3er SEMINARIO ATENAS 11, 12, 13 y 14 oct 2012 1RST DAY (11th of October 2012, 15h00 18h30)

Session Goals To get the group of participants back into the collective and in presence atmosphere; To get joint overview of the 5/6 months between the last seminar and the current one; To build further and more consistently the teams of the interest groups; To look at what happen so far for what concerns the work in the interest groups and CLEARing in general; To find group expectations for this seminar based on what theyve done so far; To allow for appropriation of the programme and the goals of the seminar from the group; To review and update individual expectations for CLEARing as a learning process and as a project.

Welcoming and Introduction to the Seminar Getting back together

En el primer seminario elaboramos un mapa (geogrfico) sobre el que trazamos relaciones a partir de caractersticas comunes o complementarias que los participantes iban identificando entre s. En el segundo seminario elaboramos una lnea del tiempo, puntualizando aquellos eventos que haban afectado a cada uno de los participantes desde los inicios del proyecto. Ahora que hemos recorrido un camino juntos, indagamos en el mapa actual de las relaciones entre participantesexperiencias, ms all del mapa geogrfico y el marco temporal.

Overview of what happen so far? Presentations of the questionnaires Tras realizar una lectura global de los cuestionarios entregados a los participantes para conocer el estado actual del trabajo de los grupos de inters, se identifican una serie de ideas fuerza que aparecen de forma recurrente en la mayor parte de stos.
All the persons (and groups) have identified themselves with the theme and were motivated for it during this time; All the groups started exploring the topic, sting goals, some groups crested a work plan, others crested tools, others even made specific readings, talked with people and developed instruments.

After the meeting in Barcelona high motivation and involvement was felt although during the period in distance most people say that: communication at distance was low; felt time lack; was overwhelmed by everydays life worries, felt difficulties in virtual meetings/ work; rd Stronger motivation was felt closest to the 3 seminar; 2 other aspects mentioned: feel of guilt; some people found new dimensions in the theme of interest others feel the need to go deeper.

Aparte de estos elementos communes, se identifican 4 grandes bloques temticos (MOTIVET ME, INTEREST ME, CHALLENG ME / AFFECT ME REFLEXION AND PRACTISE, THINKING AND ACT, SAY AND DO OBSTACLES GROUP ORGANIZATION) en torno a los cuales se recogen en los cuestionarios posturas complementarias y/o contrapuestas.
About motivation to participate and to be part and make things possible - What affects is different of what interests me and has different impact in participation; About instruments construction how do we develop a project (a house by the sealing?). What is the soul of the project and what can make it work. When we work in things that dont affect us they become obligations (something imposed by outside); About interviews and how where they made like a technician that make questions and take conclusions or engaging people in making the conclusions; Some questionnaires set up leadership absence question. Personal meeting vs. virtual networks what place does these have? Was the difficulty in communicating just a distance problem or also a difficulty in putting together and to share ideas (to put cards on the table). How do people look at participation: as an objective in itself or as a mean to something (change).

Very challenging (about interest group topic) Motivation is the ground zero for whatever concerns involvement in participatory methods MOTIVATE ME INTEREST ME AND AFECCT ME CHALLENGE ME

questioning myself if my process is participatory enough, but I do not really always manage to do this more participatory

Maybe influenced me, or my way of thinking, but not necessarily my practices REFLEXION AND PRACTISE THINK AND ACT SAY AND DO
I had more present the question of how to facilitate the participation in our institutuion As technicians who works in participatory processes, this experience is very valuable, somehow, now in the role of subject participant

When we were back the daily life was harder

The experience of having worked for the last two and a half years in a more participativeenvironment has resulted in a new approach
The actualcommunication- that was via internet or telephone- mainly rested on underlining the nece3ssity of a one to one meeting It wouldnt have been possible to work in any other way considering factors such as distance, variety of interests, time limits

During the meetings to prepare the topic meant no major problem Good intentions but without some kind of leadership, processes take more time

I doubt if the current context, vith the distance and with only those meetings, we get to something concrete

At the beginning some early deadlines were set () That didnt work and then some goals vere set mostly to be more accurate on bhat we wanted to achieve through the exercise

OBSTACLES
Some times but not very effectively () hard time articulate our own work and personal agendar, especially at a distance (about communication)

GROUP ORGANIZATION
We have to do work to have something to comunicate The interaction between the members of the group is crucial in order to achieve a collective result Each member of the interest group () is making an important contribution to the group, based on our different approaches

Some tiems 1 year () seems too much easly losing touch and excitement On the other hand so little

Una vez trabajada esta informacin, cada grupo de inters se reune para volcar en una matriz los main aspects they take from the sharing, for the group, and what they except from this for the group work in this seminar.
Group status quo Groups A Main aspects they take from the sharing, for the group Leadership Lack of time within participatory processes Not much has happened; Motivated by the idea of making a game; Community More critical and aware. Action B What they expect from this seminar for the group work To work in presence; To set tasks.

Bottom-up Let it be messy

Not so lost interested by the subject; Should have started first; Not so specific.

New ways of learning together

Didnt share the some objectives; Didnt know what to do. Very busy managing inputs; Need of dialogue and to systematize (give it a form of practice). Importance in daily life (individual awareness) although time issues (self directive learning and learning together reflection and attitude change); We want to have very participatory processes (ideologically) but in the end we define the goals (contradiction). He results needed afects the process; Put in common what we cant change (limits set he limits for participation).

To do something practical, interactive and funny (develop a game); To be modest and realistic; Not to get stressed (to work together in development structure) - ? Take time to: reflect as a group to new conclusions; Take time to talk to some people as a group; So many different things (different bottom-up movements between countries). Find time to work

Learning processes as participatory processes

Having time to explore it together; Make a realistic plan; Define what we are talking about; Identify the relevance (when what-for).

Presentation of the seminars goals and program Reviewing the umbrella expectations Practicalities

2nd DAY (12th of October 2012, 10h00 18h30)

Session Goals Morning To close CLEARing as a facilitated learning process; To identify learning aspects during the process; To cross experience of CLEARing with different speakers experience; To explore obstacles to participation reviewing CLEARing experience; Afternoon To start interests group work during afternoon and the next morning. Program for the day Introduces morning work main question to keep in mind: Does participation only happens when life is perfect? Day work plan presentation. Lessons from learning Introduce the activity goal to the group: to identify the main lesson from CLEARing participation experience in order to understand what we have learned so far, how we participated in the different moments. Presentation of the learning cycle.

The facilitator ask the participants to identify what where the learnings they made in each step of the cycle and how they feel they participate in achieving that learning.

What affects participation? CLEARing as a case (notes taken on flipchart from cycle moment)
RELEVANCE + TIME + CONTEXT + PURPOSE + PRESENCE COMMOPN SPACE MOTIVATION / NEED TO REFLECT DIVERSITY BELIEVING WE CAN DO IT RULES + RESPONSABILIZATION + AND FEELING OF BEING RESPONSIBLE PERCEPTION OF CHANGE CHOICE BEING ACTIVE VALUES MEANS (+) OF COMMUNICATION / INTERACTION [TRAP OF WHAT'S EASIER] OWNERSHIP / SENSE OF BELONGING FAILURE RESOURCES COMMITMENT PERCEPTION OF SUCCESS / COMPETENCE + DIFFERENT PROFILES SPONTANEITY DIALOGUE / DIALECTIC EXPECTATIONS ASSUMPTIONS

Discussion topics about participation in Learning cycle exercise Roles, leadership and rules; Impact (things change when people participate); Change perception; Why people choose to/ not to participate? Participatory processes need more energy (other models are easier); Participation different from producing thought participation (simulation); Goals building; Informal learning; Participation distance and presence; Means of communication; Means of participation. Method Attitudes, resources (abilities and conditions).

Round table with 3 different participation experiences

Complete the name of the 3 persons invited.

Participation in a crisis situation (notes from 'round table')

KNWOING THE 'OBSTACLES'/ BARRIERS AND DEALING WITH THEM BUILDING ON THE ACHIEVEMENTS WITH NEW THINGS - ACTIVISM PERSONAL CONDITIONS LED TO DISTRACTION / INSECURITY RESISTANCE ALTERNATIVE MODELS OF ACTION [SHARED COMMON, JOINT FUNCTIONS, ROLES, RESPONSIBILITIES] = EVERYTHING BY EVERYONE DECISIONS FROM DISCUSSION ACCEPT THE MODEL - IN OR OUT -> OK EXTERNAL VARIABLES - SYSTEM POLITICAL - INTO SOCIAL INTERVENTION STARTING GOAL(S) [FOCUS ON COMSUMPTION + EMPLOYMENT] ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS DIFFICULT TO START MAKE A SHIFT POLITICAL DISCUSSION / MOVEMENT 'VS' PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS / SOCIAL DIMENSION MULTIPLYING EFFECT - from community initiative to 'service provision' EMPHASYS ON HORIZONTALITY TEST PHASE ASSESSMENT OF IMPACT / RELEVANCE OPERATIONALIZATION VOLUNTEER BUILDING COMMON VISION EXHAUSTIVELY WITH A LOT OF TIME EVERYBODY HAD TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY, ROTATIVELY

Lunch What facilitates and does not (obstacles) participation? To present to the participants the ideas generated in the 1st seminar about facilitators and obstacles.

FACILITATORS ACTITUDES Trust Good communication (empathy, active listen, share a code) Motivation Open to the environment stimuli Adaptation Negotiation CAPACITIES
IN

OBSTACLES Individual issues Lack of communication

Fear (failure, to be accepted) No instruction TEAM WORK Find a group/team (persnal needs, worries, dreams) PLEASURE METHOD AND TOOLS Well defined goals Feed back Possibility to interact and change the plan Manage the conflict RESOURCES Sharing TIME Enough time Short process FREEDOM Scale Time Compromise Communication Network Engagement Feeling that you can make it The difference The distance Resources Shared values and goals Plan transparency

Different profiles

OUT

Lack of time INSECURITY

BOTH POSSIBLE, FACILITATIORS OR OBSTACLES

Allow time to work in groups in order to reflect on the ideas and, if necessary, to change, add, subtract ideas. To discuss in plenary the ideas and outcome of the group discussions.
INTEREST QUESTIONS (Notes)
why we didn't do it? (not lack of time / purpose not strong enough) Find a common goal A way to work together Is the presence necessary? politica europea relevance - urgency (context) to promote a goal or participation as a goal -> purpose / impact MACRO - to change the world - MICRO - to solve problems - participation as a tool - at the start we think participation only as a tool now it is not just a tool I'm not here to change the system, to be a better a person moving is a good thing how the process grow - how we grow in the process change "way of life" I wouldn't participate for things to be the same How to unblock and to do something in reality

T-SHIRTS how does participation work? participation as the HOW I wanted to do things sustainability transparence in methods what happent with the process in the middle participation is my choice

To close the process and initiate the Group work time Understand interest groups organization (allow changes in interest groups). To close the process and start the time for group work giving some ideas: Explain that participants will have all the afternoon and next morning to organize their work according to what they feel is best (organize time, places, tasks, etc.); To use the time according to expectations presented in the beginning of the seminar; We will meet tomorrow afternoon at 15 p.m. and each group will have 30 to better explore their ideas with the all group (main goal to use the group a resource and not as an audience); To think if what you are planning can result in some kind of product to present in the final publication. Time for interest group work

3rd DAY (13th of October 2012, 10h00 18h30)

Session Goals Morning To provide time for interest group work. Afternoon To work in plenary the ideas generated in interest groups work. To continue the Group work time As explained earlier, allow participants to continue developing their work in specific interest group topic. Lunch Sharing outcomes with the whole group Welcoming participants in plenary. To introduce the idea of sharing ideas generated in interest group work about each topic, using the big group as a resource to discuss ideas (not spectators). Give each group 30 minutes. Allow each group to facilitate the discussing in their specific interest topic: 1. Learning processes as participatory processes 2. Leadership within participatory processes 3. Bottom-up Let it be messy 4. Community Action
1. Learning processes as participatory processes work State your position!

Goals To involve participants in the discussion of the topic; To extract new ideas about the topic; To look at our practice/ experience and analyze it according to the topic. Idea target approach to statements set by people: a) To explain the topic and work done so far; b) To explain the exercise. One person will choose a statement and say it in the middle of the room. Each participant will put him-self in the space in a way that expresses his agreement toward the statement: the closest you are to the person making the statement he more you agree; the furthest you are the less you agree. For 3 minutes in each statement the group will discuss the positions and after 3 minutes another statement can be brought to the group. c) To make an example with a simple statement; d) To set on the wall some questions in order for people to take on or bring a statement of his own. Statements For warming up - Any learning process can be participatory from the beginning to the end. During participatory learning approach people can choose not to participate. In a participatory approach is necessary to have facilitators. In a participator learning process the goals can always be changed.

Notes from Interest groups session

1st question: the ONLY way to learn participation is by participating Many people said that it is not exactly trough because you can also read about or talk about If you do not practice participatory democracy , you do not really learn Learning participation by participating is not the only way but it is the best one. If I do not experience participation I do not learn experimenting and getting experience makes the difference what it means not to participate? not all the people participate in the same way if someone is in the process is a way of participation Is it? It is another yet a different way if you are going for a learning process it is a choice of participation too people can choose not to participate Absence is not participation You have to see what is participation When you do not vote you already participate in a different way we need to consider that people have different times.. and consider the time of each other everyone has a different way to participate all we can be facilitators we can try to create a space where the roles changes in some moment you might need someone to facilitate but it is not necessary to be one person a facilitator is a catalizator not educator if it is a learning process I would agree with the sentence but in other approaches you might not need a facilitator Facilitator if we believe that is helpful I think we might be trapped in an idea of a convenient and accommodate to this. leadership without facilitator you can even learn a lot but you need to participate not always It should be normal to change you have to keep a safe limit learning is a goal Learning what? it depends if the goals are simple or major change depends on your main goal from whom is the goal set at the beginning? depends also on the environment and the situation this is not a learning procedure

2nd question: in a participatory process people can chose not to participate

3rd question: In a participatory process it is helpful to have a facilitator

4th question: In the process you can change the goals -

Leadership within participatory processes An assessment instruments and first results Questions of the group What the role of leadership in participatory processes? What governance is needed in Participator Processes? Presentation and discussion of a tool and group exercise: a) The group presented the grid of analysis (tool with different questions to assess institutions characteristics and governance features) and the first ideas generated (institutions studied); b) In order to assess the tool and the ideas around its cretion, the group challenged the all group in plenary to help them to apply the tool CLEARing Participation case. Bottom-up Let it be messy From an almost blank drawing

Presentation A white leaf of paper on the wall in a horizon in black. The group present themselves and ask all the participants to feel confortable in drawing as they feel (one at a time). Discussed ideas To deal with initiatives what they do, what they are, what they want; Things started to appear; People draw not things but elements; Th discussion about the topic brought so many conceops that a metaphor was needed to present it; Value of the process: beginning just an idea; in process with others construction of a bigger thing (bottom up or not); Common elements for bottom-up: Beginning bottom-up when part of the persons; Question: common need and purpose from the beginning; To deal with spontaneity and things that we cannot expect; Time to participate plus security (environment). Community Action The wolf in the village Presentation The group invited all the participants to a game (wolf in the village); In the end of the game people discussed the purpose of the game as a metaphor for community action.

Closing the day and presenting next morning

4th DAY (14th of October 2012, 10h00 )

Session Goals To organize together perspectives for the final conference and final training publication; To evaluate the seminar.

Program for the day Introduces morning program. Organization in plenary of the final conference and publication To set boundaries (present what we cannot change). Explain the vision of the conference (to change misconceptions about the conference of several participants). Facilitate participation on final conference format and final publication development:
Conference Dates Goals Format Participants Tasks Schedule Manual Goals Format Format and inputs Tasks and work schedule

Organize and divide tasks. Seminar evaluation To invite participants to evaluate the seminar. Present the instrument: a big chart of the different days with space around (what has happened outside the seminar). Invite participants to draw as they feel in the chart in order to evaluate different moments according to their expectations and feelings. In the end of the exercise the facilitator promotes a brief discussion on the evaluation done.

Sun in a time of darkness many of us are living. Very good. Specially the ability to work as a group not thinking we must do something. It was natural. And because of this we also feel like giving to others (final conference). Very creative situations (talks, options, a lot of feedback). Good feeling for the next step. A very special moment, connect to the reality. Thank you. Aside the food that I loved, two moments I appreciate very much: when we proposed the group to do an exercise and the group proposed another thing; the interest groups presentations (change of facilitation centre) Two main aspects: a)Participation happen. We worked and took a lot from the project; b) We understood the point and we are going deeper than I could imagine and I would like to do it together, with all of you. Progress in what we are, where we are and what we want. We developed a rhythm (swimming) and danced. We didnt sunk. I feel comfortable working in group. Im happy to be here. Everything is more flexible. Two main moments: the greek participation experiences presentation; the work in interest groups and progress and deepness achieved in the topic of interest. My expectations grew along the project. I thank everyone and specially to the Greeks. Im looking forward to the next seminar I feel the same. The seminar was the best of the 3 seminars and improved in relation to the earlier seminars. It was very good not to have time so occupied and to have time to be together. The godness of the time we spend together. I spend very good days. The bad face I put in that afternoon is just because although I like everything I felt lost in the second afternoon and Im afraid of not being able to systematize everything .