Introduction & Agenda Setting

Introduction and Agenda Setting

Ice Breaker

Laying Down Your Burden

This activity is designed to:

• To enhance the ‘social climate’,
• To allow pp to share their baggage
• To ‘unblock’ pp
• To give them a chance to talk about what’s on their mind
• To prepare pp to participate more fully

1. Ask pp to jot down (pen and paper), silently, something which is on their minds from the ‘world outside’. Something which you don’t talking about with others.

Faciliators can go round the dinner tables and make sure pp understand the task. If not, give examples. e.g what’s on my mind is ‘the work waiting for me when I get back to the office. For example…I have to etc.’ This something need not always be ‘bad news’ – it can even be somethind/exciting e.g. My sister is getting married next week – so I drew a church because I’m very excited to attend.

1. Invite them, if they wish, to ‘try and imagine this something as a picture’
2. After 5-6 mins silent drawing, ask everyone to put down your paper on the table so everyone can see each other’s drawing. # Now, tell each other about what you wrote and drew.
3. In plenary, take some feedback from groups

Ask them – how did you feel about sharing your burden with others? We hope you feel a little lighter now that you had some time to share.