BIPPI
B's Independent Pro-Peace Initiative

Description of the project
 

Introduction

I. The project: motivations and content

II. General information about a thematic camp

III. Plan of the project

A. Programme and other objectives of the project
B. Methodology in a camp
C. Day-by-day programme of a camp
D. Format of a camp
E. Follow up and evaluation

III. Plan of the project

A. Programme and other objectives of the project

In order to work on thematic dossiers, the partnership with several associations in different countries is needed, to make until 8 camps every year. It means that at least five years will be necessary to put on all the needed dossiers.
More time and energies will be dedicated to the necessary translations. Even modifications to the first appearance of the website will take work and time.
Starting from the first step, in 5/8 years the website will be running in the correct way.
During this period almost forty camps will be made, each camp will host almost fifteen volunteers. It means at least six hundred people directly involved in the project, to which we need to add the local people who might participate to the work.
The work of translation of the text in several languages will help to keep the group in touch. Periodically, they will meet on the internet and exchange information about the project and themselves, keeping in touch with BIPPI. Their experience will hopefully let them look at the world in a different perspective and they will continue working on education to peace through this new perspective in their daily life, which is the most important.
Some of those people will lead camps somewhere, as it usually happens. They will probably use some of the criteria to discuss about education to peace. Some others will just go back home and talk to their family and to their friends about the experience. Some will be curious to know more about the topics faced during the project and they will contact the website.
BIPPI will become richer and richer in opinions and experience, content and knowledge, by keeping in touch with the volunteers. New input will come from the work, new energies and new help. By the contribution of so many people, it will be effective and useful to support peace-processes in the world
Many associations organizing workcamps provide training for their camp leaders. This training is normally about group building, cultural and social matters, manual work, collective life and all the practical aspects of a camp. Education to peace is normally not much treated as a specific topic, as a camp is itself a work about peace. Nevertheless, in agreement with these associations, it will be possible to intervene on the formation of the camp leaders, sharing with them the wish and the knowledge to push further the work about education to peace.
There is much work to do, but it is clear that the fight for peace will be a never-ending one, so we better start it today and go on and on.

B. Methodology

Such an initiative on education to peace is not a seminar and it is not a simple event. Once more, the aim is to develop consciousness and knowledge about the existing conflicts and about the existing efforts pro and against peace, to develop the will to go deeper into the problem and to act to support the peace processes, among the young generations.
Of course, methods are supposed to be simple and immediate, but methodology has to be complex and flexible.
Many different tools will be used, adapting them to the wishes and the response of the group:
a. energizers, icebreakers, contact games, trust games to build the group up;
b. manual work as a group building up and self confidence building activity;
c. group activities, game methods, interactive methods;
d. informal and formal theatre, improvisation;
e. discussions, seminaries, conferences;
f. role games, provocations;
g. learning challenge activities;
h. written documents, pictures and documentaries, to evaluate in group;
i. movies as a source of discussion;
j. language, cooking, music and dances as a source of cultural diversity;
k. brainstorming and creative approaches;
l. internet as a source of information.

All these tools are framed in a methodological context consisting of experimental learning, learning from personal experience, personal growing up.
The pedagogical approach is based on the respect of the individual, respect of the diversity, self-consciousness as an individual and as a member of a complex, multicultural society. History becomes a source of reflection about stereotypes and prejudices.

C. Day-to-day programme of a camp

Each camp is a unique experience. Each of them will be different from the others.
If one rule exists for all the camps, this is adaptation. The best moderator’s quality is the capacity to adapt to different situation and improvise. This is because too many factors are not under control, starting from the motivation and the mood of the participants, to the maturity of the group, to the local situation which is every time a different one.
The best could be that the group itself drives the camp on, without needing an omnipresent supervisor. As a result, we can say that it is impossible to foresee exactly what will happen during the three weeks.
Nevertheless, the moderator will have a program to follow as much as possible. This program will be anyway less important than the goals themselves. So, every change that can be useful to reach the goals in a better way will be welcome.
As a useful tool for the moderator, we can figure out the following possible schema to be adapted every time to the different situations, during the time of preparation of the workcamp or even during the workcamp itself, according to the capacity of the moderator.
(In the schema, the word “topic” will indicate one of the conflicts in the world that will be object of a specific work)

1st week Aims: *group building *mutual trust *personal relationship *collecting information about the topic	Saturday	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
	welcoming	breakfastt	breakfast	breakfast	breakfast	breakfast	breakfast
		energizers icebreakers	manual work	manual work	manual work	manual work	manual work
	lunchh	lunch	lunch	lunch	lunch	lunch	lunch
	welcoming	group buiding	siestaa	siesta	siesta	siesta	siesta
		trust activities	workshop: everybody think different	walking around / introduction games	role games: manipulation of information	work about the topic	work about the topic
	dinner	dinner	dinner	dinner	dinner	dinner	dinner
	informal exchangee	organisation collective life	workshop: everybody think different	theatre about cultural diversity	role games: manipulation of information	racism	tales and stories introducing about war

 

2nd week Aims: *how a conflict can rise *confrontation in group about the topic	Saturday	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
	breakfast	breakfast	breakfast	breakfast	breakfast	breakfast	breakfast
	work about the topic	intermediate evaluation	manual work	manual work	manual work	manual work	manual work
	lunch	"fair trade" lunch	lunch	lunch	lunch	lunch	lunch
	visiting the region	siesta	siesta	siesta	siesta	siesta	siesta
	discussion about "fair trade"	work about the topic	work about the topic	work about the topic	talking about war	role game about politics	evaluaton of the work
	dinner	"fair trade" dinner	dinner	"inequal" dinner	dinner	dinner	dinner
	work about the topic	work about the topic	table game about the inequalities	evaluation of the activity	document "shock" about the Algery war	work about the topic	work about the topic

 

3rd week Aims: *resolution of international conflicts *writing down the final text about the topic	Saturday	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
	breakfast	breakfast	breakfast	breakfast	breakfast	breakfast	breakfast
	work about the topic	intermediate evaluation	manual work	manual work	manual work	manual work	manual work
	lunch	lunch	lunch	lunch	lunch	lunch	lunch
	visiting the region	siesta	siesta	siesta	siesta	siesta	siesta
	workshop about the topic	workshop about the topic	workshop about the topic	workshop about the topic	workshop about the topic	workshop about the topic	final evaluaton of the camp
	dinner	dinner	dinner	dinner	dinner	dinner	dinner
	work about the topic	c’est la guerre: just a game, but…	learning challenge activities	acting "Brown morning" by Pafloff	workshop about genocides	conference about UN MDG	final party: festival of diversity

D. Format of a camp

Every camp will follow four lines:

• building a solid group where everybody has her/his own place;

• fulfil the partnership with the LHP by bringing to an end the established work;

• working about the general topic: education to peace;

• working about the specific topic: a dossiers about one of the conflicts in the world.

The first aim will be the one of working on activities that can hold the group together. Specific actions will be made in case of exclusion or self-exclusion.
The second aim will be accomplished in the morning time, in group but not all together, as everyday some of the volunteers will take care of cleaning, cooking, preparing activities for the others, researching and so on.
The third aim will be pursued through activities made all together. Being the participation to these activities a free choice, not everybody usually take part in all of them. That’s why a group-dynamic is fundamental to work out all the aims and bring to every individual the most of information.
The fourth aim will be followed by individual, small group and group activities, depending on the object of the work. Every moment of the day will be used, according to the personal wishes of everybody.
Daily aims, progresses and weekly evaluations will be public and visible by showing informing boards in the meeting hall.

About the general topic.
The aim is achieved in three different steps.
The first week volunteers work together on group building activities and the constructions of mutual trust and personal relationship among the members of the group.
The second week is dedicated to the comprehension of how conflicts can rise, through activities and simulations, workshops and provocations.
The third week is dedicated to the solution of conflicts: the role of international institutions as United Nations or Red Cross, the role of powerful countries, of Europe; what is really done, what should be done, what everybody can do. Debates, meetings and conferences can be organized with local population, too. Some institutions will be asked to intervene directly into the debates (e.g. “fair trade” and “durable development” organisations, Red Cross…)

About the specific topic.
The aim is achieved in three different steps.
Working on the material previously prepared for it, volunteers collect from the Internet and different Medias all the information necessary to build up a correct, complete and neutral knowledge about the conflict.
In a second time they discuss and study together about the topic, and finally write down in English the whole dossier to be put on the Internet site.
Last but not least, they help the translation of everything in several languages. This final task could be completed even after the workcamp, by emailing.

BIPPI will be responsible of the continue update of the internet website, even by organizing specific international workshops for it. New inputs and information about the existing dossiers will come day-by-day from the media. People worldwide will meet on the internet, their contribution will be received and any modification needed will be made.

E. Follow up and evaluation

Daily energizers and the attention of the moderator will check out the feelings of the group about the camp. When needed, specific discussions or evaluations can be made in any moment of the camp.
Anyway, there will be three sessions of evaluation, one at the end of each week of work. Through simple visual tools and open discussions, the participants will evaluate the progress on the topics, the personal feelings about the camp, but even simple matters like food, accommodation or cleaning.
The two intermediate sessions will help to drive the group more effectively towards the achievement of the goals. The moderator will intervene to modify whatever might be needed to help the group or the individuals in their challenge.
The third, final evaluation will be fundamental to assure the project to be continued, to be followed by the group that worked on it, to give more elements for the next camps. Through this evaluation, the group will fix the possible work and goals following the end of the camp, the way to remain in contact and contribute to the project after the camp. But they will even point out errors and omissions not to repeat in the following camps.
Part or the final evaluation will be dedicated to the whole BIPPI project. By the confrontation with several ideas and different experiences, BIPPI will grow up and become more effective. People will participate in every step of the growth, proposing and contributing.
BIPPI will live with the energies of people all around the world.