation, operation, reflec-
tion. All the exercises must be completed in order. The project steps are
written directly to the participants. Simply make copies of the project steps
for the mini-ministries to work through. Each mini-ministry will have a proj-
ect folder (binder) for all the notes, work, contacts, reports and financial
records etc. It should be noted, as for all extra-curricular activities, safety
is paramount. Make sure that contact with outside organizations is approved
by the participants’ school or parents.

At the beginning of the workshop, participants are given an empty book with
lined pages. This is their personal journalwhich they will use in each session.
In it they can write; what they learnt in the workshop, how they felt, what
was important to them, what was difficult? Participants should be encouraged
to read and put cuttings in their journal of articles that influenced them,
such as political or cultural role models, music, things they like. Participants
should be encouraged to write in the book in-between sessions too.

An excellent way to conclude the curriculum is to organise a girls’ parliament

assembly, perhaps in the real government building. Girls take on shadow parlia-
mentarian roles for one day and meet locally for an assembly-like session. They
discuss and frame resolutions that are be forwarded to the real national min-
istries. In this way, the young people can have a direct voice to the government.

5
Here’s how it works for the facilitator:

∆ Decide how many workshops there will be in the training period. Plan
which exercises will be used in each workshop, making sure that all
the themes and steps are covered.

∆ Choose a range of activities and games that best suit your abilities
and the participants’ needs.

∆ Include a mixture of about 3 to 5 warm-up, brainstorming, individual

development and group activity exercises in each workshop. Allow
more time than you think for each exercise!

∆ Enliven the curriculum by inviting guest speakers and role models

from all areas such as politicians, business women, activists,
journalist, scientist etc. Organise excursions, for example to the
parliament.

∆ Be well prepared for each meeting. Know the material well so that it
can be adapted mid-workshop if necessary.

∆ Use the introduction to each theme as background information when

presenting or evaluating an exercise.

Here is a specimen workshop:

Warm-up: Sing and Clap » Warm-up: Machines in Motion » Workshop theme

and introduction » Activity: Model leaders » Group work: Is there a leader
in me? » Round-up » Break » Group work: Girl’s World » Group work:
Gender and Leadership » Evaluation » Group hug!

Training tips

The job of the facilitator in the workshops is to stimulate learning and

motivate girls and young women to take part in public life for the good of
women and Rwanda. The workshops should therefore also be participatory,
interactive and encouraging and not like traditional school teaching.

The facilitator should match the level of curiosity and interest with the
right level of information. The messages of the workshops are relevant to
all women of different backgrounds and capacities, but the facilitator can
draw on material from the resource book and other sources to adapt to the
group’s needs.

People learn best when they feel valued as individuals and the message is
relevant to their life. Facilitators can increase effectiveness by:

1. Leading a respectful, relaxed and well-prepared workshop

2. Ensuring that all participants answer questions and add their comments
to discussions

3. Appreciating and managing the contributions from individuals (making

sure that the more confident group members leave time for others to
speak or ask questions)

4. Speaking slowly, clearly and politically neutral. Present new

information in small amounts at a time and repeat key themes.

5. Remembering participants’ needs: provide breaks, refreshments, avoid

distractions and keep to timings!

6
Feedback

A facilitator will easily know if the participants are enjoying the workshops
and finding them useful. When a group is interested, they are enthusiastic
and constructive. When a group is disinterested, they will seem tired and
restless.

The mood of the group can depend on many factors that are out of the
control of the facilitator, such as the temperature or noise. Sometimes
though, knowing what the group likes and doesn’t like can help the facilita-
tor to make the right changes. This is called feedback.

The group leader can get feedback in several ways, she can ask directly or
the participants can fill out a form at the end of a session. There can be a
book and pen left out in a discreet place where participants can freely
write down their comments and suggestions.

Some questions to the participants might be:

Did you find the workshops relevant? Yes / Quite / No (please select)

Were the materials adequate? Yes / Quite / No (please select)

Was the facilitator competent? Yes / Quite / No (please select)

Or simply like this:

What did you like about the session?................................(please write here)

What could we improve in the session? ............................(please write here)

7
Brain Games
Warming up and flexing the body relaxes the muscles and sends oxygen to
the brain. This helps to put participants in the mood for taking part in a
workshop with freer, open minds. Warm-up exercises should also boost rela-
tionships between participants, creating a team atmosphere. In a hot room
after lunch, even a well-motivated class can need a wake-up; these are just
a few ideas for exercises which can be used in the workshops. They can be
adapted as required or replaced entirely with personal favourites.

The Body Shake

Ask participants to relax their bodies, arms down, hands by their sides,
eyes closed. Maybe they just want to shake everything for a few seconds.
Tell participants to flex the hands, opening and closing them, making a fist
then releasing it. Then shake their arms, shake their legs, shake their
upper torso. Make sure the movements are gently and quietly done.

Walk/Run

Ask students to find a space in the room, and then they can walk slowly
around then say aloud 'freeze!' Participants freeze into a position and hold
that position for a few seconds. Ask them to move around again. To speed
up the movements, ask participants to walk faster/ slower/ hop/ jump/
walk backwards. They can take interesting poses on as they freeze.

Sing and Clap

Ask participants to sing a short song together, a well

know pop song chorus is always fun. Or tell the partici-
pants to stand in a circle, clap hands rhythmically and
sing a favourite rhyme, see page 91 for the Fit for
Leadership chant, or make up your own.

Sculptor and Statue

Tell the participants to divide into pairs. One

participant is the sculptor, the other is
the statue. The statue stands still but is
relaxed, with her hands by her side.
The sculptor then moves the statue
into any position she wants, sculpting
their arms, legs and head until they
have a statue that they are happy
with. Reverse roles.

8
Rat, Snake, Lion

Tell the participants to take their shoes off. Then read aloud: “We are all
going to go for a walk in the forest. Whenever I say rat, jump up on a
chair and scream (all practise). Whenever I say snake, throw back your
arms, draw in your breath in shock (all practise). Whenever I say lion,
crouch down, cover your head and groan (all practise).”

Make up a story. Here is an example: “One day I was walking through the
beautiful forest. The birds were singing. The wind was rustling in the
leaves. Then on the path in front I saw, suddenly - a snake. It was gliding
along stealthily. I wondered where it was going. Then I saw it was stalking
a rat. The snake was getting closer and closer, and I thought it would
catch its prey, when there was another noise. And there, coming through
the bushes, was a lion. The rat heard the lion and ran away. The disap-
pointed snake gave up and wriggled away. The lion saw the snake and made
off back into the trees. And so the forest was peaceful again and I contin-
ued my walk.”

All Move Who…

T e l l participants to sit on chairs in a circle with one person standing in the

middle who is the announcer (it could be the facilitator to start with). The
announcer says, “All Move Who…” and then adds a description, for example:

∆ All Move Who.... Are wearing something blue

∆ All Move Who....Can speak two or more languages

∆ All Move Who.... Got up this morning before 6am

Those participants, who match the description, stand up and move to a

chair left by someone else. The person left with no chair in the middle
becomes the announcer and gives another “All Move Who”. There should be
one less chair than people.

Ladders

Tell the participants to divide into pairs. In two long lines, the pairs sit
down opposite each other with their feet touching, with a little space
between themselves and the next pair. Their legs should make the shape
of a ladder. Each pair is numbered from one to ten. The facilitator calls
out a number, say, number 4. Pair number 4 must run up and around the
ladder taking care only to step in the spaces! The first one sitting down
back in their place is the winner. Repeat many times, calling out the num-
bers randomly.

9
Change Places

Participants will tend to return to the same chair in the workshops. Wake
them up by asking them to change places and sit next to someone else in
the middle of a workshop.

Group Massage

Tell participants to stand in a circle facing in the same direction. Everyone

should be looking at someone elses back. Now the participants put the
hands on the person in front of them and give their shoulders a good mas-
sage. At the end of the massage everyone turns around and repeats the
exercise facing the other direction. At the end, they thank each other.

Real-life Events

Background: The re-enactment of real-life situations, drawn from newspa-

pers or stories, can be an interesting way for participants to examine their
own lives, and the lives of those around them. This exercise can be used in
any of the workshops. Tell the participants to make a short scene about a
real story from a newspaper. If the story has a dramatic ending, the par-
ticipants could also improvise a new ending for the story to show how the
situation could have been handled differently.

10 Steps

Background: By regularly inserting this exercise into the workshops partici-

pants practice dreaming big (= innovation) and thinking small (= implemen-
tion).
Ask: the participants to imagine how they could reach a specific goal in 10
steps or less. For example: national top athlete, to study at a great insti-
tution.
Ask: the participants to set their own personal goal and determine the 10
steps they would need to be successful, write them in the journals.

Machines in Motion

Background: This exercise encourages imagination, confidence and teamwork.

The idea is that everyone is different, but part of something whole. Make
sounds and unusual machine movements to enliven it. Tell one participant to
find a space and start making a machine-like action in a strong, stiff man-
ner over and over again. One by one other participants link to the
“machine” with a different machine like-action of their own and so on.
Eventually when all the participants are part of the machine each doing
different motions the exercise can be stopped and everyone is applauded.

10
News Correspondent

Background: Playing the news reader is not just a presentation exercise;

other skills such as clear thinking and prioritorizing are also developed. This
game can be used in the workshops as an alternative way to get feedback
or overview from an activity or for a real news item. Tell participants
about the game in advance so they know what to do.

Read aloud: ”And now we go over to our correspondent for a live report at the scene.
So, <insert name of participant> what can you tell us about <insert activity or news
item>.” This is the signal for the participant to be a news correspondent. She gives a
1 to 2 minute live report of an activity or news item as if she were really on a news
programme. The correspondent ends by saying “And now back to the studio!”

11
Section One
Workshops
Theme 1
Leadership and Gender

14
The aim of the exercises in this chapter is
for participants to introduce and promote the
stewardship model of leadership.

Choose exercises from the selection that

best suit your teaching needs, see the chap-
ter “Planning the Sessions” for guidance.

15
Leadership and Gender
The leadership taught in this curriculum is following the principle of stew-
ardship, whereby leadership is considered a service and not a divine right or
a consequence of power or wealth. The mandate for stewardship comes
from the will of those being led; it must be honestly earned and cannot be
demanded or coerced.

Stewardship is a positive form of leadership, whereby the leader seeks to

empower and bring out the best in the group they lead. Stewardship is
respectful and responsive; it requires moral, mental and physical strength
and is compatible with democratic governing principles. Unlike tyranny,
stewardship flourishes on justified criticism and support: this is not a weak-
ness of stewardship but rather a strong point.

This form of leadership also has the advantage that it can be practiced at
all levels and across the spectrum of activities. We can exercise steward-
ship with our peers, as good friends and supports. We can be good stewards
of our families and neighbourhoods, using leadership skills to build fruitful
communities. Stewardship has a rightful place in schools, service industries,
commerce, enterprises, diplomacy and government, where service towards a
greater goal is paramount. Seen in this context it is clear that this form of
leadership is open to both genders. We all know women who in their own
way are stewards of their families and communities, bringing out the best
in the people they lead. These same qualities can be brought into the wider
arena of politics and government.

Modern institutions, such as the World Bank, recognise that women often
have a unique way of leadership. Women are as able as male counterparts
but they are often more holistic, more inclusive and less corrupt. Indeed,
when women become more involved in public life then gender gaps in infant
mortality rates, nutrition, school enrolment, access to health-care and
political participation begin to narrow, and those changes benefit society.
Living standards improve, increasing social entrepreneurship and attracting
foreign direct investment. There is benefit not just to women when women
become leaders, but to all of society.

However, the empowerment of women must not be at any price. Mankind is

a partnership and it is in no-one's interest to overshadow either sex. That
is why we must learn how to appreciate and celebrate the genders, for
successful co-operation in the future.

Gender equality means that not only can women expect equal access to careers and
political participation, but men can expect to have greater access to the experience
of fatherhood, to activities and roles outside of the breadwinner mentality. With a
more family-friendly and equal workplace, men can explore careers which better suit
them, entering the caring professions for example. Men and boys can learn to enjoy a
full range of emotional and cultural capacities that are often restricted by the socie-
tal norms of behaviour. Men and boys would in fact gain from equality of the sexes.

In Rwanda, the emancipation of men could directly enable greater produc-

tivity and better conditions for families. For example: when men who have
been debilitated by war or sickness are unable to work and take over
domestic responsibilities, then able-bodied female family members can seek
paid work. Also, men might re-evaluate their function as fathers if they
understand that well-educated and cared for children will lead to a better
future for their family and society at large. Certainly, men and boys will
have to share the responsibility for safe sexual relationships if they are to
overcome the huge burden of HIV/Aids in the region.

16
What is leadership?

Background: Leadership is a process by which a person influences others to

achieve an aim. Individuals lead by using their own characteristics, such as
conviction, competence, imagination and communication skills. These good
leaders are made not born. If we have the desire and determination, we
can learn effective leadership. Leadership is not the same as authority,
which forces individuals to act in a certain way, but rather, good leadership
inspires others to share the same aims. One popular theory of leadership
from the last century gives three routes to leadership:

1. natural born leaders,

2. those who become leaders out of an extraordinary event and
3. those who choose to become leaders. This last group is the largest.

Read aloud: “The basis of good leadership is honorable character and self-
less service. Respected leaders concentrate on what they are (such as
beliefs and character), what they know (such as job, tasks, and human
nature), and what they do (such as implementing, motivating, and provide
direction). To gain respect, they must be ethical. A sense of direction is
achieved by conveying a strong vision of the future. In a nutshell - a good
leader must be trustworthy and be able to communicate a vision”. (This
text is adapted from the Art and Science of Leadership with thanks)

Ask: What makes a person want to follow a leader? Do people want to be

guided by those they respect and who have a clear sense of direction?
What do you think about this definition?

Model leaders

Discuss the qualities of some well known leaders, the facilitator can write
notes up on the board. Ask: Are they any common qualities in popular lead-
ers? Use these suggestions::

∆ Nontsikelelo Albertina Sisulu, who became President of the

Federation of South African Women in 1983, and President of the
United Democratic Front in the same year. She was married both to
the super-hero Walter Sisulu and to the liberation struggle. She
still managed to bring up five children.
∆ Kofi Annan, seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations.
∆ Nelson Mandela.
∆ Wangari Maathai, a Kenyan Environmentalist and human rights cam-
paigner, the first African woman to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
∆ Princess Diana.
∆ Assia Djebar, the courageous and respected Algerian writer.
∆ Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, 24th president of Liberia.

Leadership styles

T e l l the participants to divide into pairs or threes. One participant closes

one fist up tightly. The others have to try to persuade the participant to
open the fist, using only words. Have the participants try a range of styles:
such as persuasion, cooperation, scare tactics, and threats. At the end of
the exercise, discuss with the participants which style worked best and
which gave the participants a good feeling or the opposite. Use worksheet 1
to connect the experiences of this exercise with different styles of leader-
ship, such as military, autocratic, democratic and stewardship.

17
Leader on a desert island

Read aloud: “An airplane has made an emergency landing on one of the
Amirante isles, east of Rwanda in the Indian Ocean and north of the
Mozambique Channel. Twenty girls are on board and all of them survive
unhurt. The radio is hardly working, so the pilot goes in a small boat to get
help. All the passengers will have to stay on the island until they are res-
cued. The airplane has enough supplies for three days. After one day it
becomes clear that there needs to be someone in charge. The girls meet
under a tree to decide who will be the leader, each of them explaining why
they would be right for the job.”

T e l l the participants to act out this meeting. Facilitators can help to manage
the drama exercise, but should allow the conversation to be as 'real' as possi-
ble, end the exercise if the discussion goes on too long or if only a few are
participating. M a k e notes of any comments or behaviours from the partici-
pants that are noteworthy and d i s c u s s with them the results at the end.

Is there a leader in me?

B a c k g r o u n d :By first recognising our leadership actions in our every day lives
we will see that we all have the potential for leadership even in small ways.
When we identify these ways, we can then begin to develop our leadership
style. Read aloud the statements on worksheet 2 and tell the participants to
write down their own endings. Or tell the participants to divide in pairs and
they take it in turns to question and respond to each other aloud.

Girl's World

Background: Gender-sensitivity has become a buzzword in development and

government policy; it refers not to the natural biological differences
between the sexes, but rather to:

“Culturally defined roles and responsibilities for males and females that are
learned may change over time and vary among societies”
Tell the participants to sit in a circle. To animate this exercise, use (or
draw) pictures of girls from magazines, advertisements and newspapers.
These can stimulate conversation and enable participants to talk about the
pictures rather than themselves if they prefer.
Ask the participants to close their eyes and think back into their childhood.
Ask them to remember a time when they realised that they were girls or a
woman? When did they notice that girls and boys get different treatment
or can do different things? What are those things? When was the first
time they heard “Girls don't do that?” How old were they? Was there a
time in their life when they questioned these differences? What is their
particular family attitude to the different sexes?

18
Moon Monster needs a Guide!

Read aloud: “Imagine that an alien ship has landed in a Kigali school and
cannot return home until the aircraft is fixed. The alien has to stay here
for a while and needs to learn how to adapt to life in Rwanda. There is
one thing though; this moon monster is neither male nor female. The par-
ticipants are the guide for the alien in Rwanda and have to teach it about
gender so it can decide whether it will live like a woman or man. The moon
monster is of course very curious, it will surely keep asking why, why, why
is it so?” Tell one participant to play the alien; tell the others to take it
in turns to explain an advantage or disadvantage of being either male or
female. This exercise can be a lot of fun, use it to lighten the mood of a
group after a difficult discussion.

Gender and Leadership

Discuss gender and leadership. Ask: Why do societies need women leaders?
What benefits can women bring to leadership? How have women leaders in
Rwanda helped to shape the peace processes and reconstruction? Do women
leaders have any limitations? Tell the participants to draw two large over-
lapping circles on a larg piece of paper or a blackboard. In one circle, list
any benefits of women leaders, in the second circle any constraints of
women leaders, in the middle portion list those attributes which could be
both benefits and limitations.

Double Trouble

Various agencies of the United Nations and many other non-governmental organi-
sations highlight the different ways that natural disasters and wars affect each
gender. Gender roles in society give rise to different problems. Armed conflicts
are not gender-neutral; women and men experience different access to
resources and decision-making efforts, have different roles in peace building and
violence reduction, as well as different biological needs and interests. Using
worksheet 3, ask the participants to list ways in which women suffer dispropor-
tionately to men in times of crisis and conflict.

Note for facilitators: An excellent report by the United Nations Population

Fund from 2001, called: “The Impact of Armed Conflict on Women and Girls”
can be found on the World Wide Web using these addresses:

∆ www.unicef.org/publications/index_25262.html
∆ www.unfpa.org/publications/detail.cfm?ID=29&filterListType=1

Other resources can be found at:

∆ www.womenwarpeace.org/issues/peacekeeping/peacekeeping.htm
∆ www.unicef.org/publications/files/Impact_final.pdf

19
Green light for Girls!

Read aloud: “Human rights are the rights people are entitled to simply
because they are human beings, no matter their citizenship, nationality,
race, ethnicity, language, sex, sexuality, or abilities. Human rights become
enforceable when they are codified as conventions, covenants, or treaties,
or as they become recognized as customary international law. The United
Nations are best known for making these conventions but there are also
regional organizations writing them too, such as the Council of Europe or
the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights.“

Tell the participants to divide into small groups and assign each group one
of the following documents (see worksheet 4). Tell the participants to go
through the documents and highlight specific text or provisions which par-
ticularly interest, appeal and relate to them. Each group presents their top
four points to the others. Ask: In what ways do these legal implements
give girls the green light for the future?

Boyz4Rwanda!

Background: Recently, there is a new approach emerging in the efforts for

gender equity. There is an increasing recognition that a focus on the role
of men and boys in the achievement of gender equality will benefit women
and girls as well as men and boys. In addition, this approach can contribute
effectively to the achievement of human rights and the promotion of
democracy. This can be a light hearted exercise, but it does have a serious
side: the need for women to understand the needs of men is also important
in the struggle for gender equality. Women must make sure that men have
something to gain from gender equality!

Tell participants imagine they are at a Christmas party or maybe a tradi-

tional courtship and they have to bring gifts to the men and boys of
Rwanda. Tell the participants that men are also disadvantaged by their
social roles so what would participants give them to make their lives bet-
ter? Draw the outline of a pretty packaging on the board and have the
participants suggest 'gifts' that would men and boys would appreciate!
Suggestions include: paternity leave from work, and less pressure to be the
breadwinner!

20
Worksheet 1
Leadership styles

Use worksheet 1 to connect the experiences of this exercise with different

styles of leadership, such as military, autocratic, democratic and steward-
ship. This information is taken with thanks from The Art and Science of
Leadership website: www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leader.html.

Styles of Leadership
There are three different styles of leadership: authoritarian (autocratic),
participative (democratic), and delegating (free hand). Although most lead-
ers use all three styles, one of them becomes the dominate one.

Authoritarian (autocratic)
This type is used when the leader tells her team what she wants done and
how she wants it done, without getting the advice of her people. Some peo-
ple think that this style includes yelling, using demeaning language, and
leading by threats and abuse of power. This is not the authoritarian style;
it is an abusive, unprofessional style of leadership.

Participative (democratic)
This type involves the leader consulting and including the views of the team
in the decision making process (determining what to do and how to do it).
However, the leader maintains the final decision making authority.

Delegating (free reign)

In this style, the leader allows the team to make the decision. However,
the leader is still responsible for the decisions that are made. You cannot
do everything! S/he must set priorities and delegate certain tasks.

Positive and Negative Leaders

Positive: Positive leaders use rewards, such as education,
independence, etc. to motivate team. Leaders are
concerned about the human needs of their team. They
build teamwork and help teams with their problems.

Negative: If an emphasis is placed upon penalties, then the leader

is using negative leadership. Although it has its place in
a leader's tools, it should be used carefully due to its
high cost on the human spirit.

21
Worksheet 2
Is there a leader in me?

Discuss the opportunities for leadership in each one of the following situa-
tions. Imagine each situtation and complete the sentence showing how you
can use good leadership and initiative in “everyday life”.

1. Once when my friends and I were having difficulty with our homework/
assignment, I suddenly had an idea and saw how we could do it so I...........
....................

2. During the lunch break I saw some older girls talking to a younger girl.
They were calling her names and teasing her, and the girl was unhappy. I
did not think this was correct so I.......................................................

3. I wanted very much to buy a new dress for a wedding party, but I did
not have enough money. I was sure that I could earn it somehow so I........
......................

4. We were all walking and there was still a long way to go. I could see
that we were all getting tired and miserable so I........................................

5. My cousins had some liquor and were drinking it when their parents were
away, so I..............................................................................................

6. At the market I wanted to buy a bag of sorghum (milo). As I watched

the people in front of me being served, I noticed that the vendor was not
weighing the bags properly and each bag was less than one kilo so I..........
.........................

7. When our neighbour had her baby, she was very sick and could not man-
age to care for the family, so I...............................................................

8. Once I saw some necklaces with pretty beads for sale in a shop. When I
looked at them I thought I could make them myself so I..........................

9. My friend was missing her family on her birthday so I...........................

10. My brother/sister told me about the internet and the World Wide Web.
It sounded very interesting and I wanted to see it for myself so I.............
........................

22
Worksheet 3
Double Trouble

How do problems in war or crises affect men and women differently?

AFFECTING FACTOR MALE FEMALE

Less mobility

Closure or destruction
of health care facilities

Closure or reduction of
schools

Increase of domestic
work

Reduced resources such

as food, water, energy

Increase of domestic
and sexual violence on
persons

Increase of illegal
commerce

Loss of male family

members

Reduced access to
information

23
Worksheet 4
Green Light for Girls!

Tell the participants to divide into small groups and assign each group one
of the following documents: Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948).
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966) and the Conven-
tion of the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (1979).

These documents are too large to place in the curriculum here. They can
be found easily on the Fit for Leadership CD, or from the World Wide Web.
Many libraries and offices keep copies of these documents as well.

Recommended URLs (web addresses) on the World Wide Web

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

www.unhchr.ch/html/intlinst.htm

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966)

www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/a_ccpr.htm

Convention of the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (1979)

www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/e1cedaw.htm

24
25
Theme 2
Identity and Orientation

Training objectives:
∆ To consider the origins
of personal identity
∆ To learn how labels help and
harm communication
∆ Introduction to orientation:
feeling strongly about an issue
that changes your direction
in life.

26
The aim of the exercises in this chapter is
for participants to consider their social and
personal identities and to have the self-con-
fidence to develop their own.

Choose exercises from the selection that

best suit your teaching needs, see the chap-
ter “Planning the Sessions” for guidance.

27
Identity and Orientation
Our identities are shaped from the very first minute we are born and are
profoundly moulded by the society we are born into. The way new babies are
treated even in their first few hours of life can start to set the pattern for
our identity: new babies are cuddled and washed and swaddled in very differ-
ent ways in different societies, and parents have very different attitudes
around the world. Identity and personality are not the same. We can under-
stand the difference when we ask ourselves, “Who am I?”, the answer is our
identity. When we ask ourselves, “How am I?”, we are talking about person-
ality. Our identity will usually define our expectations of ourselves and oth-
ers, the roles we undertake in life, and the activities we perform.

Identity is strongly linked with family or socially defined roles, either

through law or custom - like military service, compulsory education or mar-
riage. Sometimes there are unspoken expectations on individuals and they
find themselves in a role they did not or choose, such as the expectation to
take up a particular livelihood, or to have a certain number of children. In
societies where these expectations are very strong, the individuals are
often powerless to change the definitions of their own roles, even when
they are harmful. The opposite is true too: in societies where expectations
are weaker, individuals develop their roles themselves.

In times of crisis or post-crisis, women's identities and roles sometimes

change. Women and girls are often the first to lose access to transport,
health services or education when there is less money available in the fami-
ly. Women and girls tend to be kept at home when there are tensions in a
community, where women are obliged to carry out most of the domestic
work. Women's identities can become used in political struggles to work one
side against another. On the other hand, women in history have been able
to gain more freedom in times of social upheaval, filling traditionally male
jobs and providing invaluable services to armies and governments as well as
holding the social fabric together. In these ways women have proved their
abilities and achieved new self-determination in peace time.

Participants may already have a clear identity for themselves, or they may
just be realising what one is. The fact is that in the history of mankind, the
idea of having a personal identity is a fairly new one and it is often under-
stood to be a Western ideal. But time has left us rich stories and fragments
of information from all over the world, pointing to the struggles of individu-
als to be their own person. Stories of great courage from paupers to princes
have taught us that true heroism does not depend on social status, or out-
side factors but rather in acknowledging the inner-self: to identify yourself.
So, history teaches us that identity, the desire to recognise ourselves
according to our own criteria is a human ideal, part of our 'being'. This step
is the crucial step on which all empowerment and leadership is based - the
belief that each individual matters and is worth something.

28
There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so

Write this statement up where everyone can see it.

∆ Ask the students if they know who wrote this statement? (William
Skakespeare in the play called Hamlet)
∆ What does it mean? (that when it comes to human perception and
experience, attitude is everything)
∆ Why are humans different to most other animals? (The ability to
learn, have ideas and to imagine, to have codes for example).
∆ In what ways are all humans amazing? (The ability to rationalise, to
heal, to engineer for example).
∆ In what ways are humans different from each other? (Different
skills, different ideas, different personalities for example).

New girl in school

Tell a few of the participants to introduce the person sitting next to them
to the class, as if she was a new girl to the school. Tell a few participants
to introduce themselves as if they themselves were new to the school. Tell
the other participants to take notes. After the exercise, discuss which
ways we identify others and ourselves. Ask: What common labels do we use
to describe ourselves? Which labels are acceptable and which are not? (For
example, would you ever say “Hello, I am Marie-Ann. I am an imposing per-
son and I like to get my own way”, although it might describe you well?)
What bridges do we build between ourselves and others when we identify
ourselves.

This can be done as a role-play exercise, with participants pretending to be

at a family wedding or conference and meeting new people for the first
time. Discussion as for above.

Twins!

Background: This game is useful for recognising the diversity in mankind and
particularly because young people often judge themselves harshly on the
basis of their idea of what they should be like. Tell the participants divide
themselves into pairs. Each pair has a few minutes to find 5 points which
they have in common and 5 things which are totally different. They should
write a list of these things. Ask them to analyse the list with the following
questions:

∆ How important were the physical characteristics?

∆ Were interests, preferences and personalities more often named?
∆ What exactly was similar or different?
∆ In writing these lists, were things chosen that can be changed by
people or not changed by people?
∆ Are any of the characteristics typical for girls or typical for young
people?

29
Identity labels

B a c k g r o u n d :Societies all over the world tend to give names for groups or
characteristics. Sometimes these labels help to express an idea so that
everyone can understand it. However, some labels can be limiting or unfair.
For example, do the participants define themselves as 'African' or 'Rwandan';
how do these labels express and/or limit the expression of an identity?

Ask the participants to list 'identity labels' and write them up on the
board. Which labels are most positive and helpful, which labels are limiting
or unfair? How do participants feel about the ways that others define
them? What does this exercise teach us about the ways in which we define
our identities? How true or helpful are these labels used by the media
when writing about central Africa, for example:

'man/woman' 'third world/developing country'

'corrupt/war-torn' 'trauma/reconciliation'

'tribal/ethnic' 'subsistence farmers'

'foreign experts'

Personality maps - alternative self-descriptions

Background: Participants can try to describe themselves physically as a
landscape or as a weather report, or in an abstract way as a news report
or favourite food. Ask the participants to take a few minutes making notes
individually; encourage them to really think honestly about themselves.
Then after a few minutes have a few of the students describe themselves.
Or have a few students read out the notes from others, and then let
everyone try to guess who it is. Ask: Is this method more honest, more
open or less helpful than using standard character labels? Does it help to
build bridges between ourselves and others?

“It ain't what you do, it's the way you do it!”

Background:Not only what we do, but the way we do it and why has a strong
effect on our identities. Tell participants to write down these questions:

∆ What qualities are important to me in life?

∆ Which of those qualities do I have?
∆ Which of those do I want to have/still need to get?

Use worksheet 6. Tell participants to review this list and grade themselves
with: 'not very’, 'sometimes', 'quite', 'often' and 'very'. To make it fun, tell
the participants to fold the paper in such a way as to hide the partici-
pant's answers and have a friend fill in the grades for how they perceive
the other participant, it can be very interesting!

30
Moral compass

Read aloud: “The activities we do, and the way we do them, come from the
principles that govern our lives. They are like an inner compass that always
points to true north. Whatever the weather, whatever the geography, the
compass always points true north. Similarly, whatever we do, we do in a
way according to our principles. It means our principles guide our lives,
whatever our circumstances and whatever happens to us. This is not the
same as customs or rules because they, unlike principles, can change.”

Tell participants to draw a personal compass for themselves to identify their princi-
ples and forces that guide their own lives and are always true. There can be many
principles; after all there are 360 degrees in a circle! Here is an example, ask the
participants to make their own.

I like to make I take personal

all things beautiful and responsibility for my life
effective

I am my own person, I
I believe in love, I try to know what I like and what I don't
give out love, I try to earn it, I like, I have ideas
show it in my work and body

Day Dreaming

PART ONE
Background: This can be a pleasing exercise and quite revealing too. Tell
the participants do a relaxing physical exercise such as a massage before
attempting this exercise, so they are relaxed and ready to day dream. Tell
participants that there is no wrong or right answer!

Tell participants to picture a perfect day that they could imagine living
over and over again for the rest of their lives. They can imagine themselves
at any age and in any place and they can of course do anything. Ask: How
would they start the day? How would they fill the morning, who else would
they share the day with, where would they go and how would they eat?
Participants should write no more than one page for this description and
keep it in their personal journal.

Tuning the radio!

PART TWO
Background:Defining our identities is never a once-and-for-all deci-
sion. Many factors and events change our outlook and circumstances. In
fact, working out who we want to be is similar to tuning a radio to a radio station.
We turn the dial this way a bit, then that way a bit until we get a good sound.

31
Tell participants to re-read their perfect day. In this part of the exercise,
participants write down the things that they could live without in their
perfect day. (For example, do they really need a personal helicopter? Or
wouldn't they get bored being at parties every night?). Explain that this
helps to make the perfect day more realistic. Tell participants to decide
what they would prefer to keep in their perfect day but are not essential
and then write them down. (For example, they would like a big house but it
would be okay if they lived in a small one.) Explain that these are the
goals in life we set for ourselves.

Finally tell participants to decide what they absolutely must have in their
perfect day story and write them down too. (For example, any perfect day
for them would definitely include a great job and lots of friends.) Explain
that these are the ingredients of their identities.

Ask: Are there any surprises for the participants doing this exercise? Does
their perfect day reflect them as individuals now or just their daydreams?

The Ruzizi River

Background: The Ruzizi River does not flow slowly and easily like melting
palm oil. It is not carefree; it must go around the boulders and curves of
the river bed. So it is with life, there are obstacles in our paths. Discuss
with the participants what factors hinder their self-determination in
Rwandan society? Ask: What chances do individuals with disabilities or
injuries have? Is there much room for alternative life-styles in Rwanda -
such as homosexuality, non-mainstream religions, or even holistic living? Use
one of the discussion methods described under the ‘games and exercises’
section to enliven this exercise if wished.

Circles!

Background: How do I describe myself? Outer me to inner me. How would

someone else describe me? These are the questions of identity that the
exercises have been addressing mostly in words. Now the participants can
revaluate their identities as a whole using the other language of art. Art
has no expectations of ‘grammar’ as words do, so it is a freer language.
Materials most suitable for this are coloured pencils or water colour paints
but participants can use any method, such as collage, clay moulding or a
modelling.

Tell the participants make a picture of their identities as a set of concen-

tric circles (circles within circles). The outside circle signifies all their
activities, the next is their physical appearance, and the next is their qual-
ities, and so on until the central circle is their inner being. The colours and
shapes the participants choose, can be very revealing.

Repeat! New girl in school

Group evaluation exercise

Repeat the New girl in school exercise at the end of a workshop on identi-
ty. The participants will now have a new set of positive labels and a clear-
er idea of how they wish to present themselves!

32
Worksheet 6
“It ain't what you do, it's the way you do it!”

Put a star next to the qualities you think are most important to you, or which ones you
would like to improve in. Keep this list as a personal reminder.

HOW ARE YOU? (not very, sometimes, quite, often, very)

Idealistic
Compromising
Modern
Equality-minded
Selfish
Tolerant
Fair
Honest
Independent
Optimistic
Ambitious
Conservative
Organised
Envious
Adventurous
Carefree
Energetic
Fearful
Religious
Trust worthy
Self confident
Brave / courageous
Impulsive
Extrovert

DO THESE ISSUES INTEREST YOU?

Human rights
Women's rights
Caring for the Environment
Anti-racism
Culture
Student issues in school
Government and politics

Fill in the questionnaire again, this time answering the question as you
WANT to be. Is the outcome different?

33
Theme 3
Skills for Public Life

Training objectives:
∆ Recognising and appreciating
the differences between gov-
ernment, civil society and home
life
∆ Evaluating the current path-
ways of women in public life
∆ Practicing the skills needed for
public life.

34
The aim of the exercises in this theme is to interest partic-
ipants in the public spheres of government and civil society
and to discover skills to effectively access them. Many peo-
ple feel that government and civil society are uninteresting
and do not affect them on a day-to-day level. This theme's
exercises should show that the opposite is true.

Choose exercises from the selection that best suit

your teaching needs, see the chapter
“Planning the Sessions” for guidance.

35
Skills for Public Life
Our world is now very complex. Families, the military, producers, commerce,
government and civil society constantly interact with each other, nationally
and internationally. The results of these interactions form and affect the
environment and conditions under which we live. In democracies, we all have
the right to have our say and contribute to the development of current
affairs. Either by voting in elections, making educated decisions, having
informed opinions or being active in government/civil society, our leadership
in all these areas can contribute to our society in a way that goes beyond
the walls of our homes.

Nowhere else in the world are there a greater percentage of women in

parliament than in Rwanda. In many other countries of the world though,
while women are at home, men take up the most powerful positions in poli-
tics, society and business. Women's development programmes, quota systems
and financial support have increased the number of women in politics but
women can sometimes hold themselves back. Women are often at the top of
school classes in maths and science, but by university or in the workplace,
they have somehow dropped out of the system. Furthermore, women who
do enter employment tend to take up the 'softer' jobs in the caring profes-
sions or in 'feminine' sectors such as the environment and education.

Young people are often content to do their thing, so long as nothing hinders
them. Some prefer not to get involved in pubic life, finding less risk in
staying at home, and preferring to avoid the challenge. However because
women do not engage enough, structures are built up that do not fully
address their needs or interests. The American president John F Kennedy,
said, that “The best time to fix the roof is when the sun is shining”, mean-
ing that if we wait until things go wrong before we act, it will be too late.

For young girls to have an impact on their own future and the future of
Rwanda they need a new self-definition, a new formula of intelligence, logic,
and emotions. They must take responsibility for their lives and show vision
and charisma to solve future problems. They must stand up for their rights
and not be shy about power. If young girls imagine themselves as directors
when they are grown up, they have to start mixing in public life when
younger. Young people need to want to keep themselves informed, know
about the world around them and ask questions about the ever-changing
political, economic, and social environment of their life. Politically concerned
girls can get involved in school politics, environmental issues, church and
youth organisations, as well as political parties. Through engagement, young
people will gain personality, strength and self-esteem. There is a lot that
women and young girls can do - but they must be sure to do it!

Annoyances

T e l l the participants to think very hard about their daily life. Are there any
things which really annoy them? Perhaps they always have to walk home
through a dark alley which they wish had street lights. Or perhaps they are
always falling over rubbish in the street. A s k them about these annoyances
in small groups of 4 or 5. Who do they think is responsible for these annoy-
ances? Is there anything which they could do to changes things, such as
make a petition amongst local residents? Would them like to be in charge of
these things when they are older? Use this exercise as a way to discuss the
smaller aspects of Government, which affect their day-to-day lives.

36
Quiz time!

Write the following titles on the board for all participants to see:

GOVERNMENT CIVIL SOCIETY HOME LIFE SPIRITUAL LIFE

Discuss briefly what part of Rwandan society these titles describe.

T e l l the participants to line up in two lines, with the same number of par-
ticipants in each one. The facilitator is the quizmaster and stands at the
front of the line. She reads out the questions below and the two partici-
pants at the front of the line compete to give the correct answer. They
may confer with the rest of their team, but speed is important! When one
of the participants at the front gets the answer correct, she moves to the
back of the line and the next participant moves forward to the front of it.
The game is over when all the participants have answered correctly and the
first participant is back at the start again - then the whole team sits down!

Read aloud: Under which heading would you put...? (there can be more
than one correct answer!)

newspapers / shops / new law / tax levels / washing dishes / where you
sit to have your meals / clean water / road building / school / restaurants /
hotels / growing crops / post office / military forces / sale of coffee
beans / local football club / national football team / street lighting /
tourism / plastic factory / household heating / house building / taxes /
prisons / international agreements / youth groups (scouts or guides) / music
lessons / radio stations / church services / weddings / choice of clothes /
insurance companies / cars / aeroplanes / visas / banking / recipes / worship

Tip: There are no hard and fast answers in this game. An activity that is
initiated by the government in one state can be a private one in another
state. For example, schools can be run by the government, can be private,
can be run by religious groups or can be run at home! The purpose of the
game is to help participants to be aware of how the world around them
works in a fun way.

Say what you mean!

Background: Women and girls can overcome their shyness and advance
themselves with a few tips and 'rules'. Use worksheet 6 and tell partici-
pants to take it in turns to read a point aloud. Tell the participants to
explain or give an example of what is meant by each one. This can be done
as a short role-play too. Ask: Are there any more rules that can be added
to the list? Are there any more that are specific to Rwanda?

Jobs for the Girls!

Background: Women and young girls tend to enter employment in the care-
giving professions, such as teachers, nurses or domestic help. Tell the par-
ticipants to draw seven columns. Label them Government, Technological,
Scientific, Business, Professions, Services and Home life respectively. Next
each participant should think of women, famous or non-famous and list their
work or jobs under the appropriate heading. Help with suggestions if neces-
sary. Ask: In which column are there the most names? Are there many
more names in one column? If so, what can be the reason for that? Tell the
participants to add their own names to a column of their choice.

37
Pioneer Spirit

Background: In America, the first men and women to conquer the Wild
West were known as pioneers. The women, who perhaps normally wore long
thick skirt and drank tea in polite company, had to adapt to a new way of
life. They reinvented themselves; they began to wear trousers, work in the
fields and even shoot at wolves and bears. Girls in Rwanda are also pioneers
of a new era in their country; they will also have to adapt in order to
thrive. Tell the participants to write a letter to an employer explaining
why they have the right attitude and character for the job. Use work-
sheet 7 to help them.

Girls at the Gym

Background: Being fit for leadership, means doing a few training exercises
to build up strength. If girls and young women are ready to face the
challenges of public life then they need to have all their skills, talents and
personalities in top condition. Make large posters with the text below writ-
ten on them (write in a language the participants are most familiar with).
Stick them up on the wall in a row, with lots of space between them. Tell
participants to face one of the posters and to read and follow the text
instructions. They should have their journals and a pen with them. After
one minute or less, blow a whistle and have the participants move round to
the next poster. Repeat this step until the participants have seen all the
posters.

Text for the posters:

Fit for leadership: Start learning and never stop! Decide to learn some-
thing new this week. Write down in your journal what it will be.
Fit for life: Stand still, back straight, shoulders down. Breathe in slowly
and deeply through the nose, hold for a second and exhale slowly
through the mouth. Repeat 10 to 15 times.

Fit for leadership: Recognise your capacities and appreciate your limits.
Out loud say what you think you are good at and one thing you can't
change.
Fit for life: Stand still, back straight, shoulders down. Then stretch your
arms and finger tips right up high as far as you can. Then let your hands
swing down by your side. Repeat 10 times.

Fit for leadership: Trust yourself. Remember the last time you were
right!
Fit for life: Crouch down, back curved, head tucked down, eyes closed.
Concentrate and be very still, can you feel or hear your heart beat?

Fit for leadership: Learn to say “I can do it!” Resolve to do something

you have been trying to forget about. Write down in your journal what
it is and cross it out when it is completed.
Fit for life: From a standing position, jump high and wide stretching out
your hands and legs. Repeat this 15 times. Call out aloud “I can do it!”
if you feel like it.

38
Fit for leadership: Don't set your target too low or too high so that you
do not give up from frustration.
Fit for life: Sit on the floor with your feet together and stretched out
in front of you. With your arms stretched, reach out to your toes. If it
strains, then set yourself another target where it is more comfortable,
such as ankles, shins, knees.

Fit for leadership: Get involved everywhere when you have something to
say. Think of a something you tried to change recently, how did you do
it, could you have done it differently?
Fit for life: Standing with your feet shoulder width apart, bend your
knees a little. Stretch out your arms and hands from side to side, in
front to the back and all around you. Do this five times.

Fit for leadership: Get to know your weaknesses so you can change
them if you want. Write in your journal the weaknesses that you would
like to work on.
Fit for life: Can you do a headstand? Many people find this difficult and
uncomfortable, but try it slowly, using the wall for support. Try to make
your legs and back straight to make a really neat and impressive move.

Fit for leadership: Orientate yourself on or take the lead from people
who are open-minded and courageous. People who know when to let go
and dare to do something new; and when to hold fast to tradition.
Fit for life: Lie down or stand comfortably. Tighten and tense all the
muscles in your body as tight as you can, hold for a second or two, then
shake it all out. Repeat 6 times.

Fit for leadership: Is there a little princess in you, if so, send her away
to stay in her palace! Use your charms or tricks to get what you want in
moderation; this sort of achievement is shallow and short lived. Live an
authentic life (-this means simply: be real and true to yourself!)
Fit for life: Curl up in a ball on the floor like a seed. Then slowly 'grow
up' in to a great tree, with wide branches and strong roots.

Fit for leadership: Take responsibility for all your life. She, who makes
mistakes, can learn. She who learns can change, she who changes moves
the world!
Fit for life: Sit with your legs crossed or stand comfortably. Starting
with your toes and shoes and working right up to the hair on your head,
go through every part of your body and decide to take responsibility for
it. It might go something like this. “Legs: will put them to good use, will
learn a new sport. Hands: need nail cutting will do that tonight. Ears:
will listen more.” and so on. Write the names of the body parts and any
commitments you make in your journal if you like.

39
Worksheet 6
Say what you mean!

Tips and rules for girls who rock Rwanda!

In the effort for gender equality and access to public life, some women
actually hold themselves back. Not the girls who rock Rwanda! Here are
some tips and 'rules' to help girls overcome their shyness and advance
themselves.

1. Say what you mean, make sure you mean what you say and do not
say anything you will regret later.

2. Don't let yourself be interrupted, or let anyone talk over you.

3. If something really bothers you or rests heavily on your heart, speak

out about it.

4. Don't let resistance discourage you. Not everyone will agree or be

pleased with what you say, so learn to argue your case and learn
that a clever compromise can also be a solution.

5. Women and girls often expect others to read their minds or guess
what they want through their body language. Girls, use this art
sparingly. When you really want something, say it clearly.

6. Drop the use of 'perhaps..' or 'hmn?” in your conversation. Make sure

that only those sentences which are questions be phrased like a
question.

7. Speak with a purpose and have confident body language. Stop

murmuring. Hold your head high - you will feel better and make a
better impression on others.

8. Don't speak too quickly; don't speak too slowly or for too long. Make
explanations clear and concise.

9. Pat yourself on the back and congratulate yourself on a job well

done, if you deserve it. Pat others on the back as well, when they
deserve it.

10. The beginning is always hard, but with practice, confidence will
become second nature.

40
Worksheet 7
Pioneer Spirit

Have you got what it takes to rock Rwanda? Write a letter to an employer
explaining why you have the right attitude and character for the job.
Before you write your letter for this imaginary job, read these questions
below to help you identify the pioneer spirit in you.

Am I self-confident and reflective or over-confident and sometimes self-

centred or conceited?

Am I curious and hopeful or am I often bored and distrustful?

Do I worry and panic or can I trust in myself?

∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆

What expectations do I have in the workplace - am I critical and flexible,

do I have good qualifications?

Am I interested in traditional women's jobs or can I imagine being an engi-

neer, working with computers and heavy machinery? Do I want to work in
industry, commerce, as a specialist, a lecturer, in the unions or in my own
network?

Is there a specific job or profession that I want to have or can I imagine

different ways of earning a living?

∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆

What can I bring to the job or place of employment, what can I offer that
makes me stand out?

Have I travelled or lived abroad?

Am I inquisitive, love learning and developing?

Do I know any foreign languages?

Am I part of any other groups?

Have I attended any youth programmes such as exchange trips?

Do I have a Can-do attitude; am I a pioneer or do I stay in the comfort

zone?

∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆

41
Theme 4
Zones of Impact

42
The exercises in this chapter are designed to
excite and empower participants to engage in
public life and civil society. The skills they
learn now in their youth will then develop
into strong leadership skills for adult life.

Choose exercises from the selection that

best suit your teaching needs, see the chap-
ter “Planning the Sessions” for guidance.

43
Zones of Impact
Every generation believes that they are unique, that nobody older can
understand the challenges they face. In fact, every generation faces some
problems which are similar to their parents and some which are new. Every
generation, and every person, has to find their own way.

Try to imagine your life if you had been born 100 years earlier. What sort
of problems do you think you might have faced? Perhaps you would have
struggled through life illiterate and facing poverty or ill health. You might
have an older female relative you could ask about lives of earlier women in
your family. Some people think that your great-grandmother's life was sim-
pler in that she probably had fewer choices - survival skills and crafts
were handed down the generations, gender roles were more fixed and paths
through life were more clearly defined by society.

Think about your own life. You are educated and probably healthier than
the women you are descended from, but you face choices and decisions
which previous women probably did not. The greater choice which you have
about how to live your life as a 21st century woman brings it's own stresses
and strains.

Decades of social disruption, civil hostilities and epidemics have shaken

Africa. Young people today find growing up in a period of rapid social, eco-
nomic and political change. On the one hand the world is becoming a small-
er place, barriers are coming down, human rights are spreading, information
travels faster and further than ever before. On the other hand urbanisa-
tion is increasing, resources are becoming scarcer, competition is fierce and
high levels of education and experience are needed to thrive.

In this fermenting mixture of change and choice, teenagers often feel

strongly about the issues in their lives but are frustrated and helpless to
change circumstances around them. Yet young people are a key force of
change in the modern world. The youth absorb new information, which can
change national attitudes, they quickly take up and apply technological
advances, and their purchasing power drives markets and industries such as
entertainment and fashion. Particularly in Rwanda where the average age
of the population in Rwanda is just 18 years old, the energies and ideas of
the young people make up a large percent of the national productive force.

Not only then, does society benefit from the early engagement of young
people in public life, the young people themselves benefit from feelings of
inclusion, influence and the experience gained. So, youth should be encour-
aged and enabled to explore their interests and find ways to translate
their hopes and concerns into action.

44
Toolkit for Young People

Background: This text (worksheet 8) is extracted from a United Nations

publication called ‘Making Commitments Matter: a Toolkit for young people
to evaluate national youth policy’ and can be downloaded from the web for
free on www.un.org/esa/socdev/unyin/untoolkit.htm.

Use the worksheetto open a discussion on the participation of youth in

public life. Ask: what is public life and civil society? How is it different to
home life? Is it true that young people want to participate in their soci-
eties, or do they prefer to have everything done for them and to stay at
home? Which of the 15 areas identified in the World Programme of Action
for Youth (WAPY) do participants feel to be a priority for Rwanda and
why? Which areas are of interest to the participants, which do they know
the most about? Can participants think of any ways in which governments
and civil society around the world support their youth? What is on offer in
Rwanda to help youth at the moment? Use worksheet 8 for suggestions and
support information.

Dare to Dream

Background: Songs on the radio, stories at the movies and pictures in maga-
zines often portray an unrealistically better world. Even so, we all have
dreams and in fact our imagination is one of the most distinctive qualities
which human beings have. Being able to envision an idea is a powerful tool,
it can help us to ‘see’ a solution or to motivate us towards one. How this
generation in Rwanda imagine the future of their country is not, then, a
frivolous question. Tell participants to make ‘interviews’ with each other, in
pairs similar to a television ‘chat show’ with an interviewer, interviewee and
audience. The interviewers can ask:

∆ “What do you imagine your life will be like in 20 years?”

∆ “What kind of job will you have and where will you live?”
∆ “Would you like to be famous or well known?”
∆ “What will life be like in your neighbourhood then?”
∆ “What do you want to see happening in Rwanda?”

My dreams + courage = reality

Background: School, travel, career and hobbies - how can we decide? How
can we learn to follow our dreams? Social research in Europe and America
has shown common characteristics in people who make their dreams come
true. These tips, see below, are taken from a book called ‘See Jane Win
for Girls’ (ISBN 1-57542-122-4) written after the author made a study of
1,000 successful women. Write up the list on a board and read them aloud.
Tell participants to copy the list of tips into their journals. Ask them to
rate them in order of personal preference.

∆ It is never too early to imagine, think about and plan for your future.
∆ Participate fully in everything that you do. Take the risk of making
your best effort.
∆ Don't be afraid to take on new challenges.
∆ Don't give up - especially when the things get tough. Avoid using
words like “can't” or “impossible”.
∆ Believe in yourself and in your ability to learn and grow.
∆ Trust that you can find interests that are right for you.

45
Mini-study: What are the main elements of achievement?

Using worksheet 9, tell 20 teenagers, i.e. the participants, to agree or

disagree with the statements, making crosses for disagree and ticks for
agree in the boxes. Next, represent the totals as a graph, which elements
were the most popular and in what percentage? What are the top 5
elements selected?

Bang your drum!

Background: Teenagers rarely get the chance to let off steam! This exer-
cise encourages participants to identify their own issues. Tell participants
sit in a circle and loudly and rhythmically tap on their knees; this is to
help lose the feeling of self-consciousness. Then one by one, going around
the circle: each participant has the opportunity to shout out loud something
in their lives that really makes them angry, sad or frustrated. For example:
Homework!! Spots!! Fighting!! Let each person time to come up with a real
answer, making sure that the knee-tapping continues until between
answers. At the end have the participants' end the exercise by clapping
and cheering.

Making the connection

Background: Teenagers are often convinced that the issues that interest
them are utterly remote from the politics of a state. But are they really?
Look at the common issues that young girls concern themselves with: love,
beauty, femininity, self-discovery, opportunities, duties, future careers.
Make 7 long strings and attach the labels provided in worksheet 10 to
either end. Tangle up the strings into a big knotted ball. Tell participants
to unravel the strings and explain what the 'youth issue' and the 'govern-
ment or grown up issue' have in common.

Running a government is like running a family

Read aloud: “Running a government is like running a family. The only differ-
ence is in the size. Let's look at how the things that are done in a family
are just like the things that are done by a government:

Ministry of Health
Takes care of those who are sick.

Ministry of Trade
Buys things the country needs, and sells things the country produces.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Keeps good relations with countries who are friends, and tries to resolve
disputes with countries where there is a conflict.

Ministry of Education
Makes sure that children and young people can go to school and learn.

Ministry of Agriculture
Makes sure there is enough food.

46
Mayor
Makes sure the city is clean, the garbage is collected that the streets and
parks look nice.

Ask the participants to identify their present roles in the family and write
them up on the board. Ask: Can these roles be matched with similar tasks
in the government or civil society? What are these roles? Have the partici-
pants write lists of these connections, and reflect on them - can any of
them see themselves developing their present family roles into public roles?

Use these examples in the discussion: Mukamana enjoyed her baby minding
duties in the family, so much so that she decided to become a teacher. She
started by helping at the local village school and the teachers there sup-
ported her application to the Kigali Institute of Education- and now she is
training to be a qualified teacher! Oda did not really like helping to make
the beds and clean the house, but the experience helped her to get a job
at an international hotel preparing the rooms. She began to take great
pride in her work and soon became very active in promoting tourism in
Rwanda.

Spider webs - influencing people

PART ONE
Discuss what influence means and in what ways we are influenced (feelings,
news, persuasion etc). Tell participants to write their names in the middle
of a piece of paper. They should then draw lines outwards linking it to
other names, so that the further away a name is, the less that person
influences the participant. Next participants link up the names that have
influence on each other. Soon the picture will look like spiders' web and
participants will see that every person is influenced by many others.

Circle of control

Tell the participants, either alone or in a group, to draw a circle of con-

trol. On the inside write what we have control over in our lives, such as
our attitudes, our responses, our habits. Then on the outside of the circle
write what we cannot control, such as the weather, ethnicity, and place of
birth. Next have the participants cut out the circle of control and keep it
with them. The outside can be disposed of.

Spider web - influencing people

PART TWO
Tell participants to consider how much they influence others around them
and make human spider threads! Half the group decide to be certain figures
in Rwandan society, use the list below for ideas. The others physically line
up the figures starting with the Rwandan school pupil in the middle. They
place the figures around her with those she influences the most nearest
her and those she influences least further away from her. Make lengths of
string or use chalk to draw lines on the floor with labels where the figures
stand. It will look a bit like a spider's web afterwards and can be left on
the floor for other exercises.

47
The new Mayor of Kigali Mr. Théoneste Mutsindashyaka

Rwandan school pupil You!

Teacher

Neighbour

Ambassador to Rwanda

Government representative

PANAC representative

Movie star

Big business man

Friend

Family member

Market seller

United Nations permanent member

Representative of the National

Youth Council

Policeman/woman

Journalist

Can do girl!

Background: ‘Can-do’ really means being proactive, this means being imagi-
native and determined to get things done. American female pilot Elinor
Smith once said, “People of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things
happen to them. They went out and happened to things”.
This is a game to stimulate the can-do girl spirit! Tell the participants to
divide into two teams. Read aloud out the statements below to both teams.
Team members take it in turns to invent a finish for them, before the
other team can; if they do they score a point. (To keep the game orderly,
have team members clap or whistle when they are ready to answer). The
opposite team can make a challenge calling out 'can-do!' and if they invent
a better suggestion, then that team also wins a point. The team with the
most points at the end of the statements is the winner. Adapt the ques-
tions as necessary, and encourage full answers - the aim of the game is for
participants to understand that proactive people seek solutions and take
initiative. Watch out - the statements get harder!

48
STATEMENTS EXAMPLES OF SUGGESTIONS

When I am cold I… …put a jacket on.

When I am tired I… …have a rest

When I am bored I... …read a book

When I am thirsty I…

When I am hungry I…

When I don't hear I…

When I don't understand I…

When I want to listen to music I…

When I can’t do my homework I…

When my friend is crying I…

When I hurt myself I…

When I have a flu or headache…

When I want to be alone I…

When I am cold but I have no jacket I…

When no-one understands me I…

When no-ones listens to me I…

When someone tries to hurt me I…

When I am treated unfairly I…

When I am angry I…

When I read a lie in a newspaper I…

When I see a problem in my neighbourhood I…

When there is no sports club in my town I…

When I have a good idea I…

When someone asks me to sign a petition I…

When I think I can do it better I…

49
Spider web - power and influence

PART THREE
Tell participants to look at the lines on the floor from part two. Next draw
new lines or tie new lengths of string connecting them up like a spider's
web. These lines represent the ways in which the figures influence or have
power over each other. Using labels or coloured chalk, write next to these
lines some of these methods or influence and power. Ask: What is the dif-
ference between influence and power? Use these examples:

Market seller vote / contact Government representative

Journalist publish information Teacher

Family buy goods or not! / contact Big business man

Me contact Representative of the National Youth Council

Police law / punishment Neighbour

Just a minute!

Background: This exercise serves as a public speaking training exercise, as

well as awareness training. Tell the participants to sit in a circle. The
facilitator is the quizmaster and keeps the time and the score. One partici-
pant must talk on the subject of either courage or conviction for one
minute. She may not however repeat words, pause, or use words such as 'er'
or 'um' and she may not deviate from the subject. If she does, another par-
ticipant can interrupt and point out the error.

If the quizmaster accepts the interruption then that participant must try
to finish the minute of talking herself. There is no limit to the number of
interruptions. The participant who is talking when the minute finishes is the
winner. Ask the participants what they can do to build up their courage or
conviction?
Tip: Give a second participant a stopwatch to keep score of the time.

Visiting speaker

Background: we learn best in life when we can see the practical application
of a theory. As children we learn that pottery must be handled with care,
when we see that it breaks if it falls. As adults we learn to drive a car
best through real driving practice. Uplifting stories of other peoples' per-
sonal experiences can be powerful learning tools too. Invite a guest speak-
er to give a 15-minute presentation of an experience where they were able
to influence change in public life. It could be a professional or an 'ordinary'
person, but someone who is not in a position of power but who nevertheless
used their influence to change a local practice or started a useful service.
Ask the speaker to describe her methods, her feelings, the difficulties and
the success to the participants.

50
Zones of Impact

Background: It can be easy for us all to exist in our own little bubbles, we
prefer to stay in our comfort zone rather than face new challenges that
might take courage and conviction. The trouble is, things tend to happen
around the comfort zone that affect us and we have no say in the matter.
On the other hand, when individuals are informed and engaged, they can
have great energy and sensation for action. These people make ripples and
waves that reach out far beyond their personal zone of impact.

The following exercise can be an art project or even a drama exercise,

according to time, materials and suitability. Ask the participants to think
about their personal zones of impact, are they in a comfort zone, are they
proactive can-do girls, are they working on themselves first? Who or what
can they change in their lives? Tell participants that the greatest zone of
impact they have is themselves! Ask the participants to think of ways they
could change or improve themselves. Tell the participants to draw a picture
or write and decorate a personal statement describing their own personal
zones of impact. Hang up the pictures, and personal statements. Perform
any drama pieces for the whole group to see.

51
Worksheet 8
Young people everywhere

Youth

are defined by the United Nations as between the ages of 15 and 24.

General Assembly resolution A/RES/58/133 was passed in November 2003.

Among other things, the General Assembly, in the resolution, “Decides to

devote, at its sixtieth session, in 2005, two plenary meetings to review the

situation of youth and achievements produced in the implementation of the

World Programme of Action ten years after its adoption.” Check out the

resolution! (www.un.org/youth).

The General Assembly, in this resolution, also “Recognizes the importance of

the full and effective participation of youth and youth organizations at the

local, national, regional and international levels in promoting and implement-

ing the World Programme of Action and in evaluating the progress achieved

and the obstacles encountered in its implementation…”

52
The World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year
2000 and Beyond (WPAY)

1. EDUCATION

2. EMPLOYMENT

3. HUNGER

4. POVERTY

5. THE ENVIRONMENT

6. DRUG ABUSE

7. JUVENILE DELINQUENCY

8. LEISURE-TIME ACTIVITIES

9. GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN

10. THE FULL AND EFFECTIVE PARTICIPATION OF YOUTH IN THE LIFE

OF SOCIETY AND IN DECISION-MAKING

11. GLOBALIZATION

12. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

13. HIV / AIDS

14. CONFLICT PREVENTION

15. INTERGENERATIONAL RELATIONS

53
Worksheet 9
“The main elements of achievement are...”

Make a survey of twenty participants, present the results in a graph and publish them in
a school magazine, for example.

54
Worksheet 10
Making the connection

Love Peace

Beauty Environment

Femininity Gender

Self-discovery Identity and Politics

Opportunities Freedoms

Duties Responsibilities

Future careers Industry/services

55
Theme 5
Fit for Life! - Your Personal Force

56
The stewardship model of leadership is under-
stood as the ability to bring out the best in
others. However, there are two reasons why
it is important to first bring out the best in
ourselves. Firstly, leadership takes hard work;
leaders have to be in good condition! Next, one
of the best ways to lead is to set a good
example. Bringing out the best in yourself
inspires others to follow your lead.

Choose exercises from the selection that best

suit your teaching needs. See the chapter
"Planning the Sessions" for guidance.

57
Fit for Life! - Your Personal Force
Being fit for life means being emotionally, physically and intellectually fit!

Emotionally fit means that all your emotional 'muscles' are in good shape.
This includes your 'muscle' for reason and thinking, for sympathy, for joy,
for indignation and even for reflection. Leadership calls for courage. For
example, the courage to speak up when we feel shy, the courage we have
to accept our shyness but strengthen our confidence. Having the courage to
say 'no', may mean overcoming feelings such as guilt. Being brave enough to
make change in your life means that our emotions must be prepared for a
windstorm from others who do not want us to change. Our emotions have to
be tough, sensitive, agile and under control. Managing our own emotions as
a leader has a strong effect on others around us.

Physically Fit: Sports, team games and individual exercises are not only
good for our well-being but can help us develop skills that we need later in
life, such as thinking in a team or being reliable. Sports help build up our
physical strength, have fun, relieve stress and work out worries. Team
sports can give opportunities to make new friends and travel when we play
games with other teams. In short, sports can lead the way to helping you
stand up for yourself, by feeling part of a group; purposeful, supported and
cheered! It is no wonder that a study in America found that girls in high
school who play sports are 92% less likely than non-players to be involved
in drugs and 80% less likely to have an unwanted pregnancy.

However, there is more to physical fitness than exercising. Being fit for life
means taking responsibility for your own body, for the way you use it,
treat it and look after it. No woman can truly call herself free who does
not have control over her own body. Girls and young leaders in Rwanda
need to arm themselves with knowledge and support to protect their bodies
from misuse and abuse. They need to follow a healthy diet, avoid poisons,
and guard themselves from sexually transmitted diseases and harmful prac-
tices. Pregnancy is still difficult; women need to have access to proper
medical support and make the right choices for themselves.

Intellectually fit means having an open mind, being curious and ready to
learn because only then can we find and absorb all the information we
need. Being fit for leadership, we also have to sometimes make quick deci-
sions, to know when to act and, sometimes, when not to. So we need to be
quick with our wits, watch closely, ask questions and read a lot. Reading is
so good for us! Reading books written in a good way can stimulate thought,
answer questions we didn't know we had and see the world though the eyes
of others. Quizzes and games keep our mind 'on its toes' and just listening
to an older relative talk or work keeps our mind well tuned - like the
string of a Munahi.

For decades, a lot of emphasis has been put on certain aspects of intelli-
gence such as logical reasoning, maths skills, spatial skills, understanding
analogies, verbal skills etc. Researchers though, were puzzled by the fact
that while IQ (intelligence) could predict academic performance accurately
and professional and personal success to some degree, there was something
missing in the equation. Some of those people who were very clever were
doing poorly in life; one could say they were held back by thinking, behav-
ing and communicating in a way that hindered their chances to succeed (see
www.a2zpsychology.com/articles/eq_and_iq.htm for details).

Fit for life means having good personal discipline and keeping good habits that
will deliver a healthy body, a healthy outlook and positive emotional balance.

58
Self-esteem line up

B a c k g r o u n d :Self worth is the most fundamental building block of human

development. It is an important step on the path to steadfast self-esteem,
to recognise and value ourselves. A strong self-esteem helps us to cope with
disappointment, difficulties, violence. Not only good for the downs in life, but
also there for the ups, when your self-esteem is in a fit condition, it can
help us make better decisions, communicate more clearly and be more willing
to give to others. So a healthy self-esteem is good for us as individuals and
for all those around us too. T e l l the participants to make a long line with
lots of space in front of them. R e a d aloud the statements below. T e l l p a r-
ticipants to answer 'True' and move forward 2 small steps, 'Sometimes' and
move forward one step or 'False' and stay in the same place. Participants
can close their eyes so that they do not feel self conscious. At the end of
the statements a s k participants to notice where they are standing. T e l l
them that participants who have moved forwards the furthest are likely to
have the strongest self-esteem (or the longest steps!)

Read aloud:

∆ I have at least 3 hobbies/interests or passions.

∆ When I make a mistake, I take responsibility for it (ie I don't blame

anything else or anyone else).

∆ When a teacher praises me for what I am doing, I believe him or her.

∆ If someone does not like the way I do things, I still do it anyway.

∆ If something hurts me, I try to make it better.

∆ I am happy with myself and the way I am.

∆ I believe that I can contribute to my environment or society.

∆ If someone compliments me for what I do, I can say 'thanks' without

feeling embarrassed.

∆ When I talk with my friends and family, I rarely put myself down.

∆ When I see that one of my friends does well in her exams, I am happy for her.

∆ If I have a disappointment, I can usually be reasonable about it.

∆ If I have a question in class, I am not afraid to ask the teacher in

front of all the class

∆ If there is something I want to do, I try my best to do it without complaining.

∆ When I don't understand or can't do something, it's no problem for

me to ask for help.

∆ I like to take care of my health.

∆ If I see someone I admire, I think to myself: one day, I will be like him/her.

∆ I like to spend time on my own.

∆ When my parents or teachers think I have broken the rules, I am

honest about it.

59
Self-Esteem Tool Kit

Background: Self-esteem is really a way of describing how good we feel

about ourselves, or how we rate ourselves. We can actually engineer this
feeling by doing things that bring positive results to our mood. Scientists
have shown that people who read happy stories or listen to cheerful music
can feel better about themselves for the whole day. And when we feel
good we tend to actually be better. Draw the outline of a tool box on the
board. Read aloud: “Mechanics and technicians use tools to keep their
machines in good working order, such as screwdrivers, hammers and saws.
What tools or what ways do we use to keep our self-esteem well oiled and
working well?” Ask participants to list ways in which we can learn to feel
positive about ourselves. Use list below if needed. Write the suggested
answers in the tool box. Tell participants to write the list in their journal
and draw a nail next to any ideas they would like to follow up on.

positive talking (listen to yourself be encouraging; don’t criticise your-

talk!) self or others too badly

speak up! keep a journal

keep good company do something you enjoy, join a club

keep fit and healthy have a plan

choose I can over I can't learn more skills

get a mentor good posture

proper breathing time management

invest effort use imagination

secret Swiss penknife (God's love, visual-

isation, magic, luck or meditation)

Just a minute

In one minute write a list of 'good' things about yourself and then for
another minute write another list of 'bad' things about yourself. Or you can
choose to write a list of good and bad memories. Which list is longest?
Which was easier to write? If it is easier to write the good list, it usually
means you have a good self-esteem. If you found it easier to write the bad
list, it usually means that you are experiencing a difficult time in your life
right now and your self-esteem needs a boost.

60
Emotional Intelligence

Read aloud: “For various reasons and thanks to a wide range of abilities,
people with a high emotional intelligence quotient tend to be more success-
ful in life than those with a lower emotional intelligence quotient (EIQ)
even if their classic intelligence quotient (IQ) is average. Those with high
EIQ tend to have beliefs and attitudes that can nurture a high self-esteem
such as self-love and self-worth, a proactive attitude and a willingness to
give things a try. They build a support network and feel comfortable in
social situations. Those with low EIQ tend to have feelings of inadequacy,
doubts about whether they 'measure up', they may make self-deprecating
statements and construct negative, self-critical internal dialogue. Socially
they need approval, seeking recognition from other people.” Discuss: do par-
ticipants agree or disagree with this text? How can people with more emo-
tional intelligence be more successful than highly intelligent people with
low emotional intelligence?

Are you in touch with yourself?

Write these questions on the board. Tell the participants to write them
down in their journals. These questions are for reflection. Tell the partici-
pant to quietly close their eyes and really think about their own answers.
After 7 minutes or so, move on to the next exercise.

ARE you generally in touch with your own emotions (can you identify your
true feelings?)
CAN you pinpoint underlying reasons for your own actions?
CAN you make yourself feel better or bounce back when upset, angry or sad?
CAN you control your temper in highly charged situations?
MOST people can feel pain - can you enjoy positive feelings?

What is hate? What is happiness?

Tell the participants to draw a picture of hate or happiness. Don't give any more
instructions than this and see what the participants produce. Discuss the results.

Push'n'pull

Background: Primarily, discipline means behaviour which we exhibit through

our own self-control, or you might say the good habits we have to bring
out the best in ourselves. Although some bad habits have short-term gains,
generally bad habits hold us back and even do us harm. Read aloud some
good habits to the participants, use list below if needed. Ask the partici-
pants to suggest some bad habits and write them up on the board. Tell a
few participants to walk from one side of the room to the other. Then
divide the other participants into 'good habits' and 'bad habits'. The bad
habits line up behind a walking participant, with their arms around her
waist, to try to pull her back. Then tell the good habits to put their arms
under the walking participant's shoulders and pull her forward. Can she get
to the other side? Discuss results with participants and tell them to write
a list of their own top 5 good and bad habits.

61
Suggested good habits:
1. seek the challenge, not the comfort
2. modesty is an adornment - take it off and show your true self
3. expect fun from life not boredom
4. get involved with a professional organization or workers union
5. mix in a bit, give your opinion even if it is not asked for
6. stop trying to be perfect
7. build up a professional network that you can rely on
8. find a friend who can say 'carry on anyway'
9. follow your goals insistently even when they are not reachable on
the first time
10. invest your energies not always on others, but on yourself.
(from Anita Fetz “Women on the open Parket” with thanks)

There's an angry monster in the field

Background: There are many temptations in our lives which can pull and
drain away our energies for positive actions. These might be alcohol, drugs,
teen gangs, irresponsible relationships. These are like angry monsters in our
lives; we have to avoid them to thrive. Draw an outline of a field on the
board. Ask the participants to suggest 'angry monsters' in their lives using
the examples above and write them into one corner of the field outline.
Ask: If we are in the field, what can we do to avoid being caught by the
angry monster? How can we warn others? Write the suggested answers on
the board. If any are hurtful or aggressive, draw a line through them. The
line simply means 'not recommended'.

Life planning

Background: A vision, dream, ideal or ambition, are all signposts for our own
decision making. Having a goal to aspire to sharpens our determination for
action and success. Preparation in advance prevents poor choices. Tell par-
ticipants to complete worksheet 11 below, on life planning. Go through the
check list below, with the participants.

Life planning check list

DOES this goal make you more satisfied or happier?
IS this goal concrete and clearly formulated?
WILL I know exactly when I have reached this goal?
IS this goal positively formulated?
IS this goal realistically achievable?
IS the price for this goal clear and do I really want to pay it

Global Goals

Background: many of our wishes are so big that we cannot achieve them on
our own. But with many people sharing our dreams, this can be beginning of
real change. Tell participants to consider their biggest wish for other peo-
ple. It could be anything from world peace to saving a wild species to
wanting a play-ground for their village. Write up the following questions on
the board. Tell participants to consider this exercise and ask a few of them
to present their answers.
∆ WHAT is my concrete goal that I can complete with others or for
others?
∆ HOW many people do I need to reach my goal?
∆ HOW can I persuade others to share my goal?

62
∆ HOW can I reach the people who are needed to set my dream in
motion?
∆ WHAT timeline is realistic?
∆ WHERE do I start and what steps do I need to reach my goal?

Inner Conflicts

Ask participants to consider what choices they will have to make in their
lives. Tell them that an inner conflict is a conflict inside a person between
their needs, values, desires and resources. Draw an outline of a head on the
board and write inside the different options the participants suggest. Ask:
How can we resolve our inner conflicts? How do our inner conflicts affect
others? What role does our conscience play in our decision making? Tell
participants to concentrate on one choice. Write in their journals ways
they can prepare to make a decision and what they need to follow through.
Use example below:

INNER CONFLICT: To study in Rwanda or to study abroad with my relatives

PREPARATION: get information about new country and college, talk to
others who have travelled, analyse my chances in
Rwanda, analyse my feelings about my family
DECISION: Stay in Rwanda, but do not want to marry too young.
SUPPORT: Win approval and support from my family and peer
group.

Mentioning Mentors

Background: one of the best things a girl can do is find a mentor. Having a
female mentor you can confide in boosts confidence levels. A mentor can be
a public figure, and can act as role-model from afar; they can inspire and
impress you. Another type of mentor is an adult who takes time to get to
know you, and can be approached for advice. This may be a teacher whose
style you admire, a relative with an interesting job, a family friend with a
business or a friend from your peer group, who is very competent. Ask par-
ticipants to think of a public role-model who could be a mentor for them.
How can they find out more about them? Ask a few participants to talk
about their choice and why.

Qualities to look for in a mentor:

∆ A positive attitude
∆ A great job AND a personal life!
∆ Ambition - what are their goals?
∆ Enthusiasm - what does she get excited about?
∆ Success - material and spiritual.
∆ Willingness - someone who is interested in helping you.
∆ Respect - someone who talks to you like an adult.

Do Sport! The Knees Game

Background: regular sport and exercise develop confidence and team skills
as well as being a great way to unwind and work out unresolved feelings.
In addition, responsible sport is great for your heart and lungs. Ask partici-
pants how they feel when they play sports. How can they build sport in to
their every day life? Try this: Divide the group into pairs. Tell participants
to picture something that happened recently that made them sad or angry.
Keep the picture in their heads. Then tell participants that they have to

63
cup their hands over their partner's knee caps before they do to it in
return. They cannot turn their backs or knock their opponent's hands out of
the way. Try this game for a few rounds. At the end, ask how many partic-
ipants are holding the picture in their heads?

Looking good - feeling good

Background: there is no doubt that personal presentation affects not only our own
mood but that of others. Looking good and feeling good go hand in hand. Tell a volun-
teer participant to get 'dressed up' as she wishes to present herself, explaining each
step of the way. She can really act it up, imagining a wardrobe and mirror etc. The
audience can call out if they have an opinion or question. As an alternative tell par-
ticipants to bring real outfits for each scenario and discuss them. Ask: How does
clothing make you feel good? How does clothing say something about your character?
There are eight scenarios; see below.

Dressing scenarios

∆ Interview for college or university

∆ Invitation to a wedding of a friend
∆ Relaxing at the weekend
∆ A date with a new boyfriend
∆ A new job as a babysitter
∆ An interview with a public figure
∆ A date with my best friend

Health Visum

Background: It may be useful to invite a medical professional to speak or

be available for questions in this exercise. Tell participants that they have
won a competition to go on a holiday in Europe. They have to complete a
health form for the visa. Use the worksheet 12 as a check list.

Heart and Soul

Tell participants to make a poster with a recipe for restoring or renewing the senses
and the spirit. Decorate the posters and hang them nicely on the wall. Have the par-
ticipants read the posters. Ask: Are there any common factors?

Some examples are:

Talk to a friend Go for a walk Listen to quiet music

Read a book in the sun-Play a musical instru- Write a journal or story

shine ment
Cook a healthy meal Spend a long time wash- Paint or draw
without time pressure ing and dressing
Write a letter Collect flowers for a Spend time with animals
vase
Watch the sunrise with Have a long sleep Make a surprise for
a friend someone

64
Brain Training

Write this quote up on the board “If you think education is expensive try
ignorance” (Derek Bok, former president of Harvard University). Ask partici-
pants what the quote means. Dedicate an entire session to brain training!
Collect favourite memory games, word puzzles, and tongue twisters (see
www.uebersetzung.at/twister for details.) Have the participants create
their own brain teasers.

Here are a few examples of tongue twisters to try:

∆ As-tu été à Tahiti ?
∆ Ces six saucissons-ci sont si secs qu'on ne sait si c'en sont.
∆ Croix crème, croix crème...
∆ Je veux et j'exige d'exquises excuses.
∆ Trois gros rats gris dans trois gros trous ronds rongent trois gros
croûtons ronds.
∆ Ta izo njyo uze urye izi nzuzi.
∆ Ibibiribiri bibiri biri mu murima wa Mubirigi. Hari umugabo wo kwica
ibibiribiri bibibri!
∆ A quick witted cricket critic.
∆ I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice-cream!
∆ She sells sea shells on the sea shore; the shells that she sells are
sea shells I'm sure.
∆ Red lolly. Yellow lolly.

Mind Candy

Background: For the right atmosphere, this exercise can be given after a
relaxing moment or calming game. The best ideas come when we are
relaxed. Tell participants that they can 'give' their brains a candy treat.
Ask them to suggest possible Mind Candy. Tell participants to write their
ideas in their journal and put a star by those ideas that they plan to fol-
low up on. Use suggestions below if needed.

Read a newspaper Go to the library Watch a non-mainstream

movie

Read a Nature magazine Plan a trip, go and take Plant a garden or win-
or book some pictures dow box

Write a story, or song Listen to the BBC World Watch an interesting

or piece of music Service Radio documentary

Attend a cultural event, Have a conversation with Surf the internet

such as a dance an adult

Study for exams and Open an encyclopaedia Read a biography

don't give in

65
WORKSHEET 11
Life Planning
Life Planning
Time Goal Next step

1 week

3 months

1 year

7 years

50th Birthday

Education

Travel

Public life

Career

Marriage: if yes, when

Children: if yes, how

many

Other ambitions

66
WORKSHEET 12
Health Visum
Health Visum Check List
Items

Name

Colour of eyes

Height

Weight

Blood type

Blood pressure

Heart rate

Public life

Any allergies? Give details

Number of teeth?

Any diseases? Give details

Any skin conditions? Give

details
Any family history of illness?
Give details

When was your last breast

check? (A procedure for feel-
ing for any lumps in the breast
that could be cancerous)
How can you prevent pregnancy?

How can you prevent sexually

transmitted diseases?

What foods contain calcium?

What foods contain vitamin C?

What causes infections?

67
Theme 6
Communication

68
In this workshop, participants will recognise
the importance of good communication for
life, as well as politics and leadership. These
exercises introduce a range from interpreting
non-verbal messages to creative negotation.
Allow plenty of opportunity for participants
to practice and develop these skills.

Choose exercises from the selection that

best suit your teaching needs. See the chap-
ter "Planning the Sessions" for guidance.

69
Communication
Body Talk

Background: When we talk to other people, our words are only conveying
some of what people understand. We are also using body language or non-
verbal communication. Although body language is used all over the world, it
is interpreted differently in different cultures. The most universal gesture
is the smile, which is understood the same in every country and culture in
the world. The most striking form of body talk is done using the large num-
ber of facial expressions which humans are capable of. These expressions
can convey messages even when our own words contradict them.

Tell participants to stand or sit in a circle and pretend that they are all
waiting for a bus to come. Whisper to a participant an emotion or feeling.
She has to convey this feeling to the other participants without sound or
big movements. Use the list below if needed:

nervous / pleased / in love / tired / annoyed / interested / curious / worried /

at ease / attentive / thoughtful / disgusted / excited / guilty / arrogant

Use worksheet 13 to help with interpreting body language. Discuss the

results. Remind participants to look carefully at authority figures for the
next few days and note any body language they see in their journals.
These could be anyone from politicians to their teachers.

Interview with a mouse / dog

Background: this is an individual exercise to increase empathy and non-ver-

bal skills. Write the questions on the board and tell the participants to
write their answers in their journals.

1. When is the best time to interview a mouse / dog?

2. How do you know when a mouse / dog is ready to talk?
3. How do you know if a mouse / dog is happy to see you?
4. How do you know if a mouse / dog is listening to you?
5. How do you know if a mouse / dog wants to end the interview?

Discuss: Is it easier to communicate with a mouse or a dog? Is it easier to

understand animals or humans?

Active Listening Check List

Background: Active listening is a way of listening and responding to another

person that improves mutual understanding. Often when people talk to each
other, they don't listen attentively. When people are engaged in an argu-
ment, they are often busy formulating a response to what is being said.
Active listening is a structured form of listening and responding that focus-
es the attention on the speaker. Write the check list on the board. Tell
participants to copy it down.

70
Good Listener Check List

∆ Look at the person who is speaking, make eye contact often

∆ Think about what the speaker is saying
∆ Think what you will do about it later
∆ Ask a question if you don't understand
∆ Repeat what the speaker says to make sure you understood

Ask the participants to form pairs. Taking it in turns, each person should
spend 2 minutes talking while the second person practices active listening.
The second person should then repeat back what they have understood. Ask
several of the participants how they felt about being listened to so atten-
tively. Discuss whether they are usually listened to so attentively when
they are talking.

Arm wrestling?

Background: The point of this procedure is to highlight that we often

assume rather than comprehend. Participants invariably compete in this
game although it is not implicit in the instructions. Tell the participants to
get into pairs and sit at a table. Read aloud: "The starting position for this
game is one hand on your lap and the other holding the hand of your part-
ner, whilst resting the elbow on the table. You will get a prize (a nut or
slice of fruit) every time the back of your partner's hand touches the
table". Say no more than this. (If a participant asks if the game is arm
wrestling, explain that the game starts in the same position) Stop this
game after 30 seconds and re-play cooperatively for a further 15 seconds.
Discuss: most partners compete to force their opponents hand on to the
table, but in fact that was not given in the instructions. If the players
were listening well, they could easily just touch each others hand on the
table instead. How often have particpants argued from miscommunication?

Father's Cooking Apron

Background: The game gives the participants a chance to practice a range

of emphasis and can be a basis for a discussion on language skills. Using the
sentence "Have you not seen my father's cooking apron?", tell the partici-
pants to say it and act it, using many different styles for example, dra-
matic, funny, sung, angrily, lazily, happily etc.

Indirect No

Background: Leaders need to be clear without being brutal. Girls often find
themselves acting under rigid ideals of femininity and are either unable to
speak their mind or are not certain what their view is at all. Saying no,
when necessary, without causing offence, is a skill that can be learned and
practiced. Tell participants to divide into pairs and decide who is participant
1 and 2. Tell participant 1 to ask questions to participant 2 that she is
unlikely to agree to. Participant 2 has to say no without using the actual
word. After a few minutes, reverse roles. For example: (1) "Can I borrow
your bicycle?” (2) " I would love to say yes, but I will be using it myself"
Ask participants what advantages a direct or indirect 'No' answer has?

71
Eye Witness

Background: No two people have the same experience. This game highlights
the essential communication skills of observation and perception. Ask one or
two participants to go out the room where they cannot hear what is being
said in the classroom. Ask one participant inside the room to describe an
event that all the participants know about: maybe a concert, or competi-
tion or even the morning assembly. Tell the participant outside to come
back into the room. Now she must give an account of the same event. Ask:
Are the descriptions of the event the same? If not, why not? Ask: whose
version is the correct one? Discuss: why is it important to have several dif-
ferent sources of news and information?

Communication in Conflict

Background: Where does conflict come from? For as long as there will be
problems and differences there will also be conflict. Conflict is not always
a bad thing, so long as it promotes some positive changes. Tell participants
to divide into 3 or 4 groups. Give them a copy of worksheet 14. Tell them
to cut out the boxes and the arrows and to put them together with the
arrows in a flow chart like the Kagera River flows into Lake Victoria. See
the flow chart solution if needed.

Read aloud: "Our conflict flow chart flows like the river Kagera flowing
into Lake Victoria. When the water reaches the lake, which is on the
Equator it can either go down into the Vitoria Nile and on to the
Mediterranean Sea or it heats up and evaporates making dark clouds over
the area. It is the same with the conflict flow chart: at the point where it
ends the conflict can either deescalate or escalate."

The Big Bad Wolf!

B a c k g r o u n d : This is a fun exercise, promoting compassion. A s k participants

to think of a traditional good versus evil story from their childhood, one
where there is a bad character who suffers in the end. T e l l the participants
to re-write the story in no more than two pages, telling the story from the
perspective of the bad character. Read aloud a few of the stories.

Traffic Lights for Fights!

Background: Skilled communicators can control themselves and can judge

situations and timing better than most. Ask participants in what ways we
can break up at fight, (e.g. go out of the room, turn away, say "lets stop
this") or cool it off (e.g. cry alone, think quietly, play music, sleep) or work
it out (e.g. forget about it, talk it over, do something nice for the other
person). Traffic lights for fights are:
"RED!" = break up (stop talking)
"AMBER!" = cool it off (calm down)
"GREEN!" = work it out (resolve differences)

72
Advanced Communication

Intonation
Background: Meaning is carried by more than just words. The intonation we
use can change the way our messages are understood. Remind participants
to listen carefully to news programs and listen how speakers used intona-
tion. Sit participants in a circle and tell the first participant to say a sen-
tence. The next one has to say the same sentence again with a different
intonation. Then she makes a new sentence up. A circle of four people could
sound like this:

Person 1: I like Mangoes (neutral)

Person 2: I like Mangoes (you don't) The weather is hot (neutral)
Person 3: The weather is hot (very!) The goats need water (neutral)
Person 4: The goats need water (not the pig)The shop is here (neutral)
Person 1: The shop is here (told you so!)

Dr's of Communication

Background: The process of globalisation refers to the expansion of

telecommunications and information technologies and the reduction of barri-
ers to trade and investment from country to country. Tell six participants
to play the following experts in the following areas:

television / coffee exportation / clothes shop / local trader of mangoes /

journalist / car salesman / hotel manager / health advisor / parenting

Ask each expert to explain what communication skills they use in their work in
the form of a presentation. Each expert can take an assistant if desired.

Open For Business

Background: Word-processing and computer design have transformed commu-

nication possibilities. To participate in public life effectively, individuals
need to exploit all the tools available. Arrange for participants to have
access to personal computers for this exercise. Tell participants that they
are about to open their own business. They must decide what it is, (shop,
factory, agency etc) and prepare for the opening day. Using word-process-
ing and other programmes, participants must design and produce samples of
their business card and letter head. In addition, they must design a poster
advertising the opening day of their new business to attract new customers.
Tell participants to write a letter about the new business to ten appropri-
ate VIP's, inviting them to the opening day. Ask participants to list the ten
guests they would choose. Display all the samples and discuss the results.

Cyber Space debate

Tell six participants to be astronauts. The rest of the group are ground
control. The astronauts debate the case for either keeping or ejecting the
internet equipment. Read aloud: “You are part of a team going to Mars to
start a new colony. However, there has been a power failure and you can-
not take all of your equipment. You must decide what you eject. Now you
are discussing the equipment for the internet - will you need it in Mars?
What is the future of internet anyway?”

73
 Use these six options for predicting the impact of the internet.

1. The world will be a better place - everyone will be online. The

internet will be used for everything; we will save so much time.
Information sharing will reduce conflict and poverty. We will all be
much happier

2. The world will be a worse place - everyone in the west will be

online, but people outside capitalist societies will be poor. The
division will lead to war.

3. People will take over the internet - we won't need government

anymore, we will all be free.

4. The governments will take over the internet - watching every thing
we do, our emails, bank details and purchases, we will all be
oppressed.

5. The internet is a passing fashion - sooner or later people will react

towards the other direction. There will be more personal contact.

6. The internet is here to stay - everyone will be connected to every

one else, your only chance to thrive is to get connected and work
towards greater communication.

74
WORKSHEET 13
Body Talk

Action Emotion

Standing with hands on hips Readiness, aggression

Sitting with legs crossed, foot kick- Boredom

ing slightly
Arms crossed on chest Defensiveness

Touching or slightly rubbing nose Rejection, doubt, lying

Rubbing the eye Doubt, disbelief

Hands clasped behind back Anger, frustration, apprehension

Head resting in hand, eyes downcast Boredom

Rubbing hands Anticipation

Tapping or drumming fingers Impatience

Stroking chin Trying to make a decision

Biting nails Insecurity, nervousness

75
WORKSHEET 14
Why is there conflict?

Cut out the arrows and boxes and put them together in a flow chart like
the River Kagera flows into Lake Victoria. Use arrows for the River Kagera.

Cause them to
RESPOND

INTERACTION
and
PERCEPTION

PERSON/S

Their
RESOURCES
or
VALUES

DIFFERENCES between
or
THREATS to

POINT OF CONFLICT
(Lake Victoria)

ESCALATE through DE-ESCALATE through

increased emotion or threat attention is focused on problem
more people get involved Reduced exposed emotion or threat
few peace making skills peacemaking skills or help

76
Why is there conflict? Solution

PERSON/S

INTERACTION
and
PERCEPTION

DIFFERENCES between
or
THREATS to

Their
RESOURCES
or
VALUES

Cause them to
RESPOND

POINT OF CONFLICT

ESCALATE through DE-ESCALATE through

increased emotion or threat attention is focused on problem
more people get involved Reduced exposed emotion or threat
few peace making skills peacemaking skills or help

77
Theme 7
Diversity and Synergy

78
The exercises in this theme explore social dis-
crimination and ideas of diversity and synergy.

Choose exercises from the selection that

best suit your teaching needs, see the chap-
ter “Planning the Sessions” for guidance.

79
Diversity and Synergy
The principal that all human beings are born equal and should be treated
equally is the basis of modern Human Rights. Our instinct to compete for
the best resources or prestige means that discrimination in one form or
another has always been a problem since the beginning of mankind.
Certainly mankind, as all life forms, needs particular conditions to thrive;
from adequate access to natural sources to equal opportunities in public
life, the human spirit needs fertile socio-political conditions to flourish.

The 20th century has seen extreme examples of institutionalised racial

hatred, from the Nazi Regime, and the apartheid in South Africa to the
ethnically motivated genocide in former Yugoslavia. In Rwanda, each past
regime, whether Hutu-dominated or Tutsi-dominated, established a structure
which discriminated against the other ethnic group, using exclusion, humilia-
tion, and inequality. The structural violence led not only to physical vio-
lence, but also to trauma and to enemy images in both communities.

In order to try to prevent history from repeating itself, many international

treaties, national legislation and other legal methods have been activated to
combat discrimination, intolerance and xenophobia. The government, along
with many supporting international and grass roots non-governmental organi-
zations, are taking steps to increase awareness and reduce ignorance. The
National Commission for Unity and Reconciliation (NCUR) organises events and
training sessions in villages and schools calling for tolerance and acceptance.

Nevertheless, discrimination and violence based on race, colour and ethnicity

are the most frequently violated Human Rights in the world. That is why
reconciliation is a crucial necessity to heal psychologically the victims of
past cruelty and to break the cycle of violence. For the victims, the most
pressing need is the truth, healing, and prevention of future violent conflict.

The young leaders of Rwanda will need extraordinary vision and skills to
continue this momentum of healing and building a sustainable coexistence in
Rwanda for and with all its communities.

National Conference on the Wonders of Nature

Background: Rwanda is the most densely populated country in Africa and

the pressures of a massive population growth and poor access to quality
land have contributed to the rise in racial hatred in parts of the country.
Maintaining a vigorous environment in Rwanda is also an important challenge
for the following generations. This exercise encourages the participants to
think about the benefits of diversity in life around them. Tell the partici-
pants that they are invited to a National Conference and choose six partic-
ipants to be panel speakers and one more to be the moderator. Arrange
the room with a table for the panel to sit at. The moderator introduces
each speaker who presents the appropriate text, use worksheet 15.
At the end of the presentation ask: why do we bother to protect species?

Tips for discussion:

IT is right to help all living things (philosophical).
WE can learn from them (behaviour).
WE can gain from them (products)
SOME species may be needed later if our circumstances change (survival)

80
The Great Race

Tell the participants to make large paper labels of the following titles:
these are socio-political conditions for mankind. Many will be needed!

Freedom / Justice / Choices / Respect / Self-determination / Human dignity /

Economic-security / Social-security / Peace / Stability / Rights

Next t e l l the participants to lay the labels on the floor randomly across an
empty space. On one side of the space half the participants line up. They
are 'mankind'. On the other side of the space the remaining participants line
up, they are 'discriminators'. These discriminators are active against vulnera-
ble groups, minorities, immigrants, race, religion, gender, language, sexuality,
age, personalities and physical integrity etc. Say aloud “go!” and the dis-
criminators come into the centre of the space to guard the condition labels
against Mankind. Mankind must run to the other side of the space collecting
as many 'conditions' as they can without being caught by the discriminators.
At the end of the game, have mankind shake hands with the discriminators.

Article 1 CERD

Background: The United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All forms

of Racial Discrimination 1965 (CERD) contains a clear definition of racial
discrimination. Find the text of this at www.ohchr.org/english/law/cerd.htm
Write Article 1 on the board and read it aloud. Tell participants to copy it
in to their journals.

'Article 1 states….in this convention, the term 'racial discrimination' shall

mean any distinction, exclusion, restriction, or preference based on race,
color, descent, or national or ethnic origin which has the purpose or the
effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on
an equal footing, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political,
economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life.'

Action or Attitude?

Background: Human Rights documents and national laws make several differ-
ences between discrimination and intolerance, between active and passive
expressions and between direct and indirect actions. There is also an
allowance for positive discrimination and equal opportunity, in these cases
the laws or conditions are deliberately advantages (and therefore unequal)
to particular groups to compensate for disadvantages in the past. Divide
the participants into four groups. Use worksheet 16 and cut them into puz-
zle pieces. Tell the groups to complete the puzzles. Ask the participants to
connect the words on the puzzle to real life examples of active and passive
discrimination.

Where do you stand?

Tell participants that one wall will be used for this exercise. One end rep-
resents Strong Agreement. The other end represents Strong Disagreement
and the space along the wall in between the ends covers the spectrum in
between. Make posters of the following quotes (see below) or write your
own. Then stick the first one in the centre of the wall for all the partici-

81
pants to read. They line themselves up along the wall according to their
level of agreement with the statement. Ask a few of the participants to
share the reasons for their agreement or disagreement.

Quotes for posters

ALONE WE CAN DO SO LITTLE, TOGETHER WE CAN DO SO MUCH.

HELEN KELLER

DISCRIMINATION CAUSES DAMAGE BY ISOLATING AND HURTING PEOPLE AND DIVIDING COMMUNITIES.

IF WE WERE TO WAKE UP ONE MORNING AND FIND THAT EVERYONE WAS THE SAME RACE,
CREED AND COLOUR, WE WOULD FIND SOME OTHER REASON FOR PREJUDICE BY NOON.
GEORGE AITKEN

OUR MISSION IS TO CONFRONT IGNORANCE WITH KNOWLEDGE, BIGOTRY WITH TOLERANCE

AND ISOLATION WITH AN OUTSTRETCHED HAND OF GENEROSITY. RACISM, CAN, MUST AND
WILL BE DEFEATED.
KOFI ANNAN

Synergy is

Background: Synergy is created when two or more people work together to

reach a solution they could not have achieved on their own. It is the for-
ward thinking productive habit of seeking a solution to a problem where no
one person dominates, rather both parties gain. This is sometimes known as
a win-win situation. Synergy is the logical opposite from discrimination,
which is exclusive and unprofitable.

Use these tables below (from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, ISBN
0 684 85609 3 with thanks.) as a starting point for a discussion on syner-
gy. Write it on the board and tell the participants to copy it into their
journals.

Synergy is ... Synergy is not...

Celebrating differences Tolerating differences
Team work Working independently
Open-mindedness Thinking you are always right
Finding new and better ways Compromise

Getting to Synergy

ACTION PLAN

1. Define the problem or opportunity

2. Listen to their ideas

3. Communicate your ideas

4. Create new options and ideas

5. Find the best solution

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Fruit Salad Planet!

Background: this exercise can clear the air after a difficult discussion.
Bring a selection of fruits and have the participants prepare them in small
bite-size pieces. Ask the participants to describe what they like best about
each separate fruit, such as colour, texture, taste, or other. Put the all
the fruits in a bowl and let everyone have a taste! Ask the participants to
describe what they like best about all the fruits together. Where is the
synergy in fruit salad?

Synergy is in me!

Ask participants to consider five ways they can create synergy in their own
lives. Tell them to record their ideas in their journals.

Tips for suggestions:

1. Next time I have a disagreement with my parents or a school
teacher I will get out the “Getting to Synergy ACTION PLAN” and
work through it
2. Next time I have a problem I will ask a trusted adult for their view.
3. I am going to keep my eyes and ears open to find synergy around
me, at school and in nature.
4. Listen to the news and think of ways how problems could be solved.
5. Try to make a friend with a shy person in my year group.

Win-Win at the Orange Market!

Win-Win at the home of Belle!

Background: this is a role-play game where the aim is to reach a solution

which benefits everyone. Still, it is not always easy to find out what
everyone wants when they have certain hidden opinions and prejudices that
can get in the way. Make the role-play cards for each scenario using work-
sheet 17 or invent your own. Divide participants into groups of four.
Give one role-card to each participant, which they should read but not
reveal to the others. Tell the participants to talk to each other in pairs
for up to four minutes. They have to switch partners until they have all
spoken to each other. They can call for more meetings if needed. They
have to reach a solution where everyone is satisfied in a maximum of 15
minutes. End the game when a solution is reached, if the discussions go
around in circles or the time is up! Ask participants to identify active and
passive discrimination in the scenarios. If needed read aloud the possible
Win-Win solution given on the worksheet for each scenario.

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WORKSHEET 15
National Conference on the Wonders of Nature

Speaker 1: From the Albertine Rift and the Hombwy Mountains, the Virunga
National Park and the Nyungwe Forest, Rwanda is blessed with exceptional
foliage. From mature woodland through lowland to highland forestation,
these conditions are rare in Africa and are being lost every day.

Speaker 2: Frogs and toads spend a great deal of their day in the dust and
dirt, yet they are rarely sick. They have antibiotics in their skins that pro-
tect them from infection. Scientists believe that these antibiotics could be
used in medicines for humans, and hope that the frogs will not die out
before their secrets are discovered.

Speaker 3: Every year the African Kingfisher digs a new tunnel in a sandy
bank and builds a nest inside. He likes insects, and when he snaps a bee he
bangs the stinging end off against a rock or tree. This clever bird thrives
on this innovation.

Speaker 4: The Hornbill birds have developed very unusual ways of solving
their problems. Every year a male and female pair together and then make
a big hole in a tree. The female goes inside and together they seal up the
hole. The female then sheds her feathers and lays her eggs. She places
huge trust in her mate who must bring her food until her feathers grow
back and the eggs are hatched. On the other hand the Hornbill eggs are
well protected against hungry snakes and lizards.

Speaker 5: Every year in Europe, birds fly south for winter in a particular
direction. A few always fly using a different route: although most of these
perish, it is important that not all the birds are together. If for any rea-
son there is a change of circumstances on the way south, the disorientated
birds who went a different way will be better prepared to find alternative
routes.

Speaker 6: There is a condition of the blood called sickle cell anaemia and
it is caused by double recessive genes in the DNA. It can cause extreme
pain and cause permanent damage to many different parts of the body.
However when African's have a single recessive gene, they seem to be more
resistant to malaria.

84
WORKSHEET 16
Action or Attitude

85
WORKSHEET 17
Win-Win at the Orange Market

Player 1: Male. Aim: Sell Oranges. You are an orange grower. This year
the earth was dry and fertilizer is too expensive. Your harvest was not
good, so you must sell your oranges at the highest price that you can get.
You know that you can get a good price from Player 2, who makes orange
essence, but she is from Europe and you hate what the colonialists did to
Africa, so you don't want her to benefit from your oranges!

Player 2: Female. Aim: Buy Oranges and help Africa. You have shops in
Europe and sell orange essence in shampoo bottles and soaps. You have a
good business and can afford to pay a high price for good oranges. You
only use the skins of the orange to extract the essence. The rest of the
orange is then thrown away. You are from England and could buy oranges
in Europe, but you want to help Africa.

Player 3: Male. Aim: Buy Oranges.You make orange juice. You like the
work but over the years you have become frustrated at the number of
women working in business. You think women should be at home and leave
trading to the men. Your own company is not going so well and somehow
you blame these new business women for it. You are worried that you do
not have enough money to buy all the oranges you need.

Player 4: Female. Aim: Buy Oranges. You are a scientist who has a project
in the Nyungwe Forest. You are testing fruit mulch (mash of fruit pith and
fibres etc) as an inexpensive fertilizer for the earth. You need a plentiful
source of oranges and the project does not provide much money for them.
You only want the mulch, not the juice which is too acidic for fertilizer.

Possible Win-Win solution

:

∆ Player 4 makes offers to share costs for oranges with player 3.

∆ Player 3 accepts offer from a female scientist, he uses the money to
bid a good price to player 1.
∆ Player 1 sells his oranges to player 3 and player 4.
∆ Player 3 extracts the juice from the orange flesh and transports all
the leftovers to player 4.
∆ Player 4 offers the orange skins to player 2 and uses the pith and
fibres for fertilizer
∆ Player 2 pays for orange skins and the money helps the project in
the Nyungwe Forest to continue.

86
Win-Win at the home of Belle!

Player 1: Female. Aim: To leave her job. You are working as a maid for
Belle, player 4. You have just been accepted to study at college and you
need to leave your job. Belle has been very kind to you. She even gave
your father, player 3, a gardening job. Your father was active in the
genocide and since he has served his sentence, no-one wants to give him a
job. So you are worried that if you leave, Belle will ask your father to
leave as well. Belle also has Aids; who will care for her if you go?

Player 2: Female. Aim: To get a job. You were a friend of player 1, at

school. You have a small baby boy and need to find somewhere to live and
work. It is hard for you to manage on your own; jobs are not very flexi-
ble for single mothers.

Player 3: Male. Aim: To have a job. You are the father of player 1. You
were active in the genocide and caught by the police. You served your
sentence but now, nobody wants to give you a job. So you are happy to
have a job as a gardener for Belle, player 4. You love your daughter
though you miss the years when she was growing up!

Player 4: Female. Aim: To be cared for. You are Belle, a wealthy

woman with a large beautiful house. The violence in your country makes
you angry and you find it hard to forgive the perpetrators. Because of
them, your only relatives moved to America. You have Aids which you con-
tracted from a blood transfusion a long time ago. You need someone to
care for you, but people are afraid they will also catch Aids. One girl,
player 1, is your housemaid and because you are so grateful to her you
also employ her father, player 3, who was once active in the genocide.

Possible Win-Win solution:

∆ Player 1 asks player 2 to take her job at Belle's house.

∆ Player 2 accepts offer but is worried about child care.
∆ Player 1 tells player 4 that she needs to leave her job, and player 2
will care for her instead.
∆ Player 4 accepts, but no longer wants to keep player 3.
∆ Player 2 offers to pay player 3 to care for her son while she works.
∆ Player 3 accepts, it is less money but he is happy for the job, and
loves to be with the little boy. His neighbours see a gentler side to
player 3 and start to talk to him more often.

87
Section Two
Applied Leadership
“The Great Lake girls
make ripples and waves

They reach for the stars

with the sun on their face
Let them show us the way
and you'll all be amazed
'Cause the Great Lake girls
got courage and faith!!!”
What is a project?

A project is a plan of activities designed to complete an endeavour, or make

a specific product. This endeavour or product can be clearly explained. Each
project has a team of people and defined resources to implement the activ-
ities. The project has clear starting and finishing dates and clear criteria
for success.

What is a project life cycle?

We can group project phases into four turns of a circle:

1. Innovation: Projects start with think- 2. Preparation: From the suggested idea
ing about an issue. From thinking comes comes a plan of action.
an idea of something to do.

4. Operation: From action come results. 3. Reflection: From results come reflec-
tion, reports and new innovation.

How can project work teach leadership?

Leadership is a form of social responsibility. We can teach responsibility

only by giving young people opportunities to accept responsibility for them-
selves. A well-run project offers participants a chance to fully engage all
their qualities, develop their capacity for leadership AND show direct
results of their energies. This 'real life application' style of learning is more
powerful than theoretical teaching, especially with younger people.

Project innovation enables participants to explore their conviction for an

issue and their courage to come up with original ideas.

During project preparation, participants recognise their potential influence

on a situation. They come to believe that they can affect the actors and
forces in their own lives - an essential principal of leadership.

When project teams are passionate about an issue, the challenge is to per-
suade others to share the same point of view. The project operation draws
on all areas of leadership, but especially communication skills.

Reflection on the project results can in itself be an empowering act. The

effort to review the high and low points is an opportunity to learn for the
future.

90
How are the “Fit for Leadership!” projects organised?

In each group the participants are divided into five 'mini-ministries' (working
groups) that consist of groups of at least four girls. The mini-ministries will
cover the following areas:

HUMAN RIGHTS, MEDIA, ECONOMY, ENVIRONMENT, SOCIAL ISSUES.

Each working group can work alone or together with an organisation or

party concerning their specific area of interest. Then, a particular project
is planned and implemented by each group.

In each mini-ministry there will be one minister, one vice minister, one cabi-
net chief and one press spokesperson. The girls assume one role each and
rotate the roles at each subsequent project meeting so that they experi-
ence all the roles. In addition to participating in the team, the mini-min-
istry roles involve some other responsibilities.

During the exercises the minister, as head of the group, shall keep up a
positive team feeling and make any necessary decisions where none can be
taken by consensus. The vice minister must make sure that all the project
activities are within the 'law' and spirit of international human rights. The
cabinet chief is responsible for 'policy' implementation, and must take care
that all agreed activities are completed. The press spokesperson keeps the
project diary, and manages any contact with the media. Though these
roles have an earnest training purpose, the 'authority' of each character
should not be exaggerated.

How to plan the project sessions

The applied leadership section of this curriculum is divided into four steps:
innovation, preparation, operation and reflection. Each mini-ministry needs
to work through all the exercises and activities in each step. They can
complete the steps in organised workshops with all the mini-ministries or by
themselves privately. This enables groups who are working with partner
organisations or other parties to be more flexible when planning meetings.
Some mini-ministries will need several meetings to complete their projects
and therefore with a copy of the steps, they can do so in their own time.

For this reason the project steps 1-4 can be reproduced as a course hand-
out for each mini-ministry. With this in mind please note that there are no
facilitator instructions contained in these stepsas there are in the theme
chapters. And the exercises are addressed to the girls themselves.

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Tip - Suggestions for Projects

Human rights:
1. Design a human rights poster and distribute it to other schools,
offices and shops.
2. Make a presentation to a government representative about a human
rights issue that needs more attention.

Media:
1. Make a recommendation letter to a local radio station and collect
many signatures for it.
2. Arrange for an interview with an influential individual and ask a
newspaper to print it.

Economy:
1. Design a postcard promoting one or many of Rwanda's main products
or exports such as tea, coffee and natural insecticide. Send this
postcard to all the foreign Embassies and ask to leave some in hotel
lobbies, for example.
2. Create a business plan to market a simple product to sell, for
example hand made bracelets. Test the plan and report on lessons
learned.

Environment:
1. Perform a play or puppet show for primary school children about
why the rain forest is threatened in the Virunga Mountains of
Rwanda.
2. Create a small recipe book for fish dishes with tilapia and sambaza,
for example. Distribute the book to families and in shopping areas
to promote the fish aquaculture in Rwanda.

Social issues:
1. Use publicly available materials to launch an awareness campaign
about violence against youth (see www.seeitandstopit.org, for
example) in your school and families.
2. Rwanda's population has grown dramatically in the last few decades.
Write a questionnaire and conduct a survey of teenagers to discover
how many children they want to have and why. Send a report of
the results to the local media.

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93
Project step 1
Innovation
Appreciation of issues
Situation assessment
Development of project ideas

Voices of conscience

Have a reader read out a few selected quotations that reflect the voices of concern
in different situations. ‘Voices from the poor’ at www.worldbank.org is a good source.

“My husband and I are no longer as close as we used to be

when I was working,” a South African Woman tells researchers.
“I think because he knows that I am solely dependent on him,
especially because the children are still young. I am scared of him
because he has even started to abuse me, but I know I have to do my best
and listen to what he tells me to do, for the sake of the children.”
“Poor men seem to find it harder to make an income and provide
for their families. Some men are responding to it by breaking down because
a core of their identity is linked to being the main
economic provider.” When they collapse, says Narayan, they often
collapse into drugs, alcohol, and wife beating. “Women seem to be
doing whatever it takes to get out of the household and work. They
often end up in low-paying, high-risk, and often demeaning jobs.”
“In our village the women cannot do much,” says an Indian man
living near Bhopal. “They do agricultural labor, bring fuel wood from
the jungle, and look after the children.”
Or have representatives from local partner organisations relate a few stories about
their work. Present this in a non-biased and non-judgemental way, so listeners can
make up their own minds. After the reading, participants may mention examples from
their own context. Through discussion, groups identify certain emotive issues.

News Doodles

Individually or in groups, participants look through newspapers, magazines or adver-

tisements and highlight text related to their area of interest. What information
interests them? What news makes them happy or gives them concern? Are there any
issues that stir up interest? Are there any issues that are NOT written about? Write
any eye catching words, themes, or issues that are interesting down on paper, write
them scattered around. Next, draw circles and arrows between key words and phras-
es that are somehow linked together. Do these news-doodles reveal any patterns?
Get copies of two different local newspapers for the same date, making sure that one
is a ‘quality’ paper and the other less so. Carefully compare the front pages. How
much space on each is given to important news stories? How much is given to less
important stories. Look inside the papers and find a story which is told in both papers.
How are the articles different? Think carefully about the language used in each
paper. How do the words used make you think about the people in the story?

94
Mood board

Using a library or access to World Wide Web on the internet just browse a
particular topic, collect prominent phrases, quotes, short stories, pictures or
even small items that have a particular meaning. Stick these items with
glue on to a large piece of strong paper or card. This is what designers call
a mood board. Looking at this material, what issues are suggested? Hang up
the mood boards in the classroom for all to see.

In one example, a mood board was made using items of rubbish picked up
from the street. It included supermarket special-offer advertisements,
sweet wrappers, a news story and a used hypodermic needle. The mood
board inspired the launch of a community market for local natural products
as a neighbourhood meeting space.

Human chess

Participants line up with plenty of space and a ‘goal’ line in front opposite.
Give each participant a piece of paper with a character or profession written
on it. There must be good range, for example, a lawyer, a teacher, a deaf
person, a widow with six children, a man from the government or a woman

1. Are you healthy? 9. Are you free to marry whom you choose?

2. Are you a man? 10. Are you paid for your work?

3. Do you have a job? 11. Do you work outside the home?

4. Do you have a home? 12. Are you ever punished, humiliated or

beaten?

5. Do you have access to clean water? 13. Do you do sports or have a hobby?

6. Do you have a varied diet, with 14. Do you have a little bit of money to
maybe beans, chicken and vegetables? spend on yourself?

7. Can you read and write? 15. Do you have holidays?

8. Did you have further education after 16. Can you travel wherever you want to?
primary school?

employed in a coffee plant. The questions below are read out aloud. The
‘characters’ move one pace forward for a ‘yes’ answer and one pace back-
ward for a ‘no’ and stay on the spot for a ‘sometimes’. Each participant has
to decide the answer to the questions for their character, based on what
they know and what they assume. At the end of the exercise who is furthest
away from the goal line and why? Who is nearest to the goal line and why
(maybe they took BIG paces!) Has the deaf person moved at all?

95
The world in a village

Imagine the world population of 6000 million people has shrunk to a village
of ten villagers. Draw ten sick people to represent them. One person has
60% percent of all the wealth. Draw a big round coin around the first per-
son. 50% of the world's population are hungry or starved. Put five empty
bowls under the first five people. Seven are unable to read; draw a book
under the first three people. Eight of the villagers would be living in sub-
standard housing or slums, including the homeless, displaced and refugees.
Draw a roof over the first two people. Only one percent of the population
own a computer so colour the nose of the first person. One percent of the
world's population has access to higher education, so colour one shoe of the
first person in the village. If a person has food for the next meal, a place
to stay and sleep and clothes to wear, they qualify in the top three wealth-
iest people in the village. Look at the sheet again and mark which of the
villagers represent you. What does this exercise tell us?

Information hide and seek

Use books, papers, magazines and websites on the internet to find out more
information about a chosen theme. To get a broad picture, look for informa-
tion from a broad range of sources. Is the information the same in all the
material? If there are differences, ask yourself who wrote the material or
who owns that particular media and ask: are they subjective (a personal
viewpoint) or objective (a factual standpoint)? Make notes of the information
gathered and share the information with those in the mini-ministry.

Why-why-why chain

Try to consider why an issue becomes a problem. Start by writing a key

word and then think of a reason for that problem. Write that reason down
next to the first world with an arrow between the two words and then so
on. For example:

why? lack of awareness

Aids in Rwanda

why?

prevention messages not reaching everybody

The arrows indicate the direction of outcomes: so in this example it means

that if people do not get information, there is not enough awareness and an
increase in Aids. There may be several different boxes with arrows pointing
to Aids in Rwanda because there are many reasons for this.

96
Associations

In circles of up to 8, one participant starts with a key word related to an

issue and says it aloud. Other participants follow with each word suggesting
another. If a participant has nothing to add, they should say ‘pass’. After
a minute or two, review the exercise. Did any new or interesting ideas or
associations come up? For example:

“Poor - old - alone - friend - help - neighbours - together - care - nice -

happy” leads to the idea that neighbours all be happier if they could work
together to care for those who are old and poor.

Gloria Stienham's favourite remedy

Gloria Stienham the famous American feminist writer encourages potential

female leaders to do an outrageous act every day! What she means is that
sometimes women hold themselves back and only by thinking in bold or orig-
inal terms can women set their potential free. Take a spoonful of Gloria's
medicine and start thinking - do you have a bold idea waiting to break out!

What about writing, decorating and sending ‘forgiveness letters’ to key

individuals or groups, signed by as many people as possible. Or having an
event of looking forward to the future, where everyone plants a seed or
small cutting as a symbol of hope and commitment.

Make a case

Each participant takes three minutes to prepare a ‘case’ for their choice of
project issue. The case should include a description of the situation, why it
is important and how change could make a positive impact. The participant
has two minutes to make the case to the other members of the group. If
the group cannot reach a consensus on which shall be the project theme,
the participant in the minister role shall make the final choice and defend
her decision.

97
Project step 2
Preparation
Identification of parties involved in the issue,
Organization of a work initiative together with a local partner,
Assigning tasks,
Calculating budgets,
Compilation of a work and time plan.

Be Optimistic

Consider the key issue that is of interested or of concern, note down what
are the significant factors about it. Is there an optimistic view for each
issue? How could the future look better in this matter? Write down the
significant factors for this rosy view. Compare the two lists and consider
what activities could bring the normal view into the rosy view?

Small stones - big ripples

It can be best to plan a school-based project before attempting a national

or community level project. There is potential for action in almost all things
when we look: remember that even small stones dropped in the water can
make very big ripples. Think about a range of activities that might seem
small, but can have an impact nevertheless.

Consider these activities:

∆ Organise an artistic event in the school.

∆ Arrange an interview with a government representative, informing

the media of your visit.

∆ Invite a good speaker to your school, youth club or community centre.

∆ Send letters to schools in other countries, telling them about Rwanda.

∆ Organise a story, picture or art competition - get a local business

to sponsor a prize.

∆ Make a VOX POP: record pupil's comments on an issue and take it

to a radio station.

∆ Plan a sponsored sports event and give the money raised to a charity
of your choice.

∆ Collect old cloth and make rag rugs or fun children's clothes for others.

∆ Grow aubergine seeds in decorated pots and give the small plants to
others who need them.

98
 Spiders legs

Draw a circle for the body of a spider and write the planned action inside
it, then draw legs for any consequences or problems with this action.
Repeat with different actions and assess which one is most feasible.

High printing costs

Make an quite easy to get done

awareness
Difficult to get transport
poster
can be seen by lots of people

Need a good artist

instant impact

Play ball!

PART 1
Imagine that the project is a ball in a game. There are two teams. The
first team is throwing the ball: this team is all the people who make the
project happen, such as the mini-ministry, the local partner organisation,
government officer or community leader. The second team need to catch
the ball: this team is made up of the people who will benefit from the
project, such as a local school, a children's charity, a decision maker or
Government office. Now write a list of the likely members of each team.
Design and draw a coloured shirt for each team at the top of each list!

Play ball!

PART 2: TEAM TALK

Look at the list of team players from part one. Do any members have spe-
cific strengths or needs?

In the throwing team: who has the largest outreach, gives the best per-
formance, is the most well-known? Who works more in the countryside or in
cities, what is their motivation, what experience do they have and are they
honest players?

Look at the catching team: who is most likely to ‘catch’ the ball, who is
most likely to benefit from the help? Which member should ‘catch’ the ball
first? This exercise will help to decide who will be the key players in the
project.

99
Be SMART

Look at the project idea, is it SMART?

S specific - can it be clearly explained?

M measurable - can any result be measured or shown?
A achievable - is it quite easy to get done?
R realistic - can it be done within the budget and using the available people?
T time - can the project be finished in the time available - the school term?

If the project idea is not SMART, do not reject the idea straightaway: look
for ways to improve it first.

Consultations

Good leaders know their group: they listen; they consult and canvass (sur-
vey) people's opinions. The information that other people give helps to
decide what action to take. Think of ways to collect people's opinions for
the project idea, either by questionnaire, interview or asking people to
comment on pictures about the issue. Ask people who are likely to work
with the project or to be affected by it. Do people think it is a worthwhile
idea? Do they know about the issue? Could they benefit from the project?
Do they have any input?

Record the answers and reflect on the content. Was there a common theme
to the responses? Can any of the suggestions be used? In light of the infor-
mation gathered, do any changes need to be made to the project idea?

The game plan

In major sports games, the team captain has a game plan of how the team
will play the game, using the best strengths of the players. Begin to write
the game plan for the project. Include the time allowed for each activity,
what the activity is and which team members will be responsible for it.

A formal planning meeting is a common way to get going, with a chairperson

to make sure that everybody has a chance to be heard. Bring in everyone's
creativity, knowledge, experience and abilities. One tip is to imagine you
doing each activity for real: sometimes this helps to identify any forgotten
details. Check if the plan is SMART, (see above). Make symbols for poten-
tial problem areas or unfinished ideas and come back to them later.

The mini-ministry members should agree to the plan. If a consensus cannot

be reached the member who has the role of minister must take the decision
for the group and be prepared to defend it. This is a sample plan for an
imaginary group of four participants called Sophie, Anne, Connie and
Bethilde for the project: Make an awareness poster.
Make an awareness poster

By week 1 - Decide on theme (team).

By week 2 - Conduct information surveys (team).
By week 3 - Write up plan of action (team).
By week 4 - Contact local youth club, (Sophie) and local school head masters, (Anne)
Find best price printing shop (Connie)
Start artwork for poster (Bethilde).

100
By week 5 - Meeting with head masters to agree on delivery date of
poster (Sophie /Anne).
By week 6 - Complete poster artwork (Bethilde),
Bring to printer (Connie).
By week 7 - Deliver posters (Sophie and Anne),
Pay bills and collect receipts (Connie)
By week 8 - Gather feedback,
Write report (all)
By week 9 - Present results (all)

Project Budgeting

Each team will receive a small amount of money for the project. The idea is not
to use as much as possible but to make the project as cost-effective as possible.
That means getting the most out of every Rwandan Franc. Each project will have
a budget - this money and no more can be used to complete the project plan.
Simple budgets must show how much money will be spent and how.

Project cycle

We can group project phases into four turns of a circle. Draw a large circle and draw lines
across to 'cut' the circle into quarters. In each quarter write one of the following:
innovation, preparation, operation, review.

Under innovation write the project issue and the goal of the project idea.
Under preparation write the suggested endeavour or product.
Under operation write the activities involved in the action plan.
Under reflection write the indicatorsthat will show if the project was successful.

The above game plan example would produce the following cycle:
Make an awareness poster

1. Innovation 2. Preparation
Intolerance. We want to reduce Make a poster about how playing team sports
intolerance in schools can reduce intolerance in school
4. Reflection 3. Operation
Results of survey and interviews Meet school leaders, design and test a poster
Feedback from project partners Put posters up in local schools and youth clubs
New ideas for future projects. Conduct surveys to know who read the poster

The project cycle will act as a guide throughout the project. Keep a copy handy.

101
Project step 3
Operation
Effective communication
Effective participation of team members
Helpful documentation

Chinese Whispers

Everyone sits in a circle. The starter whispers a message to the person on

her right. The message is passed on around the circle. The last person says
the message out loud - whatever was understood. Is the message at the
end the same as the message at the beginning? What can this exercise
teach us about communicating instructions in projects?

Memory Game

The group facilitator calls out the name of 10 ordinary items to the group.
Working in pairs, the group must try to remember all ten items. Next the
group facilitator can hold up 10 items for all to see, one after the other (it
can be a pencil, a hair clip, or other similar objects). Can the girls remem-
ber the items any better for having seen them? Repeat the exercise again
with 10 different items - this time allow the participants to make notes.
Which way was the most effective for remembering all the items? What
can this exercise teach us about conveying information in projects?

All Tickets: All Valid

In every group there will be some members who have more to say than the
others, but nevertheless all the opinions are valid. It is the same at a
sports stadium or at the cinema. Every one has a ticket, some may get
good seats and see the action clearly, and others may not get a good view:
but everyone who has a ticket can come in!

All members can contribute to the project and the enthusiasm of everyone
is needed to complete it. Agree some rules in the group for contributing
ideas and making sure that everyone can participate. Write the rules up
and agree to stick to them. Here are two ideas: have a 'talking stick' so
that only the person holding the stick can talk and the others may not
interrupt. Or, agree that everybody has to say something, even if it is only:
“I have nothing to say right now” or “I'm just thinking about it”.

Team Glue

Make sure that all members of the team get along together. Good commu-
nication helps good co-operation. Respect, empathy and a sense of fun will
carry the mini-ministry groups over any 'bumps' along the way. Make a

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plan to meet up together, go jogging perhaps, sit together at meal times or
do 'make-over's together. The group that plays together stays together.

Weeding the Plot

Even the best made plans can run into trouble. Like weeds in the ground,
problems need to be sorted out when they are small. At every project
meeting, do a little 'gardening', and weed out any problems. Write about
these problems in the diaries; re-reading these diaries will show if the
same problems keep happening and will show how previous situations were
dealt with. Use communication skills to find the 'root' of any problems.
Unearthing the root of the weeds will help keep them away!

Here are some common weeds in the plot:

Difficulties with people: Is there a lack of respect, communi-

cation, skill or support?

Difficulties with project activities Are they SMART?, do they need to be

or aims: changed?

Difficulties with the method mate- Are the procedures properly under-
rials or administration: stood? Are there alternatives? Were
there any unforeseen unwanted
effects of the project?

Documentation

Keep copies written of all the notes, letters and plans made in the course
of the project activities. Keep records of the relevant materials such as
photographs, leaflets, pictures, newspaper cut outs, print outs, or tape and
video recordings. Keep all the receipts for the financial records. Make a
folder and keep all the documentation in an organised way.

Measure your manners!

In the course of the project activities it is possible to meet many new peo-
ple. Keep a list of names and contact information with a short description
of each person in the project folder. First impressions do matter, and
remembering names is one way to improve presentation. Writing thank you
notes after important interviews and meetings may appear a little old fash-
ioned but can still make a difference. However whether old or new faces,
use manners to be respectful and bold in making requests or saying, “No,
thank you”.

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Project step 4
Reflection
Project appraisal
Final reports: written, oral, budget
Project etiquette

Cloud Gazing

At the end of a project, in a peaceful moment, draw some cloud shapes on

paper. In each empty cloud, put in a word for a 'thought' about the proj-
ect. Include any highlights and any challenges, something new learned for
example. Gaze at the 'clouds' for a while - are there any patterns? What
is the overall feeling?

Looking under the Microscope

Check that the project notes is completed. Highlight key information. If it

helps, put the project notes 'under the microscope' and review each step.
Here are some helpful questions:

∆ What are the specific results?

∆ Was the project finished on time? Was there enough time?

∆ Did the project achieve the intended aim? How do you know?

∆ Were any factors outside your control (such as rules or weather)?

∆ Were there any extra positive effects?

∆ Were there any human factors (like an illness, or problem) affecting

the project.

∆ Did the team have enough knowledge/experience for this work?

∆ Can any follow-up activities be suggested?

Report Writing

Write a project report between one and two typed pages long. The report
is a record of achievement for everyone to learn about. Readers need ideas
written in a sequential or flowing way. So a common way of writing a
report includes these sections:

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Introduction (what we wanted to do / why we wanted to do
it / who we did it with)

Description (what was done / how it was done / the results

of what was done / what was good / what
could be done better!)

Conclusion (whether or not it was good to be done / what

else could be done in future)

Present the report in an organised way. Include other information to deco-

rate or make it more attractive or understandable such as the logframe,
pictures, samples. Send a copy of the report to a few interested parties,
such as the school, the partner organisation and parents for example.

Project Presentation

Make a presentation of the project of not more than ten minutes long. A
presentation is a lot like an oral report but audiences need repetition to
help them remember everything said. So a common way of make a presen-
tation includes these steps:

Introduction (say what you are going to present)

Content (make the presentation)
Conclusion (say what you have presented)

Make the presentation stimulating by using some visual material such as

charts, photographs and project samples. You might also want to include
short audio samples of interviews, for example.

Organise a school or public presentation, inviting interested parties such as the schoolteach-
ers and pupils, the media, parents and representatives from partner organisations.

Tie up the Loose Ends

At the end of the project, the budget report has to be in order, listing
how much money was spent and on what, each with receipt for every
expense. Being responsible and accountable is very important for govern-
ments, businesses, organisations and indeed individuals. Get into the good
habit of having orderly finances.

Applause!

A project is a team effort. Write a thank you note or email to all the people who
contributed to the action. That way the door is always kept open for future co-oper-
ation. Plan a small celebration to acknowledge everyone's efforts.

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 Acknowledgements

Fit for Leadership

Leadership and Empowerment Training for
Girls and Young Women in Rwanda

This resource book has been created by Women without Borders, an inter-
national initiative for the inclusion and participation of women in politics and
civil society. We support and empower women and girls as they bring their
talents and energies into the public arena towards positive change. This
project is financed by the Austrian Social Ministry.
Women without Borders would like to thank the following individuals and
organizations for their contribution to the project:

Secretary General, Anne Gahongayire, formerly of the Ministry of

Gender and Family Promotion, Rwanda
Senator Beatrice Mukabaranga, Rwanda
Connie Bwiza Sekamana, Member of Parliament, Rwanda
Odetta Mukazi Mutanghua, FAWE, Rwanda
Berthilde Gahangayire, UNDP, Rwanda
Elizabeth Powley, Women Waging Peace, Rwanda
Elisabeth Kasbauer, Women without Borders, Austria
Martina Handler, Women without Borders, Austria
Dina Margules, Going Public Consulting, Austria

For more information about our organization please contact:

Women without Borders
Gumpendorfer Strasse 22/9, 1060 Vienna, Austria
telephone: +43 5333 455-1
fax: +43 5333 455-2
email: [email protected]
www.women-without-borders.org
© Women without Borders 2006