Here are some key takeaways from our session:
1) Believe in the impact of facilitation
Workshops change perceptions, improve understanding, and encourage meaningful action. For instance, in the context of refugee integration, it can shift attitudes towards inclusion, reduce biases, and equip professionals with the tools they need to engage refugees effectively. Effective facilitation has an impact on long-term change.
2) Understand your audience
Participants come from different backgrounds. It is important to tailor material based on their motivations and challenges. Pre-surveys, icebreakers, and open questions at the beginning of the workshop session can give you an idea of the backgrounds of the participants.
3) Make it relevant
Participants, especially those working in arrival infrastructures, often face constraints such as limited time and resources. Therefore making workshop sessions goal-oriented, practical, and based in real-life situations is essential to making sure the experience is mutually beneficial. Some ways to relate learning to the real world include: discussions based on case studies, role playing activities, and basing activities on participants own working/life experiences. Interactivity is key.
4) Create a safe and inclusive environment
Civil society and public service professionals working in arrival related services regularly encounter sensitive topics. Discussing these topics can bring up trauma, difficult emotions and deeply held biases. Therefore it is essential to create an empathetic environment where participants feel comfortable to share. Some tips for doing so include using neutral language when discussing sensitive topics, and promote activities that allow equal participation to ensure all voices are included.
5) Structure the activity for participation and reflection
Zsuzsa shared with us three elements that allow for deepening, discussion, and reflection. These elements are: 1) experience the activity, 2)discuss the experience together and 3) Discuss the wider understanding achieved in the activity.
6) Practice empathy as a facilitator
Given the sensitive nature of the topics of migration, arrival, and integration when facilitating workshops with stakeholders from these fields empathy is an essential ingredient. This can be facilitated by practicing active listening, responding to participants concerns, and asking for feedback. Zsuzsa recommended working in pairs as facilitators so tasks can be shared and attention to all participants with diverse needs can be assured.