ATRAINING

Violent ActorsPeaceful Alternatives

Toolkit

Faith-Sensitive

Author: Jessica Brown

Publication Consultant: Inka Dama

Editors: Stijn Snoeck, Inka Dama

Design and Layout: Nameeta-Ann Menezes Decruz

Printing: Georges Chelhot, Drifosett Printing

Dear Reader,

Traditional statist violence - that is, warfare between states over a common grievance - is giving way to increasing levels of violence wrought by non-state actors. These non-state actors can be individuals, communities, corporations, or other groups which exert a certain level of influence and have the potential to create large-scale destruction or chaos. Understanding the individuals,individuals, communities and processes involved in this kind of ‘non-state actor violence’ is thus high on the agenda of international bodies, national governments, think tanks and civilsociety organisations, including Pax Christi International. As a global peace movement, we view this emerging targeted, deliberate violence with deep concern, not only because of thedetrimental influence these acts have on community peace efforts, but also because thephenomenon itself is a reflection of the deep discord and division in our world.

BecauseBecause of their own status as non-state actors, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) such as Pax Christi International can be extremely effective in countering these emergingviolent trends. Unlike governments, NGOs are often well placed to gather an in-depthunderstanding of local processes which produce violent actors, to obtain access to individuals and communities prone to violence, and to effectively intervene at the grassroots level.Nevertheless, it remains a daunting challenge for civil society organisations to developpractical tools. There is still a large discrepancy between theoretical studies on thephenomenonphenomenon and the small number of concrete initiatives and tools to address it in a non-violent way.

Pax Christi International is willing to face this challenge head-on and overcome the dividebetween theory and practice. To this end, we have developed this toolkit, especially designed to counter the process of non-state actor violence in a non-violent and non-exclusive way. Thistoolkit provides an easily accessible theoretical overview of ‘radicalisation’ processes, effective strategies and approaches for addressing this issue at the group and individual level, and ends with a training kit for trainers. It can be used as a solid basis upon which civil society actors can build and expand their capacity to operate effectively on the ground.

This toolkit is a preliminary publication, a first of several versions to be developed byPax Christi. As such, it represents a vital starting point in Pax Christi’s global effort to turn the tide in the favour of peace and justice.

YYours Sincerely,

We employ the term ‘toolkit’ because this publication is meant to be a tool for trainers - a basic set of resources which we hope practitioners will draw from in an a la carte manner as they see fit. We have designed the toolkit to be tactile - you will notice pull out charts/graphs, as well as removable content and space for notes. We hope thatpractitioners using the binder will add their own thoughts to the content and exercises and share them with us in the International Secretariat.

ThisThis toolkit uses a participatory and interactive training methodology, which requires that training participants be actively involved. Exercises are designed to take advantage of the skills, experiences and knowledge participants bring with them. Most of theexercises are designed to elicit, draw out or even provoke responses and use participants’ knowledge as the basis for discussion and learning.

UsingUsing this approach allows participants and trainers to identify and focus their efforts on local needs and adapt the training content to fit their cultural context, rather than the other way around.

This toolkit examines violence provoked by extremistideologies or tendencies. It begins by defining terms and sketching a brief analysis of the root causes of violentextremism from a sociological perspective. This analysis is rreferred to later in the toolkit, as we explore concrete examples of peace and conflict resolution processes in a training-based format.

Violent Actors,

Peaceful Alternatives -

a Faith-Sensitive

Training Toolkit

01introduction

individuals of all major faith traditions, and thus the organisation’s contribution to theresources on this issue is unique, in the sense that it comes from the experience of our Member Organisations working on the ground to address - and themselves often insituations of - violent conflict.

Yet how do we, as people of faith motivated by values of justice and peace, concretelyaddaddress violence provoked by extreme views? How can we diffuse conflict at its origin, and shift from an ideology of myopic ends to holistic possibilities? How do we create hope amidst a reality of injustice? Is a peaceful alternative possible?

This toolkit seeks to be a resource that begins to answer these questions. It is meant to be practical, hands-on, participatory, and used in trainings, which produce multipliers and disseminate content for the widest impact possible. These trainings can be withindividuals, small, medium, or large groups, and we have included exercises for allformats.formats.

As a ‘faith-sensitive’ resource kit, this publication seeks tobe inclusive, intentional, and reflective. Individuals aremotivated by spheres of loyalty which centre on the mostintimateintimate of family or friends and fan outward to encompass all social areas of an individual’s life - within these spheres faith and belief systems and communities must be duly recognised and addressed. Pax Christi has worked for over 60 years with

02introduction

1Anja Dalgaard-Nielsen, “Studying Violent Radicalisation in Europe I, The Potential Contribution of Social Movement Theory”, DIIS Working Paper, 2008, 7.

view, shared by a group, which frames problems not just as misfortunes, but injustices,attributes responsibility for these ‘injustices,’ and constructs an argument for theefficacy and/or using violence to right a perceived wrong 1. Such social networks can be used as vehicles for the dissemination of grievances, ideas and ideologies. They act toreinforce a perceived injustice, as individuals in likeminded communities or groups often produce ‘feedback loops’ which mutually reinforce this constructed reality.

An individual constructs her reality based on concreteexperiences and outside influences which help to determine her decisions. Some would argue that reactionary violence orextremism can be explained by a constructed reality or world

Defining Terms and

Deconstructing

Violence

031

chapter

04

examines historic grievance and social opinions which motivate a culture or group to react against a perceived ‘other’. This approach is extremely helpful for identifying the underlying causes of conflict between warring factions and implementing effectivepeacebuilding and post-conflict reconstruction efforts.

However this toolkit seeks to address a much more elusive element of violence - the process of constructing a violent ideology, from the basic level of an individualparadigm shift to the factors which contribute to the growth, development, anddisseminationdissemination of that ideology to ‘early adopters’. If we could identify the elements which reinforce a violent paradigm in individuals, we could likewise begin to developresources or methods to address this phenomenon, and diffuse potential violent acts by individual, non-state actors at their evolutionary stage.

We will begin by deconstructing the building blocks of an individual’s constructedreality - at the personal, spiritual, and social level.

Toolkits and manuals on peace often begin by discussingdialogue processes and the value of group exchange. Many such manuals immediately jump to the phenomenon of societal violence from a ‘group centred’ approach, or an approach that

1chapter The Individual

As ‘Self’

The spiritual foundation of an individual need not be tied to any one particularorganised faith tradition or belief system. However an individual’s spiritual health - the method by which they locate non-cerebral sources of inner calm, peace and/ordirection - ought to be in the minds of trainers dealing with diverse groups ofindividuals. Time should be allotted for exercises which invite participants to reflect on their own spiritual needs and desires. Catholic social teaching holds up the value of discernmentdiscernment as a spiritual exercise bringing one closer to ‘right relationships’- aninterior search for harmony with the Creator, self, and others.

An individual builds a relationship with others and self at a very basic, personal level. The awareness of self, place, purpose and motivation thus starts with an internal monologue. Examining personal development and psychology should be apriority of trainers working in very small groups, or with individuals. The need forpersonal space to engage with ‘self’ and personal well-being (both for the trainer, and the trainee) is an important element in any trust-building exercise, dialogue process, or training.

051

chapter The Personal

The Spiritual

06Finally, human beings are, by nature, social creatures. Welearn about our world, ourselves, and our relationship to each other through the ‘real world’ relationships we construct. Thus dialogue, group sharing, and collective learning exercises should be at the heart of any training which seeks to diffuse a violent ideological bent, perspective, or worldview.

1chapter

The Individual

as ‘Actor’

As sketched in the introduction, this toolkit is unique in that in does not merely seek to analyse traditional situations of conflict - i.e. the relational or group process analysis that so often accompanies toolkits on conflict transformation. While we will draw from these resources, this toolkit likewise examines extreme ideologies that produces violenc - violence that is often targeted, calculated, and carried out by smaller, insular groups orindividuals. In order to understand such tactical violence we must analyse the individuals that gather together to carry out such acts.

The Social

071

chapter Non-State Actor

supreme power of the state as the governing and juridical actor in an individual’s life. It is not surprising, then, that traditional warfare between nations is diminishing as non-state actor violence (carried out by individuals, corporations, guerrilla movements, drug cartels - to name a few) is on the rise.

Ideologies promulgated by non-state actors which incite violent reactions fromadherents often address an individual’s sense of fairness and justice. They are convincing because they speak to a perceived injustice, sense of humiliation, lack of control, and state of instability with clear-cut logic and readily available answers. These ideologies create order out of chaos. Thus to shift an individual’s perspective away from violent ends, any trainer working with/amongst vulnerable social groups or individuals must create an environment which allows participants to reflect on the stability, logic, andjusticejustice found in peace. We will call this developing a ‘narrative of peace’- or creating a space for ‘peace spirituality’.

New technologies and avenues of engagement haveempowered the individual human agent as never before.Globalisation and the proliferation of competing structures of power and influence have, in many ways, weakened the

081

chapterNotes

09

alternative be presented to the actor or group in question.

One cannot ‘preach peace’, however, if one does not first authentically hear and absorb a narrative of violence. Allowing a perspective to be heard and digested meansproviding a platform for views that seem horrendous or frightening at times.ThisThis approach appears counterintuitive at first, for those in peace work often arrive on scene equipped with tools for peacebuilding. Before one can ‘build’ peace however, this toolkit argues one must first break down perceptions of ‘the other’ held by the actor, which often make up a violent narrative.

AA narrative of violence is a series of stories, events, or consists of lessons learned and shared experiences which make up a perspective and form an individual’s or a collective’s worldview. ‘The other’ is an important element in the narrative. This ‘other’ often unites a community by provoking collective responses of loathing, hatred, or disgust. When working with individuals, small, medium or even large groups - actively listening to this narrative and providing room for it to be aired and heard out loud often begins thepprocess of unpackaging it. In the training exercise chapter you will find exercises that dedicate time to writing down, in journals, the thoughts one might experience leading up to or during a peace training. The best approach for diffusing a violent narrative will depend upon the circumstances, culture, size of the group, and specific grievance the trainer seeks to address. However, keeping in mind the power of the violent narrative should be foremost in the minds of practitioners beginning trainings with vulnerable populations prone to violent acts.

A ‘thick’ narrative refers to the deep pathology that develops around a static belief system - quite simply the belief system is black-and-white, absolute, incapable of being shifted or changed, and totally encompassing. A ‘thin’ narrative, on the other hand, is a perspective or explanation of something which can be stretched across truths and can be adapted to present realities and circumstances. It is light, it is malleable, and it can be thickened by those who take ownership of it.1 The starting point of a violent narrative - in terms of the ‘thickness’ of this explanation in the minds of its early adopters or adherents - should be exploexplored thoroughly if one wishes to move on to discussing peaceful alternatives.

Violent acts begin with violent thoughts or objectives which are formulated and adopted by one person, or group acting inconcert. Shifting a perspective or paradigm - not necessarily changing minds or converting hearts - requires that a viable

chapter

Narratives of Peace

The Narrative of Violence

1Michael Walzer, Thick and Thin: Moral Arguments at Home and Abroad (Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press, 1997).

Shifting Toward

A Peaceful Paradigm 2

hand, are ‘thin’ - they begin by identifying the inner calm that is the source of peace, and equating that spiritual contemplation with a real-world application of action towards rec-onciliation. There is no singular ‘narrative of peace’, and thus it is often difficult to locate and define exactly what peace looks like in a real world context - however we must try.

The Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. said in his eloquent Letter fromBirmingham Jail, “True peace is not merely the absence of tension: it is the presence of justice.” As a starting point then, we can say that peaceful alternatives begin with arefusal of the intellect to accept injustice and absolute answers to multilayeredproblems and issues which plague societies and cultures. Peace cannot simply beaccomplished, however, by appealing to an individual or community’s rational sense of right and wrong, or justice as fairness.2 Often justice for the greater good, or justice for the most, means a certain compromise in what is rationally perceived as ‘fair’ by aminority. How do we reconcile this reality, address all parties authentically and withrrespect, and operate in a world where competing loyalties pull and push individuals in many different directions? These questions motivated Pax Christi to publish thistoolkit.

Pax Christi first began addressing the issue of peace spirituality in publications as far back as the 1980s.3 The movement’s Catholic heritage contributes to ourunderstanding of this spirituality, but the core of this spiritual expression need not be tied to any particular faith tradition or belief system. Peace spirituality refers to thecentering of one’s thoughts and intentions on non-violent approaches ofcommunicating and acting - within one’s internal monologue and without - in theppresence of and with mindfulness for a Creator or central life force which orients all beings and creation in an interwoven fabric. Within this mindfulness, justice can be seen as something far greater than simply fairness. Justice can be ‘thin’ - in the sense that it can be an overlapping consensus which addresses ‘the good’ for most and the ‘best possible’ for all. Justice need not always be fair by earthly standards of human engagement in order to bring peace to an individual or community.

PPeople often equate peace with pacifism, non-action, or the absence of conflict. True peace, however, can be quite possibly the most trying, deeply unsettling, and logically undermining process for an individual to authentically ‘own’. Peace takes work. Peace takes sacrifice. Peace takes suffering. Peace takes engaged dialogue, sustained overgenerations and peoples of differing backgrounds, beliefs and orientations. 2John Rawls, A Theory of Justice (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1971).3Pax Christi, Peace Spirituality for Peacemakers (Brussels: Pax Christi International, 1983).

Violence and violent narratives leave little room for creative, dynamic interaction with self and others. As mentioned above, ‘the other’ is identified, categorised, and targeted as the source of a perceived grievance. Peaceful narratives, on the other

102

Peace Spirituality

chapter

11

focus on a loss of land, culture, heritage or way of life.

In Chapter 15 of Luke’s Gospel we read the parable of the prodigal son, which Christians often cite as the central story depicting God’s endless capacity to forgive and reconcile beings to Himself. In the story there is a father with two sons, one of whom is given half of his share of his father’s estate. This younger son leaves home and spends his entireinheritance. The older son stays behind and works the land with his father, neverdisodisobeys him, and saves his share. The younger son eventually returns, poverty-stricken, sickly and humiliated, and his father welcomes him with open arms, putting his best robe on him and killing his most prized livestock to celebrate this son’s coming home. The older son becomes enraged and does not understand why his father has abused him byfavoring the younger son, who has completely ruined himself and humiliated his family.

At first glace, the parable of the prodigal son is indeed about reconciliation andfoforgiveness. However the reader often misses the elements central to the story - that the father treated the sons differently and gave to each exactly what he needed and what would bring each the most growth, wisdom, and inner peace. The father answers the older son’s anger by saying to him, “My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” In other words, the father asks the older son to be at spiritual peace with the justice of earthly UNfairness. The younger son needed a longelonger, more painful, more mistake-ridden spiritual journey to be ‘found’ - to know the peace that comes when one accepts the gift of one’s family and the love that originates in community.

Now what does this story tell us about peace spirituality? Firstly, Catholic socialteaching has developed a ‘preferential option for the poor’ - based in the justice of the Beatitudes, or Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.4 The Beatitudes run contrary to traditional, earthly notions of power and fairness. For example, “Blessed are the meek, for they

Speaking from a Catholic faith-based perspective, we can say that particular parables in the Gospel address this issue of ‘non-earthly’ justice, and remind us of the fleeting nature of ma-terial or corporal wealth - which often lie at the heart of theviolent narrative of ‘other’ - especially in ideologies which

2chapter

Catholic SocialTeaching

4Matthew 5: 1-12, (also Luke 6: 20-26), NRSV cited.

goods. This counter-cultural vision of what justice ought to look like is not only central to our discussion of peace spirituality, but also our discussion of diffusing violentnarratives which cite earthly fairness as the reason for resorting to destructive outcomes (i.e. to achieve an ‘even’ playing field).

Accepting a justice of non-worldly ‘fairness’ does not simply mean accepting injustice - it means engaging in the process of seeing ‘the other’ as central to one’s understanding of self and community within an interwoven fabric of creation and humanity. Peacespiritualitspirituality, or developing an internal narrative of peace within oneself or alongside a community, demands a certain measure of this difficult engagement in the essence of our common heritage and common responsibilities to each other. Discerning this responsibility takes time, space for reflection, and constant effort and involvement within self and without - in family, community, faith tradition, and/or national and ethnic heri-tage. Each of these spheres of loyalty weigh upon an individual as actor.

The next chapter will provide a series of basic exercises individual trainers can employ when working with vulnerable groups prone to violent acts motivated by ideologies which perceive gross injustice. The exercises are a starting point in a longer process ofengagement Pax Christi plans to publish and disseminate, as our partners employ the fol-lowing preliminary tools and report back to us on possible areas of expansion andrevision.

These exercises take into account the central elements of an individual human person as outlined in chapter one - the personal, the spiritual, and the social. It is hoped that they will engage and energise individuals, small, medium and large groups, but also provide inspiration for reflective space. Trainings, conferences, and dedicated time devoted to taking individuals from their everyday lives and suspending them in time for a short period together can be an important - if not the most important - tool in diffusingviolent actors at their earliest stage. These exercises are meant to be used to traintrainers,trainers, but also to be replicated for those trainers to use in their own trainings.

Happy reading.

shall inherit the earth.” One might ask: why should a shy, meek person be given the earth? Or “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven” - most people think of kings and kingdoms as having wealth and material

12

Training for Peaceful Alternatives

chapter 2

CommentsAids

Make sure that the setting of the room isadequate and that all participants can properly see the point of focus. This involves checking the lighting and screen position in the room.

ItIt is better to limit your aids to essential details and avoid distractions. Choose an appropriate layout, with an appropriate lettering size. Space letters adequately and prefer tallerletters to wide ones. If you choose colours, pay attention not to over combine fade colours.

Music is often used to relax participants or to help the trainer to create a differentatmosphere.

Talking into a microphone is not always straightforward - rehearse to find the right dis-tance from the mouth and to avoid feedback.

Audio aids

Music

Microphone

Visual aids

OHPSlidesShort clip or filmPicturesFlipchartsColouColoured cardsPost-itsHandoutsPowerPoint presentation

Training aids in themselves are not methods of training; they remain tools which do not replace the trainer. It is useful to employ a variety of aids, but variety (or technology!) is not an end in itself. It is advisable to practice your session to check that the material you are using is really an aid and not a hindrance to your message getting across. You may find the table below, adapted from the European Commission and Council of Europe’s 2002 T-Kit on Training Essentials, useful in thinking about aids to use:

This chapter of the toolkit will offer practical tools andexercises for trainings, and begins with logistic suggestions, as well as preliminary communication skills trainers may want to consider before embarking on an exercise. The toolkit then provides suggestions for individual engagement and group processes exercises.1

1Many of these exercises have been adapted from: Caritas Internationalis, Peacebuilding: A Caritas Training Manual (Palazzo San Calisto: Vatican City, 2002) and used by permission.

Training Toolkit

Training Logistics

Training Aids

13chapter 3

CommentsAids

14chapter 3

Group Size and Participation

Group structure/methods

Buzz groups like method 66 (6 people share for 6 minutes about a subject), working groups

Working groups, smallthematic workshopsthematic workshops

Workshop, plenary session

Plenary sessions - presentations (results, film), short theoretical input, evaluations and working groups

(the(the bigger the group, the shorter the plenary meetings)

Communication in the group

Everyone speaks

Almost everyone speaks.Quieter people say less.One or two may not speak at all.

55 or 6 people speak a lot,3 or 4 others join in occasion-ally.

3 or 4 people potentiallydominate

Little participation possible

Size

3-6 people:

7-10 people:

11-18 people:

19-30 people:

30+ people:

mould the direction and flow of the group’s dynamic. However, the chart below gives a general overview of the typical nature of group communication:2

To optimise participation, it is important to control group size and to use a range of methods suited to working withdifferent group sizes. No group is static, and from thebeginning of the training the participants themselves will

2Council of Europe and European Commission, T-Kit on Training Essentials (Strasbourg: Council of Europe Publishing, 2002), 81.

Group Size and Participation

15chapter 3

3Caritas Internationalis, 120-121.

In communicating effectively, many conflict resolvers andcommunication experts emphasise the importance of particular communication skills. These skills are extremely useful for trainers and training participants as well. These communica-tion skills include:

Reframing involves giving an alternative interpretation of issues or behaviour. Byreframing, the listener validates the speaker’s experience but opens the door for alternative interpretations of the content. Changing the frame makes room for different perceptions and interpretations of issues and behaviour. Reframing might involve moving a speaker from more general to specific comments, might identify underlying feelings, might neutralise attacks or identify areas of common interests.

Reframing

This is similar to reframing, except it involves restating what someone says in language that is less accusatory. The person restating does not add anything to the statement, but simply paraphrases the speaker. When restating, the third party should check with the speaker to make sure the paraphrase is accurate.

Restating

Using active listening demonstrates to the speaker that you, as a listener, are reallyhearing what the speaker is saying. You communicate this by reflecting the feelings of the listener, restating the content of the speaker’s comments, asking open-endedquestions, and generally communicating empathy with the speaker. Empathy communicates that the listener really understands the speaker’s point of view. When overused, active listening can be irritating, and it is difficult to do in cross-culturalsituationssituations where perceptions and interpretations of content and underlying emotions in conversation are culturally influenced.

Active listening

Redirecting comments to the trainer allows the trainer to take charge of the direction of the communication. However, one of the purposes of training is to model goodcommunication and encourage communication between individuals, so this particular technique should be used sparingly.

Redirecting

Reality testing is a technique trainers may use toward the end of a training session. The trainer plays the role of an agent of reality by asking questions about the acceptability and relevance of the training for ‘real world’ situations and contexts.

Reality testing

Communication Skills:

Some Approaches to Consider 3

16chapter 3

Mapping

In the centre circle, define briefly the issue, the problem area, or conflict in neutral terms that all would agree on and that doesn’t invite a “yes / no” answer.In the sectors of the large circle, write the name of each important person or group.Write down each person’s or group’s needs. What motivates him / her?Write down each person’s or group’s concerns, fears or anxieties.Be prepared to change the statement of the issue, as your understanding of it evolves through discussion or to draw up other maps of related issues that arise.

“Conflict Mapping” by The Conflict Resolution Network, Australia.In the diagram, the term concerns is used in the same sense as positions in the abovediscussion.

This chart shows an approach that a trainer may want to take with individuals who have recently arrived at a training. It de-picts the process of “checking in” with individuals about theirfeelings and perceived needs/concerns within a conflict map. The conflict map can be kept with the trainer for his/her use or put up on the wall for all participants to see, depending on the size of the group and desired outcome of theexercise.4

4 Council of Europe and European Commission, 89.

Individual Engagement

The Issue

who:

concerns:needs:

who:

concerns:

needs:

who:

concerns:

needs:

who:concerns:needs:

17chapter 3

5 21.

Icebreakers

Icebreaker 1: Brief Interviews 5

Purpose:

Materials:

20 – 40

Time:

1)

2)

3)3)

4)

5)5)

Procedure:

Discussion:

Trainer Notes:

Group Trainings

18chapter 3

Introduce participants, gather some information about them, and help participants relax at the beginning of the training.

Icebreaker 2: Sit Down! Game

Purpose:

None

Materials:

10 – 20 minutes, depending on number of participants

Time:

1) Ask participants to stand in a circle, explain that one person will start the game byintroducing themselves to the group and sharing a fact about themselves, for example, “Hi, my name is Jessica, I am allergic to chicken.” 2) If another participant is also allergic to chicken, he or she must sit down immediately.3) If no one is allergic to chicken, the original speaker must continue with a monologue of facts about themselves until one other participant shares a quality with them and indicates this by sitting down. indicates this by sitting down.4) Only one participant can sit down at a time.5) All participants must be sitting for the game to end.6) If there is confusion on who sat down first the group must decide quickly who the first sitter was and have the late sitter (still standing) immediately start their monologue.

Procedure:

No discussion needed

Discussion:

This exercise allows participants to have a bit of fun while also learning each other’s names and random information about each other.

Trainer Notes:

19chapter 3

Introduce participants, gather some information about them, and help participants relax at the beginning of the training.

Icebreaker 3: Out of the Hat Game

Purpose:

A hat, strips of paper with random written statements or facts that could easily be agreed upon/shared in common between people

Materials:

15 – 25 minutes, depending on number of participants

Time:

1)Let participants know they will be asked, at the start of the game, to draw folded slips of paper out of a hat (this number can vary based on the time allowed for the exercise and the number of participants). These strips will have statements or facts on them, such as, “I own a car” or “I do not like President Obama.”2) Ask participants to keep the content of their slips to themselves until everyparticipant has his/her designated number of slips and everyone has the same number of slips (so come prepared with extras).3)3) Ask participants to get up from their chairs or stationary positions in the room and circulate, with the goal of introducing themselves to fellow participants and finding ONE who shares a statement/fact in common with a slip in the original participant’s possession—once a participant finds a person for his/her slip they should mark that person’s name on the back of the slip to avoid confusion.4) Ask participants to return to their places.5)5) Ask participants to go in order (around a table for example) reporting what they learned about their fellow participants, in order of their slips. For example, “Hi my name is Megan and I learnt that my colleague Tom likes shrimp. I also learnt mycolleague Patrick skipped a grade. And my colleague Toni believes in evolution.”Participants are welcome to add items not covered by the slips if they engaged in longer-term informal discussions with their follow participants as part of the freedom of the exercise.

Procedure:

This exercise allows participants to stay relaxed since they do not have to report onthemselves. It also allows participants to relate to each other equally, regardless of position.

Trainer Notes:

20chapter 3

6Caritas Internationalis, 26.

Contd...

a creative way for delving deeply into some interesting dilemmas which come up when discussing peace. Some questions are personal while others are more ‘political’ in nature. The exercise can be repeated several times during the training; we encourage you toprovide a mix of questions each time you use this activity.

The aim of this exercise is to encourage dialogue and participation and to energise the participants while providing

Exercise 1: Peace Through Dialogue 6

Purpose:

None

Materials:

10 minutes – 5 minutes for each person

Time:

Introduce the Peace Through Dialogue exercise by asking participants to sit in pairs with a conversation partner, face to face; preferably move away from each other to create some space. The facilitator chooses a question and poses the question to the group; repeat the question if necessary, and allow 10 minutes for the conversation. In responding to the question, participants may focus on a conflict from their own country with which they are familiar or they may choose to focus on a general point.1)1) Do you think the hard line extremists involved in the conflict should be invited to the conversation table?2) History is a crucial concept in conflict and in peacebuilding: how far back in history is far enough?3) In a conflict situation that you know well, in what ways have young leaders been brought into the peace process?4)4) In a conflict situation that you know well, in what ways have women leaders been brought into the peace process?5) What words would you use to describe the ideal relationship between church or the dominant religion and the state? What is the relationship actually like in your country? How could it be better?6) In general, what crimes do you find hard to forgive? Why?7)7) The desire for revenge can be very strong in some individuals and cultures: how do you think revenge can be turned into something positive or at least neutralised?8) When have you seen religion used positively in the peace process? When was it used badly?

Procedure:

Small group Exercises

21chapter 3

It may be the case that trainers one invites to a training will want to engage inpreparatory work to examine their local context before they arrive to be trained.Providing these potential trainers with clear parameters and goals for an in-depth study prior to their arrival will ensure that they deeply engage with the material in advance.

One example of this is a preparatory study on violent deradicalisation a Pax Christi Member Organisation in Lebanon (Association Justice et Miséricorde, or AJEM),conductedconducted prior to Pax Christi’s May 2010 Triennial World Assembly. We will include examples of how this Member Organisation shared and presented their findings - which were delivered in a small group exercise format. This format proved extremely helpful and inspiring to other Pax Christi delegations, who themselves will now engage with AJEM’s material and apply the methodology to their own local contacts. We include here ten such graphic examples of ways to deconstruct a preparatory study leading to a small group training. You will notice that we have also included a concrete example of howhow to present the material in a training binder, in a fold-out, which allows participants to read the material in an interactive manner:

Exercise 2: The Value of Preparatory Studies

Case Study: Lebanon

9) If you could say one thing to the Prime Minister or President of your country what would it be? What would you say to the Opposition? Why?10) What do you find inspiring or beautiful about the peoplein your country?11) If you could change one thing about the dominant culture of your country what would it be?12)12) Have you ever been discriminated against? What was it like to feel discriminated against or persecuted because of something about yourself that you couldn’t readily change, eg. language, race, ethnic or religious identity, gender, height, weight, or cul-ture?13) Have you ever had success in the workplace in challenging injustice?14) What’s more important to you: harmony or truth telling? Can you recall an experi-ence when you felt the truth just had to be told?15) What frightens you the most about the world at the moment? What inspires you?

At the conclusion of the 10 minutes, the facilitator may wish to call for general responses from the whole group, but this is not necessary – unless the discussions are reallyenergetic and it seems that a general conversation would help!

Discussion:

As this exercise serves the functions of ‘energising’ and ‘trust building’ it can be used either at the beginning of a session or at the end. It may be necessary to allow fiveminutes per person, and to call ‘time’ or ‘swap’ after five minutes. You may supplement these questions with others that are more appropriate to your local situation.

Trainer Notes:

22chapter 3

Towards a Preventive Policy

to Counter Extremism -

a Multi-sectoral,

Multi-level Partnership

Cult of personality - loyalty to leader

Passive or excluded citizens Primacy to community belonging

Intolerance for diversity - ignorance

Unemployment insecurity – social misery

Use of sensational facts or stories - a culture of vengeance

International organisations perceived as “taking sides”

Population Growth - new needs unmet

Uncondemned and unpunished invasions of territories

Creation of democratic institutions

Feeling of national and international belonging

Access to differing channels of political decision-making

Harmonised and durable local development

Critical academic environment open to divesity

Constructive integration of religious values

Economic, financial and employmentdevelopment

Mass information (public information)

Media open to discuss sensitiveregional issues

International conventions - controlandreprimand

International involvement - peacefulresolution of conflicts

Neutrality of presented issues in media

Respect of politico-cultural specificities

Promotion of social justice and human rights

Protective factors

Risk factors

Extremism rate

Towards A Preventive Policy

To Counter Extremism -

A Multi-sectoral,

Multi-level Partnership

233

chapter

EXAMINE thesignificance that representations of Lebanese society give to extremism - trying to find a common rationale

ENRICH the debate about strategies of possible actions in fundamental relation to human rights

Study

Objective:

Case Study Lebanon

Completed by Pax Christi Member Organisation Association Justice et Miséricorde

243

chapterExtremism

Between perceptions and attitudes:

towards a policy of prevention

Data Collection:

3 Focus Groups3 Elements Guiding Collection

Data Collection in Arabic, findings published in French/English

Group based at Antonines University

Open discussion - an emotionally-charged subject

Climate of trust,listening andexchange, sometimes enthusiastic andsometimes aggressive

Official AJEM letter: respondents

Group that had discussions by themes with pre-determined time (each 2h)

Data Collection:

253

chapter

Extremism is a positioning away from "centre" and can touch allaspects of life - be it religious, social, economic, etc.

However the problem is defining this "centering point" and defining which criteria make up either side of the spectrum.

Since the early history of humanity, extremism has existed as auniversal phenomenon that can be recognised in all cultures with differing views on context, time, place and destiny.

How the respondents define extremism

4

How extremism serves its objectives? What can be other meansemployed to serve these objectives differently? What might be the best ways to deal with extremists?

3

Extremism as a process gets constructed by itself through time, what do you think of its different steps? Who is an extremist person?

2

What does extremism serve?What are the reasons that explain it?

1

What does the word extremism mean to you?What are its manifestations ?

Group interview scheme, tested in

advance with persons from different

schools of thinking

263

chapter

In both cases

It can destroy the person concerned and others when it becomes a viscous circle

Extremism as an action Extremism as a

reaction, subject to an action

The respondents agreed that any extremism must be studied from a general inclusive perspective toconfirm or invalidate either one of the 2 hypotheses.

The nature of extremism has not been

an object of consensus

among respondents

273

chapter

Violent actionsComplicity between extremists and world powersDuty to fight for the cause

Threats to life toindividual, collective, religious and non-religious identityTerritories and resources

Ongoing conflicts in regionProvocation of masses by leaders using media

Violent provocative events

Interpretation Reactional scenarios

Perceived threats

International society United nationsDifferent political agendas Access to national and international political powerRespect of differencesSocial justiceHuman and nations rightsHuman and nations rights

Primacy to religious belongingStable religiousidentitySearch for commu-nity quota/political powerRelative and consensual democracy

Civil wars, invasions, occupationsSocial miseryAbuse of power by leadersNepotism

Families:

Religious identitySocial refugeTraumatised by warsEconomic security

Individual captured by: Exploitation (misery, exclusion, conflict with the law)Indoctrination Social pressuresQuest for Quest for personal identity

Individual Familial SocioculturalSociopolitical

Eco-systemic reading of

extremism factors

Precipitating

factors

Moderating

factors

Predisposing

factors

Inspired by DOROTHY, C et all , (1984) adapted from Garbarino

283

chapter

PerceivedViolence

Violent Extremism

Acted out Violence Suffered

from Violence

Extremism can be seen in relation to

3 types of violence:

1

Extremism is a problem that touches:

Individuals

Groups

Societies

and Nations

2

Bounded to local, regional andinternational phenomena, extrem-ism raises essential questions atdifferent levels: legislative, judicial, social, economic, religious as well as local and international politics.

What can we conclude

from this study?

293

chapter

7 38

Purpose:

Materials:

30 - 60

Time:

1)

2)

3)

4)4)

Procedure:

Discussion:

Trainer Notes:

Exercise 3: Peace Fruit 7

303

chapter

8Ibid, 46.

Encourage participants to reflect on and nurture their spiritualhealth.

Exercise 4: The Gift 8

(Can also be used for medium/large groups)

Purpose:

1 notebook per participant

Materials:

No discussion needed.

Discussion:

This exercise is most fruitful in workshops that are seven to ten days long. The silence allows people to turn inward, and take a very different direction than group discussions. It is an opportunity to get in touch with their inner or spiritual side. The final sharing ritual provides a powerful send-off for participants. It is preferable to give participants notebooks that are special in some way – perhaps containing handmade paper, note-books made by a local cooperative, or with some other particular significance to the region – this amplifies the inclination to reflect.

Trainer Notes:

15minutes per day over the course of the training (only appropriate for longer trainings)

Time:

1)On the first day of the training, give each participant the notebook as a gift.2) At the beginning or end of the day, take 15 minutes for people to sit in silence and write or draw in their books. Ask them to reflect on what they’ve heard, through drawings, doo-dles, poetry, etc.3) Let participants know they are not required to share their notebook or hand it in.4) On the last day as part of the wrap-up, ask participants to share something out of their own reflections, whether a material item, something they wrote or drew. Let them know they will have a few minutes each to share what they have written.

Procedure:

31chapter 3

9Fiona Macbeth and Nic Fine, Playing With Fire (Philadelphia: New Society Publishers, 1995), 35.

Examine how perceptions depend on our perspective.

Exercise 5: Fixed Positions 9

Purpose:

None

Materials:

10 minutes

Time:

1)Form a circle and ask one group member to stand in the middle. Ask someonestanding in front of the person in the middle, “How many eyes have they got?” Ask someone standing behind the person the same question. Ask someone standing directly to the side of the person in the middle the same question. The person in the middle stands still, facing the same way throughout the questions and answers. At all timesparticipantsparticipants answer according to what they can actually see from their static position, not what they know is there. The answers will be two, none, and one respectively.2) If desired, follow the same procedure with another person in the middle, and choose the arms this time.

Procedure:

How does your perspective on a situation shape your understanding of it?

How can we give ourselves a more complete picture more often?

In what way can you relate this exercise to your everyday experience?

It might be useful to give participants the opportunity to walk around the circle and perceive the person in the middle from all angles. Ask them to give a runningcommentarycommentary about what they are seeing and how their picture of the person changes. The everyday analysis can be developed during this part of the exercise. You could also place a participant at the other end of the room and ask that person to walk slowlytowards the rest of the group. How does distance influence what detail can be observed?

Discussion:

32chapter 3

10 Pretty et al., Participatory Learning and Action: A Trainer’s Guide (London: International Institute for Environment and Development, 1995), 132.

Identify what participants want from the training session.

Purpose:

Flip chart paper, markers, tape.

Materials:

15 minutes – 40 minutes

Time:

1) Prepare large pieces of paper, or flip chart paper that say “Expectations,” “Worries,” and “Ground rules.” Explain that “Expectations” refer to what participants hope to get out of the training; “Worries” refer to what participants are most concerned about in doing in the training; and “Ground rules” refer to what kind of rules they think participants should follow to create an open and respectful atmosphere within thetraining.2) Ask participants to write one thing on each piece of paper.3)3) When all participants have written their comments, review and discuss.

Procedure:

Discussing expectations, worries and ground rules can provide you with a goodopportunity to respond to expectations that will not be met in the training. It is also a chance to identify basic rules for discussion, things to avoid in the training, and issues that can be brought up later.

Discussion:

Writing on flip chart paper provides a visible reminder of what participants hope to gain from the training. This can help focus the training and gives participants a baseline from which to evaluate the training once it is complete.

Trainer Notes:

Exercise 1: What Do You Expect? 10

(Can also be used for small groups)

Medium/Large Group Exercises

33chapter 3

11 72.

Trainer Notes:

Discussion:

1)

2)

3)3)

4)4)

5)

Procedure:

40 – 45

Time:

Materials:

Purpose:

Exercise 2: Three Questions 11

34chapter 3

This exercise should be used only after sufficient trust has developed among participants to allow discussion of potentially emotional subjects.

Trainer Notes:

After 5-10 minutes of discussions in the small groups, a reporter should stand up and give a summary of the group’s overall findings. The participants are then invited toexplain why they opted for a certain position and are allowed to move along the line, in accordance with the development of the discussion.

Discussion:

Position A:“Let’s be realistic – there are situations when the use of force is necessary. Should there be no coercive power at all in our societies? There are situations in which we need to be able to defend ourselves and therefore our faith leaders also allow us to produce certain arms.”Position Z:“Nonviolence“Nonviolence is the only righteous way and especially as young people of faith, we must show the world an example. It is worth taking the risk and therefore we must believe in and act for a society totally free from arms. Zero tolerance on arms is the only reasonable position. Besides that is what our faith tells us.”

Examples of positions:

1) Invite a participant to read aloud one pre-prepared opinion on a controversial issue that has been written in anticipation of the training, perhaps in discussion with aparticipant.2) Invite a second participant to read aloud the pre-prepared opposing viewpoint.3) Ask the two readers to move to the end of the tape ‘spectrum’ they just read aloud.4) Ask participants to think about the opposing viewpoints and place themselves at the appropriate spot on the spectrum of opinion. Give participants time to locate their place.5)5) Ask participant to break into groups of 3-4, being sure to find participants who located themselves at different spots on the tape.

Procedure:

45 minutes – 60 minutes

Time:

Overhead projector or flip chart, to write and display the two opposing viewpoints that will begin the exercise. (Many rounds of two opposing viewpoints can be done,provided participants do not tire of the discussion.) A long piece of masking or duct tape that is readily visible on the floor, depicting the range of viewpoints, with either end being the extreme.

Materials:

and more or less impossible to choose between and also contradictory, the goal being to provoke discussion amongst participants, in small groups.

Participants have to choose between two different opinions and position themselves along a line between the two extremes. The idea is that the opinions are supposed to be a bit extreme

Purpose:

Exercise 3: Values Exercise

35chapter 3

You

ATHANK

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peace movement working on a global scale on a wide variety of issues in

the fields of human rights, human security, disarmament and

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