a manual for trainers -...

How to train facilitators of

Generation Dialogues

for reproductive health and rights

A manual for trainers

Version of July 2016

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Acknowledgement

This manual has been developed as part of a joint initiative by the Sector Initiative ‘Ending

Female Genital Mutilation and of other Harmful Traditional Practices’ and the Reproductive

Maternal and Newborn Health Project (RMNHP) Pakistan. We would like to thank Anna von

Roenne, the author of the approach, for adapting the existing Generation Dialogue

manuals, with the valuable help of the writer Karen Birdsall, for the specific context of Khyber

Pakhtunkhwa province; and for coming to Pakistan in February 2016 to conduct a 5-days

training of trainers. We want to also thank Shahmir Hamid, Natascha Ahmed and Dr. Hamida

Iqbal for co-facilitating the training. Lessons from the training have been incorporated into the

final version of this manual. The facilitators manuals have been translated into Urdu to

support implementation of the Generations Dialogues for Reproductive Health in Pakistan.

Jasmin Dirinpur (Implementation Responsible RMNHP) & Christiane Adamczyk (Sector

Initiative Ending FGM)

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About this manual Who is this manual for?

This manual was developed for trainers who are preparing male and female facilitators to

implement the Generation Dialogue for reproductive health and rights. It reflects the

cumulative learnings from Generation Dialogue processes undertaken in nine different

countries, on a range of thematic topics, over the past 15 years.

The trainer’s manual is intended to be used in conjunction with other resources related to the

implementation of Generation Dialogues. These include:

Manual for facilitators of women’s dialogues

Manual for facilitators of men’s dialogues

Manual for master trainers

Guidance note for organisations implementing the Generation Dialogue

Guidance note on monitoring and evaluating the Generation Dialogue

Can this manual be used as is, or does it require adaptation?

No two Generation Dialogue processes are the same. While the core objectives, principles

and methodology of the Generation Dialogue remain constant, the issues addressed vary, as

do the settings in which the Dialogue is implemented.

While this trainer’s manual, as well as other Generation Dialogue resources mentioned

above, can serve as a starting point for a Generation Dialogue process, some modifications

will be required before it is put into use.

This version of the manual (July 2016) was last updated following a Generation Dialogue

process in Pakistan which addressed two topics: unsafe childbearing practices and son

preference. To facilitate the adaptation of this manual for future applications of the

Generation Dialogue, sections of the text which are likely to require modification are

indicated as follows:

Text highlighted in gray pertains to a specific sociocultural context, or to distinctive

aspects of a country’s health system (e.g. the terms describing community health

workers). These references should be modified to reflect the setting in which your

Generation Dialogue will take place.

Text highlighted in yellow refers to the specific topics of unsafe childbearing practices

and son preference. These sections should be modified to reflect the issue or issues

which your Generation Dialogue will address. In the case of Generation Dialogue

processes addressing only one issue, it will be necessary to shorten or simplify some

exercises which were structured to accommodate two topics.

Where can we get more information about the Generation Dialogue?

More information about the Generation Dialogue can be obtained from the Sector Initiative

on Ending Female Genital Mutilation and other Harmful Traditional Practices

([email protected]), which is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für

Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on behalf of Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic

Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

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Table of contents

Introduction: The Generation Dialogue approach ............................................................................... 5

How it started .......................................................................................................................................................... 5 How it works ........................................................................................................................................................... 6 How the Generation Dialogue relates to other approaches ................................................................. 7 Generation Dialogue projects and their results ........................................................................................ 8 What it takes ............................................................................................................................................................ 9

The steps of the Generation Dialogue approach ................................................................................ 11

The role of the Generation Dialogue trainer ....................................................................................... 13

Required qualifications .................................................................................................................................... 13 Tasks and responsibilities............................................................................................................................... 13 How to become an approved Generation Dialogue trainer............................................................... 14

Preparing the training of facilitator candidates ................................................................................ 15

Selection of facilitators ..................................................................................................................................... 15 Venue, catering and materials ....................................................................................................................... 15

Programme for the facilitator training ................................................................................................. 16

Day 1 ........................................................................................................................................................................ 17 Day 2 ........................................................................................................................................................................ 26 Day 3 ........................................................................................................................................................................ 33 Day 4 ........................................................................................................................................................................ 40 Day 5 ........................................................................................................................................................................ 49

Assessment of facilitator candidates and selection of core teams .............................................. 56

Standard elements of Dialogue sessions .............................................................................................. 58

Why and how to conduct Public Meetings ........................................................................................... 60

Why are the Public Meetings held? ............................................................................................................. 60 Who should be invited to the Public Meetings ....................................................................................... 60 What should happen at the Public Meetings ........................................................................................... 60

Annex 1. The steps of the Generation Dialogue approach as graphics ...................................... 63

Annex 2. Discussion guides for Community Consultations ............................................................ 66

Annex 3. List of traditional and modern objects ................................................................................ 71

Annex 4. Assessment form for facilitator candidates ...................................................................... 74

Annex 5. Record form for Dialogue sessions ....................................................................................... 75

Annex 6. Record form for Public Meetings .......................................................................................... 80

Annex 7. Record form for supervision meeting ................................................................................. 83

Annex 8. Questionnaire for facilitator candidates: End of facilitator training ...................... 86

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Bibliography ................................................................................................................................................... 88

Introduction: The Generation Dialogue approach

How it started

The Generation Dialogue approach was first developed in Guinea, West Africa. In 2001, a

group of community-based organisations (CBOs) decided to look for a new way to reduce

the widespread practice of female genital cutting. In spite of many years of information and

health education campaigns throughout Guinea, the cutting continued. Knowing about its

harmful consequences did not stop families from submitting their daughters to it.

The CBOs decided to change direction. If so many Guineans felt it right to have their

daughters cut, they must have strong reasons for it. To find out about these reasons, the

CBOs would have to create an atmosphere of trust and respect so that Guineans would be

prepared to discuss what they really thought about cutting.

As a first step, the CBOs organised meetings called Community Consultations. These were

held separately for men and women and for younger and older community members,

allowing everyone to feel free to speak their mind. The CBO members did not come as

“experts” with information to tell to their “audience.” Rather, they came as social researchers,

determined not to judge but to show sincere interest and respect, and to listen and learn from

community members.

At these first Community Consultations, the CBO facilitators did indeed learn a lot. They

found out that most community members knew quite a lot about the risks and physical

consequences of female genital cutting. This information did not come from formal education

or information campaigns, but from what had happened to girls amongst their families and

friends. And yet, many people (especially the elders) saw female genital cutting as part of an

important initiation rite through which girls learned the importance of solidarity, respect and

modesty – in short, how to act like “respectable women.”

Most importantly, the CBO facilitators learned about the stigma that uncircumcised women

and girls suffered in their communities. Many mothers spoke about the dilemma they faced.

Which would cause more problems for their daughters: the physical and psychological harm

of cutting or the social exclusion that would result without it?

In the Community Consultations, younger women said clearly that they wanted the cutting

stopped, but they felt powerless compared to their elders. The suggestion for a Generation

Dialogue first came from them: “Could you organise a discussion such as this one between

us and our mothers and grandmothers? It is they who want to continue cutting, not us.”

The sense of respect given in these Community Consultations led to community members

sharing their reasons for still pursuing female genital cutting, their concerns and fears about

it, but also the aspirations they had for their daughters. They also expressed hope for social

change that might eventually bring about an end to female genital cutting.

As they shared these findings, the CBOs recognised that in their new role as respectful

researchers, they were much more effective than in their earlier role as experts or “health

promoters.” They had become dialogue facilitators who enabled community members to

recognise and share their beliefs, values and dilemmas – and to start thinking about possible

ways of overcoming the practice of female genital cutting, in their own time and in their own

way.

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How it works

The Generation Dialogue that the CBOs organised later in 2002 in response to the young

women’s request was based on just these principles: active listening, dialogue, respect and

appreciation – as much for the different points of view as for the local culture, traditions and

practices. Whilst the approach has since been extended – engaging both women and men in

initially parallel and eventually joined dialogue processes – and although it has been adapted

to different contexts and requirements, it has always maintained these principles and the

successive steps of the dialogue process (see next section of this manual).

Following the Community Consultations, trained facilitators involved 48 carefully-chosen

members of the community (24 men and 24 women) in a series of transformative Generation

Dialogue sessions. Each group of men and women included 12 “younger” people (not yet

married, approximately 18-30 years of age) and 12 older people (approximately 40 years and

older).

The basic structure of the Generation Dialogue process is as follows:

In the first Dialogue session, both generations learn about active listening and dialogue skills.

This is followed, in Dialogue session two, by the “life-path” exercise, in which members of the

older generation get a chance to present the way they experienced growing up and their

transition from childhood to puberty, marriage and parenthood. Using traditional objects as

well as role-plays, songs, proverbs and poems, they create a lively image of the rites and

traditions, pleasures and challenges that they lived through in their time. In response, the

younger generation presents to their elders how they experienced these life-stages and

transitions up to now – and what they are hoping for in the future. In the women’s Dialogues,

the life-path exercise always stimulates a rich discussion about sexuality, marriage,

childbearing, and gender relations – both the positive values these embody and the pain and

suffering they can entail.

The third Dialogue session focuses on both the reasons for and the consequences of certain

traditional practices that can have harmful effects on women and families. It does not only

look at the physical and psychological consequences of these practices, but also at the

reasons why many families continue to practice them, even though they may be well aware

of their harmful effects. All these discussions strengthen the mutual trust between the

generations and lay the foundation for the fourth Dialogue session, in which the participants

of both the women’s and the men’s Dialogues develop visions of, and commitment to,

change without losing traditions and shared values that both old and young regard as

indispensable.

The Dialogue Sessions

1. Listening and dialogue skills

2. Men’s and women’s life-paths in the past and present

3. Customs and traditions and their effects on family health and wellbeing

4. Joining the men’s and women’s Dialogues

5. Preparing the follow-up period

The younger and the older generations develop ideas about what they, as groups, could

contribute towards positive change in their community – and what they would like other

groups (e.g. the other sex, the other generation, teachers, health workers or religious

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leaders) to do to make the desired change happen. These ideas are then formulated as

pledges (“What we commit to do to make change happen”) and “special requests” (“What we

are asking [a specific group] to do so that change can happen”). In the second part of this

session, the participants of the women’s and the men’s Dialogues come together to share

what they have learned as well as to jointly agree which special requests they want to put

forward at a Public Meeting to be held the following week. The entire community is invited to

hear the Dialogue participants – now known as Dialogue Champions – share what they have

learned through the Generation Dialogue process. The Dialogue Champions publicly declare

their pledges and special requests so that the whole community, including its leaders and

representatives of important sectors (known as Community Partners), is made aware of the

community initiative and invited to join it.

One week later, a fifth and final Dialogue session is held to plan activities for the next three

months. In this follow-on period the Dialogue Champions continue spreading the spirit of

Dialogue and commitment to change throughout the community. In pairs of one younger and

one older Dialogue Champion, they visit households, schools, women’s and men’s

associations, and other community venues (depending what is appropriate in the cultural

context) to discuss with them the potential of improved dialogue between the generations,

the importance of appreciating local traditions and values, and how traditional practices with

harmful consequences could be overcome. These visits or meetings following the five

Dialogue sessions are called Mini-Dialogues, because they aim to recreate the core

elements of the Generation Dialogue: respectful listening, appreciation for individuals’ stories

about community values and traditions, and a dialogue about change.

Overall, the aim of the Generation Dialogue process is to build a group of Dialogue

Champions at the heart of a community. These groups will carry the dialogue between the

generations not only into a large number of families, but also into schools, health centres,

religious institutions, and the local administration.

What is the aim of these dialogues and conversations?

The aim of the Generation Dialogue process is to ignite the spark of dialogue in ever more

households and in other places where people meet – in churches and mosques, health

centres, hospitals, schools, clubs and private homes all across the community. The more

people of all ages who enter into a respectful exchange with one another about being both

proud of their heritage and aware that some practices need to be adapted to modern times

the better. As more and more “dialogue sparks” are ignited, the process of change will gain

such a momentum that, eventually, it can no longer be halted or reversed.

How the Generation Dialogue relates to other approaches

Like the Generation Dialogue approach, the United Nations Development Programme’s

(UNDP) “Community Conversations” and the “Stepping Stones” methodologies aim at

creating safe spaces for dialogue where people can freely express their understanding of an

issue, how it affects them as individuals or as a community, and the changes they would like

to see (UNDP 2005, Welbourn, 1995). Through such sharing, people often realise that

despite having different views on an issue, they ultimately share a commitment to finding a

common solution.

The Community Conversations and Stepping Stones approaches were originally developed

in response to the devastating impacts of the HIV epidemic on communities in Southern

Africa. In contrast, the Generation Dialogue started as an attempt to engage custodians of

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valued traditions in a conversation that acknowledged the special significance of female

genital cutting. Instead of treating it solely as a health issue, the Generation Dialogue

recognises that in many African communities it is part of a rite of initiation that regulates a

girl’s transition to respectable womanhood and serves to ensure their loyalty to their

community’s values and traditions. It appreciates the need to pass these values on whilst

also addressing the harmful consequences of female genital cutting, thus allowing both

generations and sexes to look for ways in which they could overcome the latter without losing

the former.

Generation Dialogue projects and their results

Following the initial Generation Dialogue in Guinea’s capital in September 2002, the Guinean

CBOs organised further Dialogues in two other regions, this time addressing two issues:

female genital cutting and growing up in a time of HIV. In both regions, the population and

the local leaders welcomed the Generation Dialogues. The Public Meetings attracted

considerable attention, with commitments and pledges moving some to tears.

Four months after the Dialogues’ completion, GIZ1 carried out a study comparing

intergenerational communication and collaboration – and specifically communication about

female genital cutting and HIV – in families who had a member participating in the

Generation Dialogue sessions with other families who did not (GTZ, 2004). The results

showed significantly better family communication and intergenerational relationships, as well

as significantly more communication about female genital cutting and HIV, between the

sexes and the generations in families who had had a member participate in the Dialogue

sessions as compared to control families.

From 2004 onwards, the Generation Dialogue approach was also implemented in three

regions of Mali (Ségou, Mopti and Koulikoro) with support from the GIZ-implemented Mali-

German Basic Education Programme. In 2009, a comprehensive impact evaluation was

undertaken, using a systematic sampling procedure to compare four intervention villages

with three villages where no Dialogues had taken place. In all villages, focus group

discussions and individual interviews were conducted with younger and older community

members of both sexes and with community leaders, using standardised questionnaires

(GTZ, 2009).

In contrast to the earlier Guinean study, the Mali survey covered a representative sample of

all community members, not just families who had a member participating in a Dialogue. Its

findings showed significant differences between intervention and control villages as a

consequence of the Dialogue process. The people in the villages that had undertaken

Generation Dialogues were much more willing to discuss the formerly taboo topic of female

genital cutting across the sexes and the generations. Awareness of the harmful effects of

female genital cutting was considerably greater in these villages, too. Overall, relations and

communication between the generations were improved and older community members felt

that there was more interest and respect for community traditions by the young people in

their village.

From 2009 onwards, with support of the GIZ reproductive health programme, three CBOs

were trained to implement the Generation Dialogue approach in communities in Yemen’s Ibb

1 The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) was established on 1 January 2011. It

brings together the long-standing expertise of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) (German technical cooperation), the Deutscher Entwicklungsdienst (DED) (German Development Service) and InWEnt – Capacity Building International, Germany.

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Governorate. An evaluation in October 2010 (GIZ, 2011) found the following achievements

and challenges: All three communities appreciated the programme very much and confirmed

that it helped to enhance their ability to engage in Dialogues across generations and gender.

Recognising the harmful effects of the widespread custom of early marriage, all three

communities set a minimum age for young women to be married (18 years). Also, all three

communities had decided to organise literacy classes for women and were seeking

development partners to support them in this.

GIZ-supported Generation Dialogue projects have also been undertaken in Kenya,

Mauritania, Namibia and Sierra Leone. One important lesson learned across all the projects

has been that the Dialogues bring forth new community initiatives, ranging from literacy

classes for women in Yemen, to life skills peer educator training for uncut girls in Guinea. In

order to sustain the momentum in these initiatives, it is crucial that the Dialogue sessions be

followed by continued technical and financial support, either through the same partner who

supported the Generation Dialogue project or by linking Dialogue projects with programmes

providing support for small-scale community initiatives.

Dialogue sessions: A way to kick-start unlikely conversations

The Dialogue approach can bring about conversations, ideas and actions

that exceed by far what participants would have thought possible at their

start. At the end of a Generation Dialogue session in the traditional Fouta

region of Guinea, a respected community elder said: “I thought that at my

age, no one could teach me anything anymore. But this has changed me.

There are many things I have to think about now.” In a remote village of

the Amran region in Yemen, a Dialogue project brought about the first

public meeting between women and men for as far back as any villager

could remember. In Malawi, Dialogue sessions with health workers and

traditional healers succeeded in getting the two groups to listen to and

talk with one another about caring for people living with HIV, and to set up

a mutual referral system (German HIV Practice Collection, 2007).

Techniques such as the proverb-, listening- or life-path exercises can and

have been adapted and used for Dialogue sessions, projects and

conferences, both in industrialised and in developing countries. Whilst this

set of manuals describes how Generation Dialogues can be implemented

across whole regions, readers should not hesitate to use and adapt these

Dialogue concepts and exercises to kick-start other unlikely conversations

in different contexts and at different occasions.

What it takes

The Generation Dialogue works best in places where community organisations are already

working on development challenges that are related to tensions between traditional, often

patriarchal belief/value systems and those that are more modern and egalitarian. Ideally, it

can be introduced when local stakeholders recognise that their existing activities (which are

often behaviour change communication campaigns) are not creating the desired changes in

attitudes and behaviours amongst their audiences.

At that point, the Generation Dialogue can take such campaigns to a different level, building

trust through its respectful approach and allowing local people to express the underlying

dilemmas and values that lead them to resist changes that – from an outside perspective –

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appear logical and useful. The Dialogue sessions permit these values and dilemmas to be

acknowledged and discussed by younger and older participants. The suggestions for change

that result from the Dialogue process may be more modest than those of the earlier

campaigns, but they will be “owned” and pursued by all involved community leaders and

representatives of community groups.

For this process to work, the Generation Dialogue approach requires sustained support for

approximately three years from the agency providing financial and technical assistance. The

support should cover a training of at least four trainers (two men and two women), who can

then conduct 12 successive trainings of facilitator teams who can, in turn, conduct up to 36

Dialogue processes at community level. See Annex 1 for a set of graphs outlining this

process, from the initial training of trainers to the roll-out over 36 communities.

If possible, support for the Generation Dialogues should be followed up by small grants for

community initiatives that emerge as a result of the Dialogues.

In addition to a commissioning organisation, a Generation Dialogue project also requires the

commitment of one or more experienced implementing partners. These local organisations or

agencies must possess the management capacities and community-based networks needed

to plan, implement and monitor the trainings and Dialogue processes over the project period

and beyond. It is essential that they be trusted by the communities in which they work.

To evaluate the results of the Dialogues, the organisation commissioning the implementing

partner should hire an independent team of researchers to document the attitudes and

behaviours that community members express before and after the Generation Dialogues in a

sample of the intervention communities. This can be done by documenting the Community

Consultations, which are held at the start and end of the Dialogue process and by conducting

interviews in a sample of households at these points in time. Ideally, to control for

confounding factors, such interviews and focus group discussions should also be held in one

control community that will receive the intervention at a later date. Further information and

sample tools can be found in the guidance note on the Monitoring and Evaluation of

Generation Dialogues.

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The steps of the Generation Dialogue approach

1. One or more local implementing organisations and a funding agency agree to

partner for the implementation of the Generation Dialogue approach in a particular

region or country. They agree on the number of communities they want to cover in

the given project phase and plan and budget for the corresponding numbers of

trainers, facilitators and trainings.

2. Together, they hold an introductory stakeholder workshop to present the

Generation Dialogue to national and local partners and to agree the ways in which

they would like to connect with the project.

3. They invite a master trainer and select suitably-qualified professionals with extensive

trainer experience (at least two men and two women) to take part in a five-day

training of trainers for the Generation Dialogue approach.

4. The implementing organisation selects two groups of eight male and two groups of

eight female facilitator candidates from each of the first two areas in which it plans

to implement Generation Dialogues (32 facilitator candidates in total).

5. The trainer candidates conduct their first five-day trainings of facilitator candidates:

two female trainers conduct the training of the female facilitator candidates and two

male trainers conduct the training of the male facilitator candidates. The master

trainer or someone from the commissioning organisation who has experience with the

Generation Dialogue should be present throughout the training. At the end of this

supervised practice, the trainer candidates get structured feedback on their

performance. Once trainers have been approved, they can conduct trainings of

Dialogue facilitator candidates without supervision.

6. Following their trainings of the facilitator candidates, the trainer teams select the four

most capable male and the four most capable female facilitator candidates from each

of the two areas as core facilitator teams. Two further male and female candidates

from the same area are selected as back-up facilitators. These two core facilitator

teams start the Generation Dialogue process in the first village/community in their

area. The two core facilitator teams are supervised and supported by one male and

one female trainer throughout their initial implementation of the Generation Dialogue

approach.

7. The core facilitator team meets with community leaders in the two communities

where the approach will be implemented to inform them about the Generation

Dialogue and to gain their support for it.

8. The facilitator team holds initial Community Consultations with younger women,

older women, younger men and older men to learn their views about the issues the

Generation Dialogue will address.

9. In each community, the facilitator teams select 12 younger women, 12 younger men,

12 older women and 12 older men to participate in the Dialogue sessions.

10. The facilitator teams hold four Dialogue sessions for the female participants and

four Dialogue sessions for the male participants. Each group of participants attends

one session per week, over four consecutive weeks. Male facilitators work with male

participants and female facilitators work with female participants.

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11. At the first Public Meeting, the participants of the Dialogue sessions, who are now

called Dialogue Champions, present what they have learned in the Dialogue sessions

to the community, its leaders and government officials. They commit themselves to

particular actions (“pledges”) to help address community challenges that they

identified in the sessions; and they ask other important community members (e.g.

teachers, health workers, religious leaders, local government) – referred to as

Community Partners (see p. 42) – to also commit themselves to specific actions to

help them address these challenges (“special requests”).

12. The facilitator teams hold a fifth Dialogue session for the female participants and a

fifth Dialogue session for the male participants. At this final Dialogue session, the

Dialogue Champions review how the Public Meeting went. They also plan and

practice how they will keep the Dialogue process alive – and how they will keep the

pledges and special requests in the public eye – over the coming months.

13. For a follow-up period of three months, the Dialogue Champions hold Mini-

Dialogues with families, community groups, health workers and religious leaders,

bringing more and more of them into the Generation Dialogue process. Once a

month, the facilitators and the Dialogue Champions hold a supervision meeting to

discuss achievements and challenges.

14. Three months after the first Public Meeting, the facilitators and the Dialogue

Champions organise a second Public Meeting to discuss with the community

whether progress has been made on the pledges and special requests they made at

the previous meeting.

15. The facilitator team holds follow-up Community Consultations to discuss once

more with the whole community the issues raised by the Generation Dialogue.

16. After the facilitator teams have held their first Public Meeting and move into the

follow-up period, the trainers can start training the next two teams of facilitators

from two new areas, moving through the steps described above.

17. Following the completion of the Dialogue process, trainers meet with facilitator

candidates for a formal assessment of their performance.

18. If assessed as competent, the facilitators can move on to another community in the

same area, repeating the same steps. Ideally, each trained facilitator team should

facilitate Generation Dialogues in three communities in their area.

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The role of the Generation Dialogue trainer

Required qualifications

Generation Dialogue trainers should be:

Experienced in conducting participatory assessments and community interventions

with young people and adults.

Experienced in conducting trainings, applying adult learning methods, and combining

theoretical inputs with interactive exercises.

Experienced in providing supervision to community workers.

Experienced in working on gender issues and on culturally-sensitive issues in a

respectful manner.

Familiar with and appreciative of the local culture.

Respected in their professional role as trainer.

Fluent in English and in the local language.

Able to document their work in professional reports.

Available for the steps and tasks outlined below.

Tasks and responsibilities

Trainer candidates initially take part in a five-day training of trainers.

Under supervision of the master trainer or a representative of the commissioning

organisation, and together with another trainer candidate of the same sex, they then conduct

their first five-day training of 16 facilitator candidates. Male trainers train male facilitator

candidates and female trainers train female facilitator candidates.

Together with a trainer of the opposite sex, they then guide and supervise facilitator teams as

they:

Meet with community leaders to get their approval for the Generation Dialogue (one

day).

Conduct the initial Community Consultations (two days).

Conduct five Dialogue sessions and the first Public Meeting (one day per week for six

weeks).

After this nine-week process, they can start training and supporting the next group of

facilitator candidates.

They return to meet once more with the first facilitator teams to supervise and support them

during their second Public Meeting and their first follow-up Community Consultations.

Based on the duration and scale of the Generation Dialogue project, trainers can train and

supervise up to six facilitator teams from six different areas over a period of 18 months.

Working as a Generation Dialogue trainer is not a full-time occupation, except for the times at

which facilitator trainings are being conducted (at most two-and-a-half months per year).

After these trainings, trainers need to be available for one day a week over six consecutive

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weeks and again, three months later, for four days (for the second Public Meeting, the follow-

up Community Consultations and for a final assessment of the facilitator teams that have

now concluded their first complete Generation Dialogue).

How to become an approved Generation Dialogue trainer

To become an approved Generation Dialogue trainer, candidates need to:

1. Successfully take part in an introductory five-day training of trainers, conducted by a

master trainer.

2. Successfully conduct a five-day training of facilitators in the Generation Dialogue

approach under full supervision of a master trainer.

3. Successfully provide supervision and support to the same core facilitator team as

they conduct preparatory talks, Community Consultations, Dialogue sessions, Public

Meetings and supervision meetings for the participants of the Dialogue sessions.

4. Receive a positive evaluation in the formal assessments by the master trainer or

representative of the commissioning organisation after having conducted all of these

steps.

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Preparing the training of facilitator candidates

Selection of facilitators

The facilitator candidates should be selected by the implementing organisation. After the

initial training, the trainers and representatives of the implementing organisation jointly select

the eight most capable facilitator candidates from the localities in which they will successively

conduct the Generation Dialogues (see chapter “Assessment of facilitator candidates and

selection of core teams”, p. 55, on how to formally assess facilitator candidates at the end of

their initial five-day training). Facilitator candidates should be:

Well known as a trustworthy person to the organisation responsible for implementing

the approach.

Motivated to improve the relationships between young and old, men and women in

their community.

Motivated to promote reproductive health and rights and to help overcome traditional

practices which are harmful, particularly to the health and wellbeing of women and

families, in the community.

Able to facilitate group sessions in an organised and respectful manner.

Someone who knows the local culture and local language well.

Available for a five-day training and for the facilitation of Generation Dialogues in

three communities over a two-year period.

Overall, the selection of facilitator candidates should be transparent and based on the criteria

specified above. Selection of candidates based on family ties or other personal relationships

should be safeguarded against.

Venue, catering and materials

In consultation with the implementing organisation, ensure that:

A suitable room is booked for the training of facilitator candidates. It should be a

modest venue, e.g. in a local training centre.

Facilitator candidates are invited.

Catering for tea breaks and lunch is organised.

All training materials, including sufficient copies of the facilitator manual, are available

(see list below).

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The following materials are needed throughout the five-day training of facilitator

candidates:

3 pin boards

100 cards (size: about a third of an A4 page)

1 flipchart with paper

100 pins (tacks)

20 markers

16 notepads

16 pens

40 meters of large, cheap paper such as butcher’s paper or newsprint, preferably on a roll

Two sets of drawings on laminated A4 sheets of the following four Community Partners

(a-d) and four Dialogue groups (e-h):

a. A local government representative

b. A religious leader

c. A health worker

d. A teacher

e. A young man

f. A young woman

g. An older man

h. An older woman

16 facilitator manuals (8 for men, 8 for women)

4 trainer manuals

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Programme for the facilitator training

Day 1

Goals of the day

At the end of this first day, the facilitator candidates:

1. Have started to get to know each other and the trainers.

2. Understand the principles of the Generation Dialogue approach and its successive

steps.

3. Know the qualities, tasks and responsibilities of an effective facilitator.

4. Understand and are able to practice and explain active listening and dialogue skills.

Required materials

Facilitator manuals for all facilitator candidates

Pin boards, brown paper and pins

Cards and 20 markers

Prepared cards with drawings of signs of good listening

Flip chart with overview of training programme (see p. 20)

Flip chart with the steps of the Generation Dialogue (see p. 23)

Exercises

1. Warmly welcome all facilitator candidates, sing a song or say a prayer (5

minutes)

The opening of this first day of the facilitator training is important as it will set an example of the way in which the facilitator candidates themselves will start the Dialogue sessions in the community. As a trainer team, consider beforehand whether it is more suitable to sing a song or to say a prayer, which song or prayer would be best, and how to involve the facilitator candidates in it.

2. Introductions of trainers (5 minutes)

Introduce yourselves, stating your name and, briefly, your professional background.

3. Facilitator candidates’ introductions with proverbs (50 minutes)

Ask all facilitator candidates to sit down with another candidate whom they don’t know very

well. Invite these pairs to interview one another and to find out (write the following on a flip

chart that is visible to all during the exercise):

Each other’s names

Where they come from

Their experience as community facilitators

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After interviewing each other about these points, they should jointly think about a local

proverb that has something to do with traditions and with the Dialogue between the

generations.

After 10 minutes, ask the pairs to finish their interviews. When all have completed the task,

ask the members of each pair to present one another. To do this, they should both stand up.

At the end of their mutual introductions, they should recite the proverb they have selected.

At the end of this first exercise, explain what is special about it:

It is the first exercise that the facilitator candidates will facilitate with participants when conducting Dialogue sessions in the community.

As it is done, during the first Dialogue session, in pairs of a younger and an older participant, it is also the first opportunity to practice a Generation Dialogue.

Reflecting jointly about a suitable proverb is a way to appreciate local culture right from the start of the Dialogue process.

4. Small group work: Agreeing rules of the workshop (30 minutes)

Invite the facilitator candidates to form two groups and to sit in two circles. Each group

should have a stack of cards and markers. Ask them to agree some ground rules that should

be obeyed by all to ensure a good working atmosphere during this training.

Ask the facilitator candidates to draw a symbol for each of the ground rules they come up

with (e.g. clock face for punctuality, ear for good listening). A trainer should sit with each

small group and encourage the facilitator candidates to start drawing. Everyone is able to

make a simple drawing, encourage them to try!

After 10-15 minutes, ask each group to appoint one person to present the ground rules to the full group. Put the symbolic drawings up on the wall and use them to remind facilitator candidates of the ground rules when necessary throughout the training.

5. Presentation and discussion: What is special about the Dialogue approach?

(30 minutes)

Tell the facilitator candidates about how the Generation Dialogue started in the communities in Africa where it was first applied:

Several community-based organisations had been sensitising the community for

many years against harmful practices, including early marriages and female

genital cutting as part of girls’ initiation to womanhood. The CBOs did health talks

and showed films about the harmful consequences of these traditional practices.

The community members listened to their talks and watched the films, but they

still continued their traditional practices.

Then the CBOs decided to take a different approach. They wanted to find out

why these traditional practices were so important for community members that

they accepted the harmful effects these were having on many of their women and

girls. They decided to do the following:

They would come to the community as interested researchers, not as

“experts.”

They would listen respectfully, not judge or criticise anyone’s point of

view.

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They would show interest in and appreciation for the local culture and

traditions they would hear about.

They would speak separately to older men, younger men, older women

and younger women so that these groups would all feel free to say what

they really thought.

After they had tried this new approach in so-called Community Consultations, the

local organisations felt that they had been much more effective than before:

The community members had been much more interested and engaged.

They had been much more open about their own ideas and concerns.

There had also been a lot more discussion of the harmful effects of the

traditional practices, although the community organisations had not

actively raised this: they had simply asked questions and listened.

Now ask the facilitator candidates:

Why were the community members more interested and engaged after the

organisations changed their approach?

What was different about the CBOs’ new approach?

The following points should come up in the discussion:

People feel more comfortable and free to talk when they are not judged or criticised

for their attitudes, beliefs and practices.

People prefer to be involved in a discussion, rather than being told what to do and

what not to do.

When people feel appreciated and respected, they are more likely to talk about their

doubts and dilemmas about some of their traditional practices, because they don’t

have to defend themselves and their traditions.

With the new approach, the organisations do not come as “experts” but as facilitators

of discussion and dialogue, and are much more welcome in this second role.

Tea break (20 minutes)

6. Goals and principles of the Generation Dialogue approach (10 minutes)

Explain that there are three goals for the Generation Dialogues they will facilitate:

1. To improve the way younger and older people understand each other and work

together for a better future for the community.

2. To learn about and appreciate the community’s customs and traditions and to jointly

agree which of them should be continued and which of them might need to be

adapted to today’s world.

3. To enable the Dialogue participants to become champions of change who hold

traditions in high esteem and who are committed to improving the lives for younger

and older people in the community.

In order to reach these goals, the Generation Dialogue approach follows three principles:

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1. The Generation Dialogue approach aims to appreciate local culture. This is why

poems, proverbs and other expressions of local culture are most welcome in the

Dialogue sessions.

2. This is also the reason why the sessions will be held in the local language.

3. Another essential element of the method is mutual respect. All participants are asked

to show appreciation and respect towards each other’s points of view – regardless of

whether they share them or not. Both the older and the younger generations will get

the chance to make their voices heard.

7. Keeping a double perspective (10 minutes)

Explain that all facilitator candidates in this training should have a “double perspective” on

each exercise:

The first perspective is that of a participant who takes part in different exercises.

This perspective will help them understand the exercises and what they feel like for

the Dialogue participants in the communities.

The second perspective is that of a facilitator who will have to facilitate these

exercises with the participants of the Dialogue sessions in a community.

Ideally, they should always first experience the exercise as a participant, and then reflect

upon it as a future facilitator.

Invite the facilitator candidates to think back to the first exercise of the day, where they met in

pairs, introduced each other and had to find a suitable proverb. Then ask them to answer the

following three questions from the facilitator perspective:

Can you imagine yourself facilitating this exercise?

What could be difficult about it?

How could you avoid or manage those difficulties?

At the end of a short discussion about this example, explain that, throughout this training, you

will first invite them to experience the exercises as participants and then to reflect on them

from the facilitator perspective.

8. Presentation: Goal of the training and overview of the training programme

(20 minutes)

Explain that it is the goal of this training to introduce facilitator candidates to the Generation

Dialogue methodology. Over the course of this week, they will develop a thorough

understanding of the approach, get to know its central exercises and gain a good overview of

how to conduct the full Generation Dialogue process. Soon after the training, each one of

them will receive an individual assessment of the facilitator capacities that they have shown

in the course of the training. The eight most capable facilitator candidates (four per

implementation area, see p. 10) will be appointed as core facilitator teams and will continue

their training by facilitating all the essential steps of a Generation Dialogue under a trainer’s

supervision. Another four candidates (two per implementation area) will be selected as back-

up facilitators and will be called upon in case one of the core facilitators falls ill or is no longer

available for another reason.

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Make sure that all facilitator candidates have understood these conditions and assure them

that their assessment will be undertaken in a transparent manner and in dialogue with them.

Next, take the participants through the workshop programme that you have copied on a

flipchart. Highlight the starting and ending times each day (e.g. 9 AM and 4-4.30 PM) and

point out the topics that will be covered on each of the five days. Clarify any other

organisational issues and questions that facilitator candidates may have.

Workshop programme

Day 1:

Introduction to facilitator candidates, trainers and training programme

Role and responsibilities of the facilitator

Principles of the Generation Dialogue approach

Active listening

Dialogue skills

Steps of the Generation Dialogue process

Day 2:

How to give feedback

Preparation of talks with leaders

Community Consultations

Standard elements of Dialogue sessions

Day 3:

Review of Dialogue session 1: Listening and dialogue skills

Dialogue session 2: Men’s and women’s life-paths in the past and present

Day 4:

Dialogue session 3: Customs and traditions and their effects on family health and wellbeing

Dialogue session 4: Joining the men’s and women’s Dialogues

Day 5:

First Public Meeting

Dialogue session 5: Preparing for the follow-up period

Facilitators’ tasks in the follow-up period

Second Public Meeting and Community Consultations

Evaluation of the training and closure

9. The role of the Generation Dialogue facilitator (30 minutes)

Hand out the facilitator manuals to all facilitator candidates. Ask them to treat their manual

with great care as it will be their essential tool when they work as Dialogue facilitators.

Take them through the table of contents of the manual so that they get an overview of the

manual’s composition.

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Then ask one volunteer to read out the section “What does it take to become a Dialogue

facilitator,” on p. 6 of the facilitator manual. After it has been read out, ask the facilitator

candidates:

Do they feel that they can play this role?

What would they be good at and why?

What could be difficult for them and why?

In this discussion, facilitator candidates may have questions about the steps of a Generation

Dialogue project. Explain that you will talk about the all steps of this process in the afternoon

session.

Lunch break (60 minutes)

10. Role-play: Listening exercise (40 minutes)

Ask the facilitator candidates to form pairs of two and to sit facing each other. The pairs

should not be the same as in the first exercise.

Ask that one of the two should share with the other one a nice memory he or she has about

his or her grandfather/grandmother (or another close older member of the family, such as an

uncle/aunt).

Explain that, at first, the person in the “listener role” should listen intently until – after about

two minutes – you clap your hands. When they hear the clap, they should stop listening

completely while the other one continues to tell his or her story. After two minutes you clap

your hands again to stop the conversation and the pairs should change roles. Now the

listener should share a memory of his or her own with the other one listening, for two

minutes, and then not listening, again for two minutes.

After this, all facilitator candidates should go back to their places in the big circle. Ask them

what it felt like to be listened to intently – and what it felt like not to be listened to when one is

sharing something important.

Ask the facilitator candidates to list the signs of good listening. Have cards with drawings of

these signs ready and hold them up when the signs are named. Then pin them to a pin board

or a large sheet of paper on the wall where everyone can see them. Although such signs are

different from culture to culture, they may include:

A friendly, interested face

Nodding

A slightly forward-leaning posture

Eye contact

When facilitator candidates bring up other signs of good listening for which you don’t have a

card, ask them to draw them and add it to the pin board.

Next, have all the facilitator candidates who now sit in a big circle take a listening posture.

Walk around and have a good look at them, commenting on all the typical features of their

posture. Next, ask them to take a posture that conveys that they are not listening. Again,

walk around and comment on all the typical features of non-listening.

Summarise that listening to each another is crucial for the Generation Dialogue. All facilitator

candidates should aim to practice being good listeners throughout the training.

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11. Role-play by the trainers: Recognising dialogue skills (25 minutes)

Ask the facilitator candidates to carefully watch the two role-plays that will now be presented

by two of the trainers. They should watch out for differences in the way the people behave in

the two role-plays. Don’t say what the role-plays are about. Let the facilitator candidates find

out by themselves.

Together with your co-trainer, role-play two examples of a Generation Dialogue in a typical

household in the community. Through your posture and movements, make it very obvious

that one of you is a younger person and one is an older person.

In the first role-play, the younger person does not show any dialogue skills:

The younger person approaches the older person at a bad moment (e.g. the older

person is busy, or almost asleep) without asking whether it is a good moment to talk.

The younger person starts the dialogue standing, instead of making sure that they

can sit down together in a quiet place where both are comfortable.

The younger person does not explain what he or she wants to talk about and why.

The younger person rushes through several questions and does not listen to what the

older person has to say.

The younger person interrupts the older person, or laughs.

The younger person suddenly ends the dialogue without thanking the older person for

sharing his or her views.

In the second role-play, the younger person gets it right and shows the essential dialogue

skills:

The younger person starts by asking if it is a good moment to talk and finds a

comfortable place where both can sit and talk.

The younger person shows the gestures that are customary in the local culture when

younger people approach older people in a respectful manner.

The younger person explains what he or she would like to talk about (“Can you tell

me about how young men and women were prepared for marriage when you were

young?”).

The younger person listens attentively, without interrupting.

At the end of the dialogue, the younger person thanks the older person for sharing his

or her views and stories.

At the end of the role-plays, step out of your roles so that it is clear that you are now again

the two trainers. Then ask the facilitator candidates to describe the differences between the

two role-plays. Which was the better dialogue and why?

At the end of this exercise, point out all the dialogue skills that these role-plays

demonstrated:

Finding a good moment and a good place to talk.

Explaining what one wants to talk about and why.

Listening respectfully and attentively.

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Thanking the Dialogue partner for sharing his or her experiences and views.

12. Group Work: Practicing dialogue skills (30 minutes)

Next, invite the facilitator candidates to practice dialogue skills in groups of three (one group

can have four members). The members of the small groups move their chairs so that they

form a triangle with two facilitator candidates facing one another and the third one – the

observer – watching from the side. Before they start, they should agree who will role-play a

younger and who will role-play an older family member and which of these two will start the

dialogue. Once all threesomes have agreed their roles, let them start their role-play at the

same time. After four minutes, clap your hands and ask them to interrupt the role-play.

Ask all observers to give feedback to the person who started the Dialogue:

What went well?

What could be improved?

After this, the members of the small groups change roles. The observer now practices

dialogue skills in a role-play and one of the original role-players becomes the observer. This

way each member of the small group has practiced dialogue skills and received feedback.

As trainers, you move from group to group and also give your feedback to the participants

practicing dialogue skills.


13. Presentation: The steps of the Generation Dialogue (30 minutes)

Use the flip chart with the steps of the Generation Dialogue process for this exercise:

a. Training of facilitator candidates

b. Talks with community leaders

c. Initial Community Consultations

d. Dialogue sessions 1-4 (4 weeks)

e. First Public Meeting

f. Dialogue session 5

g. Follow-up period: Mini-Dialogues

h. Second Public Meeting

i. Follow-up Community Consultations

Explain the successive steps to the facilitator candidates and invite them to ask questions.

Answer them as well as you can, yet also explain that they should not expect to understand

the whole process on the first day. You will look at the different steps in more detail over the

course of this training. Later, those who will work as core facilitator teams will be supervised

and supported at each step throughout their first Generation Dialogue process.

At the end of this exercise, suggest that tonight, before they go to bed, everyone should read

the section “The steps of the Generation Dialogue” on pp. 4-5 in their facilitator manuals.

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14. End-of-the-day exercise (30 minutes)

Ask all facilitator candidates to stand up and to join you at one end of the room. Invite one

volunteer to step forward and say one important thing they learned today. Then invite a

second facilitator candidate to join the first, taking his or her hand, and to also share one

important thing they learned on this first day. Successively, all facilitator candidates and

finally you, as trainers, should join the group holding hands until everyone stands in one big

circle. Thank everyone for their contributions and close the training day.

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Day 2

Goals of the day

At the end of this second day, the facilitator candidates are able to:

1. Give feedback constructively.

2. Conduct preparatory talks with community leaders.

3. Prepare and conduct Community Consultations.

4. Understand the standard elements of Dialogue sessions.

5. Facilitate Dialogue session 1.

Required materials

Flip chart paper and 20 markers

Flip chart with the three principles of constructive feedback

Pin boards with brown paper and pins

Copies of the questionnaires for the first Community Consultations for all trainer candidates

Exercises

1. Opening (5 minutes)

a) Start the day with a song or prayer

b) Welcome the facilitator candidates

c) Give an overview of the objectives of this second day of the training

2. Presentation: How to give feedback (10 minutes)

Giving feedback is an important tool for good communication, for trainings and for Dialogue

sessions. You will use it on several occasions during this workshop and the facilitator

candidates will also use it when they facilitate Generation Dialogues.

Feedback is about letting a person know what effect their behaviour is having on other

people. Feedback can be positive when behaviour is having a positive effect on you, and it

can be more critical when behaviour is having a negative effect on you. Good feedback can

help people to adapt their behaviours in order to have the effect they would like to have on

others.

There are a few principles that can make feedback more effective; these are summarised in

the box below. Explain these principles and display them on the flip chart that you already

prepared in the morning. Keep that flip chart paper fixed to the wall for the whole training so

that you can remind facilitator candidates of it whenever feedback is given during the

workshop.

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Guidelines for constructive feedback

1. Start with something positive

Try to always begin your feedback by stating something positive you observed in the

way the person you are giving your feedback to did the exercise or the role-play.

It is much easier for people to accept feedback on things that did not go so well if they

have first been told about the things that they did very well.

2. Comment on the behaviour you observed – avoid judgements

When you give feedback, comment on a specific behaviour: what you saw and what

you did not see. Such feedback is helpful because the person receiving it will know

how they can improve what they did. Feedback that simply passes judgement and is

not based on specific observations can easily hurt the person who may have tried

their best.

This is an example of feedback based on observations: “The way I saw you greet the

older gentleman showed a lot of respect, because you were bowing your head and

offering him both hands, not just one. But I did not see you ask whether he had time

for you at that moment.”

3. Suggest an alternative behaviour

In addition to stating what you observed and what you were missing, you can also

suggest specific ways in which a behaviour could be further improved. Make sure to

phrase your suggestion politely, for example: “The way you bowed your head and

gave both hands looked very respectful. I wonder whether you could have also asked

the older gentleman if it was a convenient time for a conversation.”

3. Group work and role-plays: How to do the preparatory talks with leaders (50

minutes)

Ask the facilitator candidates why is it important to meet with community leaders to get their

support before a Generation Dialogue process is started. In the discussion which follows,

underline the following points:

1. Community members will feel reassured if they know that their leaders have

approved of this project.

2. If leaders feel that they have not been consulted, they can boycott and undermine the

Generation Dialogue process.

3. Leaders who can be engaged to take part in the project can make a substantive

contribution to its success.

Next, divide the group into two working groups with one trainer joining each group. Ask them

to discuss the following:

In a typical rural community in their region, which leaders (male and female) should

be informed about the Generation Dialogue?

Where, how and by whom could each of these leaders best be approached?

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Which of these leaders could be opposed to the Generation Dialogue and what could

then be done to change his or her mind?

After 15 minutes of discussion, ask the group to choose one of the leaders they discussed

and to role-play a preparatory talk. One of them should play the leader; two others should

play facilitators meeting this leader for a preparatory talk. The other facilitator candidates

should observe whether the leader was approached in a respectful manner and whether the

objectives of the Generation Dialogue were well explained.

After five minutes of role-play, ask the role-players to step out of their roles. Ask the two who

played facilitators how they think their preparatory talk went. After this, ask the observers to

share their feedback, always applying the feedback rules.

To close the exercise, summarise the main points and thank everyone for their contributions.

Then ask everyone to go back to their seats in the big group.

4. Presentation: About Community Consultations (15 minutes)

Now explain what Community Consultations are:

Community Consultations are open discussions that facilitators hold separately with

younger women, older women, younger men and older men.

Each of the four groups (older women, older men, younger women, and younger

men) meets separately, so that no one feels embarrassed to speak his or her mind.

During each Consultation, two facilitators meet with approximately 20 community

members of the same age and the same sex.

They ask them a series of open-ended questions about the relationship between

the younger and the older generations in their community, and about their views

on some traditional practices which might harm women’s health and family

wellbeing.

Then ask the group why they think that Community Consultations are held at the start of the

Generation Dialogue process. Listen to every point the facilitator candidates raise and make

sure that the three following reasons are mentioned:

1. Involving the whole community: The Community Consultations are a way of

involving as many community members as possible in the Generation Dialogue

process. They are also a way of showing that you have not come to preach or teach,

but to listen and learn what men and women, young and old, think about the issues

the Generation Dialogue will address. It is important that everyone who has

something to say on the matter feels that the facilitators are interested in their views

and take them seriously.

2. Learning about main opinions and concerns before you start the Dialogue

sessions: In the Community Consultations with these four groups, you will learn a lot

about people’s particular convictions, hopes and concerns, and also about current

conflicts and tensions between these groups. This will help you to be prepared for

issues that are likely to come up in the Dialogue sessions.

3. Monitoring the changes that the Dialogue process brings about: Community

Consultations are conducted at the beginning and at the end of the Generation

Dialogue process. Comparing the views the groups express at these two points in

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time will show how the Dialogue has influenced intergenerational relationships and

communication, as well as attitudes and practices in the community.

To undertake this comparison, a team of independent researchers will normally observe both

Community Consultations, as well as other steps in the Dialogue process. The information

they collect will be used by the funding agency in a formal evaluation of the Generation

Dialogue.


5. Group work: Understanding and approving the questions for the

Community Consultations (40 minutes)

Before you start this exercise, agree between yourselves, the trainers, who will work on the

first two sections of the discussion guide and who will work on the third and fourth sections. A

copy of the discussion guide is included in Annex 2.

Then start by dividing the facilitator candidates into two groups. Each of you will sit with one

group in a circle at one end of the room.

In your groups, hand out copies of the discussion guide for the initial Community

Consultations.

Explain that this is a suggested discussion guide for Community Consultations in your

communities. However, it may not be not possible to ask certain questions or to use certain

words and it may therefore be necessary to change the wording of the questions. This is

what you want to check with them now.

Invite one of the facilitator candidates in each group to read out the questions one by one.

After each question, check whether the question has been understood. Also check whether

the facilitator candidates think that it is appropriate to ask the question in this way in their

communities. If not, ask for suggestions how it should be changed. Finally, ask how they

would translate this question into the local language.

When both groups have discussed and understood all their questions, come back into a

large circle. Let one member from each group present their adaptations of the questions, if

any, to the large group.

6. Group work: How to facilitate Community Consultations (30 minutes)

Divide the facilitator candidates into two groups. One of the trainers sits with each group and

discusses the following questions with them:

When you facilitate a Community Consultation:

How can you ensure that community members feel comfortable and safe so that they

openly share their views?

How can you make sure that all the questions from the questionnaire are asked

without reading them from the questionnaire in front of the group?

How can you make sure that many different people share their points of view?

How can you deal with a person who is always talking and not giving others the

chance to say what they think?

How can you end a Community Consultation in a kind and respectful manner?

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For every question, let the facilitator candidates come up with their own ideas first. Praise

them for every good idea and then help them to think of important points that they have not

come up with. When you have gone through all the questions (20 minutes), ask all facilitator

candidates to come back into the large circle.

Together with your co-trainer, summarise and note on a flip chart (only the bold sections of)

the following recommendations for facilitating Community Consultations:

a) Welcome the community members warmly.

b) Explain why you have invited them and how you will use what you learn from

them.

c) Ask open-ended questions without reading them from the questionnaire.

d) Appreciate each point of view.

e) Do not judge or interrupt: show respect.

f) Explore different views: When one person has given his/her view, say “This

is one important perspective, thank you for sharing it. Some people in the

community may see this differently. Would somebody like to express a

different point of view?”

g) Encourage shy and quiet participants to also give their views.

h) At the end, thank all community members and tell them that you have

learned a lot from them.

7. Group work: Preparing Community Consultations (30 minutes)

For this exercise, the eight facilitator candidates from the same community (or the same

cluster of three communities) should form a group. One trainer sits with each of the two

groups. In these groups, read the section on “Preparation of the Community Consultations,”

pp. 7-8 of the facilitator manual (disregard points 1 and 2, as these have already been

covered above). Then ask the facilitator candidates to discuss these questions:

Where could they hold the Community Consultation sessions?

Who should be invited to the sessions?

How could they invite them?

At the end of this exercise, the participants should have a realistic plan for the organisation of

Community Consultations in their community.

Explain that, after the lunch break, several of them will have the opportunity to practice

facilitating a Community Consultation in a role-play.


8. Role-play: Practicing Community Consultations (50 minutes)

For each role-play, you need two of the facilitator candidates to act as facilitators, 12 to act

as community members who take part in the Community Consultation, and two to act as

observers. Find volunteers for each of these roles for the first role-play. Agree whether the

first role-play will depict a Community Consultation with members from the older generation

or from the younger generation.

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One trainer should then take the 12 “community members” to the side of the room and

prepare them for this role-play – and for a second one which will follow directly after the first.

Find two volunteers from this group who agree to act in an obnoxious and overbearing way

during the role-play (e.g. talking too much, being very opinionated, and not letting others

express their views) – one for the first role-play and one for the second role-play. Then find

four other volunteers from the group who agree to be extremely quiet, shy, and hesitant to

make eye contact – two for the first role-play and two for the second role-play.

Explain to the two observers that they should monitor closely whether the two facilitators are

following the guidelines for Community Consultation meetings (point them to the flip chart

prepared for Exercise 6 on which these are noted down).

Explain to the two facilitators that their role-play should be in the local language and that they

should use the questions that they developed in the Exercise 5.

Finally, explain that you will at some point interrupt the role-play by clapping your hands.

Ask everyone to start the role-play at the moment at which the community members enter

the room and the facilitators welcome them.

After a few minutes, clap your hands to stop the role-play. First, ask the facilitators how it has

gone so far. Then ask the observers to give feedback, reminding them of the principles of

constructive feedback!

After they give their feedback, ask the observers and facilitators to swap roles. The two who

played observers should now continue to facilitate the same Community Consultation

meeting. The two facilitators should now act as observers. If they wish, they can now role-

play a Community Consultation with members of the other generation (that is, if they started

with the younger generation they can now switch to the older generation, and vice versa).

Repeat the process as above, interrupting after 5-10 minutes, to get feedback.

Finally, thank everyone for their active participation in the exercise.


9. Standard elements of Dialogue sessions (15 minutes)

Review the training programme and point out that over the next three days they will learn

how to facilitate the five Dialogue sessions in their communities. The last exercise of the day

will look at some standard elements that they need to remember for each of these sessions.

Ask them to look at the section “Standard elements of Dialogue sessions,” p. 12 in their

facilitator manuals. Let one facilitator candidate read it out and highlight how you have

already used some of these elements over the last two days. Ask facilitator candidates to be

aware of these elements at the start and end of the day throughout the next three training

days.


As final exercise of the day, do a variation of the exercise you did at the end of the first day.

Again, every facilitator candidate should come forward and share something that they

learned in the course of this second training day. Instead of standing in a circle holding

hands, however, this time they should build a tower of fists. The first facilitator candidate

should kneel down and put their fist upright on the floor in front of them. The next candidate

will place his or her fist on top of the first fist and so it continues until all fists are joined

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together in a tower. Explain that they should take good care about the way they position

themselves around the tower of fists to that they don’t fall and cause the tower to collapse.

Once the tower is complete, thank everyone for their contributions.

Before closing the training day, assign the facilitator candidates homework for the evening.

Tell them to read through Dialogue Session 1 in the facilitator’s manual (p. 14). Explain that

they will recognise all the exercises in this section of the manual, as they are the same ones

they completed on this second training day.

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Day 3

Goals of the day

At the end of this third day, the facilitator candidates have a good understanding of:

1. How to facilitate the second Dialogue session (life-path exercise).

2. How to facilitate the first part of the third Dialogue session (exercises on reasons for

and consequences of traditional practices).

Required materials


Flip chart with objectives of the day

Rolls or large sheets of paper

Optional: Traditional and modern objects (see Annex 3) related to community life in the past

and in the present.

Exercises


a) Start the day with a song or prayer

b) Welcome the facilitator candidates

c) Give an overview of the objectives of this third day of the training

2. Review of Dialogue session 1 (15 minutes)

Ask the facilitator candidates to open their facilitator manuals to page 14 and give them a few

minutes to look the section on Dialogue session 1, “Listening and dialogue skills.”

Point out that over the past two days they have taken part in four different exercises. These

are exactly the same exercises they will facilitate with participants during the first session of

the Generation Dialogue. These exercises are:

- The proverb exercise

- Establishing the ground rules for the Dialogue sessions

- The exercise on listening skills

- The exercise on dialogue skills

Ask for a volunteer to explain how the first exercise, using proverbs, worked. As the

volunteer explains the exercise, check to be sure that they cover all the key steps and

elements. If the volunteer gets stuck, encourage other facilitator candidates to help him or

her by adding additional points. Before moving on to the second exercise, be sure that the

exercise has been explained fully and that the facilitator candidates are clear how it works.

Then ask for three more volunteers to review the other three exercises, one after another, in

the same way. Before ending the exercise, thank the facilitator candidates for their careful

attention to detail and congratulate them on being ready to conduct the first Dialogue

session.

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3. Introducing life-paths (10 minutes)

Begin with all the facilitator candidates in a group, sitting in a circle. Explain that today’s

session will be all about life-paths. Ask whether somebody has an idea what a “life-path”

could mean. Listen to the suggestions of the facilitator candidates and then explain further.

Say that a person’s life-path starts when he or she is born and ends when he or she dies. In

between these two events there are many life stages. The life-path takes the person from

one life stage to the next.

Ask the facilitator candidates to name some life stages they can think of (e.g., childhood,

adolescence, parenthood, old age…).

Once they have named a number of life stages, explain that between two life stages there

are so-called transitions. Often, transitions are marked by celebrations. A good example of

such a transition is a wedding. It marks the transition from single to married life.

Ask the facilitator candidates if they can think of other such transitions (e.g. from being

childless to having one’s first baby, from being a young child to being a school child etc).

Next, ask them if there are life stages or important transitions that are different for men and

for women.

The aim of this introductory discussion is to make everyone aware that there are both life

stages and transitions between life stages. These life stages and transitions are not

necessarily the same for men and women. In the next exercise, when they set up a life-path,

they should keep the idea of life stages and life transitions in mind.

4. Setting up the life-paths of women/men in the past and present (40 minutes)

Before you start this exercise, lay out two pathways of brown paper at the two opposite ends

of the room. One pathway will be used to create the life-path of the older generation and the

other will be used for the life-path of the younger generation.

When this exercise happens in the second Dialogue session in the community, it is clear who

belongs to which generation. In this training of facilitator candidates, those who are age-wise

somewhere in between the “younger” and the “older” generation must decide to which

generation they want to belong. Those who are more familiar with customs and traditions

should join the group that works on the life-path in the past. Those who are more comfortable

with the “modern world” can work on the life-path of the present. Make sure that the two

groups are more or less the same size (not less than six facilitator candidates per group).

In the middle of the room, between the two pathways, put a whole range of traditional and

modern objects (Annex 3) which can help the two groups to illustrate the life-paths of the

older and younger generations and the traditions that accompany and shape them.

Encourage the facilitator candidates to use the objects when preparing the life-paths. They

may also use markers to draw or write on the brown paper at certain points of the life-paths.

One trainer joins each group and helps the group members set up their life-path: from early

childhood to old age for the older generation and from early childhood up to married life for

the younger generation.

As they are working on the life-paths, carefully prompt the facilitator candidates to think about

the following questions:

What role did/does school education play in boys’ and girls’ lives?

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What traditions accompanied/accompany girls’ and boys’ puberty and adolescence?

How old should girls or young women, and boys and young men, be when they get

married and start to have children?

How and where did/do women deliver their babies? (with professional assistance or

not)

How many children is it good to have and how and by whom was/is this decided?

(family planning)

Remind them that they can also use short role-plays, songs or poems to present a life stage

or an important transition.

If the issues of son preference and unsafe childbearing practices are not mentioned, carefully

ask about them and encourage the facilitator candidates to include them on their life-paths.

Support both groups in setting up complete life-paths and then move on to letting them

present them to one another.

5. Presenting the life-path of women/men in the past (45 minutes)

Once both groups have set up their life-paths, the group that has set up the life-path of the

past can start their presentation. The presentation should last no more than 30 minutes.

Suggest that different members of the group present the successive life stages and

transitions and the traditional practices that accompany them.

When they have finished, ask questions to encourage them to share their traditions and

memories:

Which were the best times for men/women on this traditional life-path?

What are they proud of?

What were the hardest challenges?

Encourage the facilitator candidates who prepared the life-path of the present to ask

questions and to give feedback to those who prepared the life-path of the past:

What was new for you as you watched this presentation?

What were you most impressed by?

When all has been presented and all questions have been answered, thank the group for

sharing this valuable knowledge.


6. Presenting the life-paths of women/men in the present (45 minutes)

Now it is the other group’s turn. Invite them to come forward to present their life-path, as they

have lived it so far – and as they envision future life stages and transitions. The presentation

from this group can also include reflections about what is currently difficult for them, and what

is likely to be difficult in their futures. Again, allow a maximum of 30 minutes for their

presentation.

At the end of the presentation, ask the members of the group:

Which are the good times for women/men on this life-path?

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Which are the challenges?

Encourage the members of the other group to ask their questions and give feedback to those

who presented the modern-day life-path:

What was new for you as you watched this presentation?

What were you most impressed by?

When all has been presented and all questions have been asked and answered, thank the

group for their presentation. Tell them that after the lunch break they will compare the two

life-paths.


7. Comparing the two life-paths (30 minutes)

Now mix the groups so that you have two new groups with some facilitator candidates who

worked on the traditional life-path and others who worked on the modern life-path. One

trainer sits with each group. Ask the groups to choose a representative who will present the

results of their discussion to the big group.

Ask the groups to compare the two life-paths and to discuss the most important differences

between them.

1. Which of the customs and traditions on the life-path of the older generation still seem

appropriate and useful and should be appreciated and continued?

2. Which of them appear potentially harmful and should be reconsidered or abandoned?

For the second question, make sure to highlight son preference and unsafe childbearing

practices. It is very important that the facilitator candidates are personally convinced that

something needs to be done about these two practices.

After 15 minutes of discussion, ask a representative from each group to present the result of

the discussion to the big group. You can help them with this presentation. A good way to

provide feedback to the group is to stand in the middle between the two life-paths, reporting

on the differences between them, highlighting both the positive traditions and those that can

be harmful and should be overcome.

8. Group work: Organising objects for the life-path exercise (10 minutes)

Remind the facilitator candidates that the life-path exercise involved the use of traditional and

modern objects to signify life stages and life transitions in the past and present. When they

facilitate the life-path exercise in communities, they are responsible to provide a selection of

such objects for participants to use.

Ask the facilitator candidates if they felt any objects were missing during the life-path

exercise earlier that day. Are there any objects that should be added to the current list

(Annex 3)? Encourage them to be realistic in their selection: any objects on the list should be

easily available in their community.

One trainer should make notes during this discussion and read the final list out loud so that

the facilitator candidates can confirm that the list is both realistic and complete.

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9. Energiser activity

Explain that you would now like to do a little energiser activity with all of them, to recharge

their batteries for the last two exercises of the day.

Ask everyone to stand in a circle. Each of them should make eye contact with another

facilitator candidate in the circle. As soon as they have established eye contact they should

start walking towards and then past one another so that they take each other’s former places

in the circle. As they do this, they have to maintain eye contact until they have reached their

new place in the circle. From the new place in the circle, they should again establish eye

contact with someone else and start exchanging places with them. The important thing is that

everyone needs to take care not to bump into anyone else whilst moving across the circle.

Whoever bumps into another facilitator candidate must leave the game.

As the number of facilitator candidates shrinks, the circle should become smaller and the

remaining candidates should move faster. The trainers can encourage them to speed up if

they don’t move fast enough. Continue the game until only one or two pairs are left in the

game.

10. Group work: The reasons for traditions that can harm women’s health and

family wellbeing (30 minutes)

Explain that you want to take a closer look at two of the traditional practices that were

discussed during the life-path exercise because they can be particularly harmful to women

and families: son preference and unsafe childbearing practices.

Ask the facilitator candidates to form two groups. Each group will discuss one of the two

practices. One trainer will sit with each group. Give each group a stack of cards.

Each group should have a pin board covered with paper. The top of group 1’s pin board

should be labelled ‘Son preference.’ The top of Group 2’s pin board should be labelled

‘Unsafe childbearing practices.’ The paper on each pin board should be divided into two

columns: the first column should be labelled “Reasons” and the second column should

remain blank for now.

In group 1, ask the following:

Why do some parents prefer to have sons over daughters?

Explain that many of them will know such cases. The families will have good reasons for this

preference. Ask facilitator candidates to name all the reasons they can think of for son

preference and to write each reason on a card.

In group 2, ask the following:

Why do some women not receive any health care during their pregnancies and

deliver at home, without assistance by a trained health worker?

Again, let the facilitator candidates name all the reasons they can think of for unattended

pregnancies and deliveries. Write each of these reasons on a card and hang the cards on

the left-hand side of the pin board under the heading ‘Reasons.’

When the facilitator candidates have finished discussing and hanging up their cards, the

trainer with each group should invite them to look at the pin board. Tell them that there are

clearly quite a lot of reasons why families prefer sons (group 1) and why women do not

receive health care during their pregnancies and deliveries (group 2).

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11. Group work: The harmful consequences of son preference and unsafe

childbearing practices (30 minutes)

Explain that you now want to look at the harmful effects which these practices can have. The

facilitator candidates should remain in the same two groups, but this time group 1 will look at

unsafe childbearing practices and group 2 will look at son preference.

As in the previous exercise, one trainer sits with each group and brings along a stack of

cards. The groups will continue to work with the pin boards from the previous exercise. At the

top of the right-hand column on each pin board, write ‘Consequences.’

In group 1, ask:

What are the harmful consequences of unattended pregnancies and deliveries for

women, their babies and whole families?

Conduct the exercise in the same way as the previous one. The group members should

name all the consequences they can think of while the trainers write them down, one

consequence per card. Hang the cards up on the right-hand side of the pin board.

Each time they name a harmful consequence, ask the facilitator candidates if they know of

such a case and let them share the story.

In group 2, ask:

What are the harmful consequences of son preference for women’s health and family

wellbeing?

Let the group members name all consequences they can think of and write them down, one

consequence per card and hang them up on the pin board. Each time that they name a

harmful consequence, ask the participants if they know of such a case and let them share

the story.

At the end of the exercise each group’s pin board should be full. You, the trainers, now point

out that the pin boards show two sides of a situation in which many families are trapped:

there are deeply-held reasons for certain practices, on the one hand, and harmful

consequences, on the other. Say that you will discuss possible ways out of this trap on the

following day.

Ask each group to choose a volunteer who will present the results of this exercise, and the

previous exercise, at the start of the next training day.


Ask everyone to come together at one end of the room. Invite all facilitator candidates to start

walking around in this part of the room and to move from one person to another without

stopping until you clap your hands. At that moment, everyone should turn to the person

standing closest to him or her, so that you have pairs of two facilitator candidates facing one

another. These pairs should now talk for five minutes, exchanging their views about the best

and the weakest part of this training day.

After five minutes, thank everyone for sharing their views.

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Before closing the training day, explain to the facilitator candidates that they have a

homework assignment: They should read and review the section of the facilitator manuals

on Dialogue Session 2 (p. 20) and be prepared to present it the following morning.

Day 4

Goals of the day

At the end of this fourth day, the facilitator candidates have a good understanding of:

1. How to facilitate the third Dialogue session on customs and traditions and their effects

on family health and wellbeing.

2. How to facilitate the fourth Dialogue session, in which the women’s and men’s

Dialogues are joined.

Health worker

Identify a health worker, such as an experienced Lady Health Worker or Lady Health Visitor,

who is well informed about the effects of unattended pregnancies and deliveries, and of

multiple, closely-spaced births on women and families in the community. Invite her to join you

for the first part of the morning session.

Ask the health worker to talk about the effects of unattended pregnancies and deliveries and

of having many children in succession, with only short gaps in between. She should speak

about real cases which she has encountered in the community and explain the

consequences of these for women and families. The health worker should also be willing to

answer questions from the facilitator candidates and to correct any misconceptions they may

have about women’s reproductive health.

Required materials

Paper rolls, cards and markers

Pin boards and pins

Several sheets of brown paper glued together (width: 3 meters)

A ball

Two sets of drawings on laminated A4 sheets of the following four Community Partners (a-d)

and four Dialogue groups (e-h):

a. A local government representative

b. A religious leader

c. A health worker

d. A teacher

e. A young man

f. A young woman

g. An older man

h. An older woman

Exercises


a) Song or prayer

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b) Warm welcome by the trainers

c) Give an overview of the objectives of this fourth day of the training

2. Recap: Facilitating Dialogue Session 2: Life-path exercise (15 minutes)

Remind the facilitator candidates of the homework assignment they were given at the end of

the third training day and ask them to open their facilitator manuals to page 20. Ask for a

volunteer to explain how he or she would facilitate the life-path exercise in the second

Dialogue session, describing each step of the exercise in turn. Check that the facilitator

candidate goes through the elements of the exercise correctly and add or clarify information

as necessary.

Then, ask for a second volunteer to describe how he or she would lead the next exercise:

comparing the two life-paths. Again, listen carefully to make sure that the exercise is

described completely and accurately.

These are some aspects to highlight in the discussion:

In this exercise, the aim is that the two generations listen to one another and show

interest in each other’s presentations.

If the participants can be encouraged to include short role-plays, songs and poems,

the presentation will be more lively and interesting.

The facilitators can be models for the participants and show their interest in both life-

path presentations.

During the life-path presentations, it is important not to pass judgements about the

way things were done in the past or about the way they are done today. This is the

moment to acknowledge how the two generations have lived or live their respective

lives.

When the facilitators compare the two life-paths and identify traditions which the

younger generation does not want to continue, it is a better moment to talk about the

harmful effects these traditional practices.

However, it is also important to highlight positive customs and traditions so that the

older generation feels that their cultural heritage is appreciated and valued.

3. Presentation of reasons and harmful consequences (25 minutes)

A second trainer should now briefly remind the facilitator candidates what they did at the end

of the previous day. Use the two pin boards to review each of the steps of the exercises

where they discussed the reasons for traditional practices and the harmful effects they can

have on the health and wellbeing of women and families.

Ask the volunteer from the first group (identified at the end of the previous training day) to

come to the front of the room and to stand next to the pin board about son preference.

Start with the “Reasons.” Have the volunteer read out, one by one, the cards where the

group members recorded the reasons for son preference. Once the facilitator candidate has

read out all the cards, ask group 2 if they have any questions or would like to add a reason

that the first group has not thought of.

42

Then move on to “Consequences.” Ask the volunteer to read out each of the cards listing the

harmful effects of son preference. Once he or she is finished, ask group 2 if they have any

questions or would like to add a reason that the first group has not thought of.

Then do the same for the group that discussed the reasons for unsafe childbearing practices,

using the second pin board. Start with reasons and then move on to consequences. Allow

group 1 to ask questions or to add reasons or consequences that the second group has not

thought of.

At the end the exercise, thank the facilitator candidates for sharing all they know about the

reasons for and harmful consequences of son preference and unsafe childbearing practices.

4. Learning more from a health worker (20 minutes)

Now invite the health worker to the front of the room. Explain that you have invited her so

that she can talk about the effects of son preference and unsafe childbearing practices which

she encounters in her daily work in the community. In her contribution, the health worker

should refer to the problems which the facilitator candidates have already brought up on their

cards. She can bring them to life by giving real life examples of these problems and she can

also talk about other problems which the facilitator candidates did not mention on their cards.

After 10-15 minutes, invite the facilitator candidates to ask any questions that they may still

have about the effects of the two practices.

When all questions have been answered, thank the health worker for coming to this session.

Ask her to let the facilitator candidates know how they can get in contact with her if they still

have questions or concerns about these or related topics.


5. What communities can do to address son preference and unsafe

childbearing practices (45 minutes)

Now come back to what you already mentioned when both groups prepared their pin boards

the previous day: it seems as if many families are caught in a trap. On the one hand, there

are many reasons for son preference and unsafe childbearing practices. On the other hand,

there are the many harmful effects that these practices can have on women’s lives and on

whole families. In this exercise you want to think about ways to help these families out of this

trap.

Divide the big group once more into the two previous groups, with a trainer joining each

group. For each group, arrange the facilitator candidates’ chairs in a half circle facing the pin

board they filled with cards in the previous exercise. Both groups need a stack of cards,

markers and a set of drawings of the Community Partners.

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Spread the drawings out on the floor in front of the pin board so that all can see them.

Explain that in change processes in other communities, it has been shown that there are

particular groups of people and particular leaders who have important roles to play in order to

make change happen. These groups and leaders are represented by these drawings. They

are referred to as Community Partners, because it is with their help that constructive change

can happen in the community.

First, ask the facilitator candidates if they can think about any other group or leader who

would need to get involved to bring about change in relation to son preference or unsafe

childbearing practices in their communities. If someone proposes an additional group or

leader and the others agree, write a card for this group or leader and place it next to the

drawings on the floor.

Now ask the groups to discuss what exactly each of these groups, or leaders, could do to

help end the practice. Remind them not to forget the reasons for the practice, which they can

see on the pin board in front of them.

Group 1 will discuss:

What exactly could these different groups or people do to help end son preference?

Give the group members enough time to think about each of the groups or leaders and to

come up with some actions. Write each proposed action on a card and place the card next to

the drawing of the group or leader until there are several cards under each drawing.

Group 2 will discuss:

What exactly could these different groups or people do to help end unsafe

childbearing practices?

Make sure to ask them what they would like the health workers to do to encourage women to

have safe, assisted pregnancies and deliveries.

When the groups have come up with all the actions they can think of, turn the pin boards

around, pin the drawings up and then pin all the proposed actions below the respective

drawings.

Who are Community Partners?

Community Partners are people, or groups of people, who can influence whether

traditional practices which can have harmful effects are continued or whether they are

abandoned in a community. They are called Community Partners since it is only with their

help that change can happen.

Community Partners can vary from community to community, but will usually include

representatives of local government, religious institutions, the education system and the

health system.

In addition to the Community Partners, members of the four Dialogue groups – older men,

older women, younger men and younger men – also have a role to play in bringing about

changes in the community.

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6. What to do first about son preference and unsafe childbearing practices (15

minutes)

When all the drawings of the Community Partners, and all the actions proposed for them, are

up on the boards, thank the groups for generating so many good ideas for what could be

done to prevent the harmful effects of son preference and unsafe childbearing practices. Tell

them that it is possible that all of these things could be achieved over the next few years, but

that in any change process it is important to set priorities.

Ask each group to select a small number of actions – no more than two actions per group or

leader – that they believe are very important and can realistically be achieved in the next

three months.

Allow each group up to 15 minutes to discuss and to prioritise their actions, moving the two

prioritised cards up so that they are right below the respective drawing of the group or leader.

The other cards should be moved further down.

When the groups have completed this task, thank them for the important work they have just

completed. On the pin boards they have mapped out a pathway towards overcoming son

preference and unsafe childbearing practices in their communities.

7. Introducing pledges and special requests (10 minutes)

Congratulate the facilitator candidates once more on the way they prioritised the actions for

the different Community Partners. Explain that they will facilitate this same process with

participants in the communities in Dialogue Session 3.

Tell the facilitator candidates that after the fourth Dialogue session there will be a Public

Meeting to which the community as a whole and representatives of the Community Partners

will be invited. At this meeting, the Dialogue participants will share what THEY are prepared

to do to overcome the harmful consequences of son preference and unsafe childbearing

practices. These are their pledges.

But to achieve their objectives, the Dialogue participants will also need the support of the

other groups and the leaders. To get this support, they will put special requests to them.

Pledges and special requests

Pledges and special requests come from the participants’ ideas about what they, as a group,

could contribute towards change in their community, and what they would like other groups

(e.g. the other sex, the other generation, the teachers, or the health workers) to do.

Pledges are about “What we commit to do to make change happen.”

Special requests are about “What we are asking [a specific group] to do so that change can

happen.”

At the Public Meetings which are held after the Dialogue sessions have been completed, the

participants publicly declare their pledges and state their special requests. In this way the

whole community, including its leaders and other important persons, are made aware of what

needs to change and how they can support these changes.

Point to the pin boards with the drawings of the groups and leaders. The priority actions

which the Dialogue participants will have identified in Dialogue session 3 are the basis for

their special requests to the Community Partners (health workers, teachers, religious leaders

45

and local government representatives) and for their pledges – that is, what they themselves

are prepared to do against son preference and unsafe childbearing practices.

8. Presenting priority actions as pledges and as special requests (30 minutes)

The pledges and the special requests that are shared at the Public Meeting need to be

presented clearly and respectfully. In this exercise the facilitator candidates can observe and

practice how to present them to the different groups and leaders.

You, as trainer, now show the facilitator candidates how a pledge could be formulated. To do

this, choose one of the four groups on the pin board which are themselves part of the

Dialogue process, for example the older men. Select one or two of the actions that were

formulated for the older men and phrase them as pledges. In a little role play, present these

pledges to the facilitator candidates as if they were representatives of the community at the

Public Meeting:

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for being here today and for listening to what we would

like to share with you. Following the discussions we had in our Dialogue sessions, we, the

older men, would like to make this pledge: We will talk to our sons to encourage them to take

their pregnant wives to a health facility so that they receive the health care that pregnant

women need! We know how important healthy women are for our sons and their children and

their families, so we will do all we can to ensure that our daughters and daughters-in-law

receive proper health care!”

Next, choose one of the four Community Partners to also show them how to formulate a

special request, for example the school teachers:

“Respected school teachers! You have an important role to play in our community because

you make sure that all our children, boys and girls, get an education. We would like to

request your support in ensuring that particularly our girls can develop their full potential. Can

you please show them how important they are for our community and can you encourage

them to study hard so that they can achieve whatever they want to achieve in their lives. This

is our special request to you: Help us make our girls strong and proud. Thank you for

listening to us.”

After the trainer has finished presenting the special request, ask the facilitator candidates

what they observed. Be sure that they comment upon the three characteristics of a

successful special request and write them on a flip chart:

Address the community or the specific group or leader respectfully and tell them

why, as a group or as a leader, they are important for the community.

Phrase your pledge or your special requests politely.

Thank the group or leader for listening to you.

Now let the facilitator candidates form eight pairs, by counting off to eight. Assign one of the

eight groups on the board to each pair and give them five minutes to prepare their pledge (for

the older men, younger men, older women and younger women) or their special request (to

health workers, religious leaders, teachers and local government representatives). Also tell

them that one of the two of them should then present the pledge or request before the big

group.

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Then let all groups present their pledges and special requests in this way. After each pledge

or request ask for feedback. What did the facilitator candidate do well when presenting the

pledge or request? What could have been better?

Thank everyone for formulating and putting forward these pledges and special requests.

Lunch Break (60 minutes)

9. Introduction to Dialogue session 4 (10 minutes)

Start by reminding the facilitator candidates of the three objectives of the Dialogue process:

Strengthening the relationship between the younger and the older generations in their

community.

Keeping useful customs and traditions alive.

Helping their communities overcome customs and traditions with harmful

consequences for women and families.

Explain that in the community, in Dialogue session 3, they will facilitate all the exercises

which you have been doing with them starting yesterday afternoon up until now:

Looking at the reasons for son preference and unsafe childbearing practices.

Looking at their harmful consequences.

Planning what could be done about them.

Formulating pledges (for actions they can take themselves) and special requests (for

actions that the four Community Partners could take).

At the end of Dialogue session 3, each generational group in their Dialogue will nominate two

speakers who will be responsible for presenting their pledges and special requests, first to

the Dialogue participants of the other sex and then at the Public Meeting.

In Dialogue session 4, you want to come back to the first two objectives: improving the

relationships between the two generations and keeping useful traditions alive. You will do

this in two groups, one representing each generation, where you will formulate some more

pledges and special requests.

11. Group work: What we want to pledge to the other generation (45 minutes)

Divide the facilitator candidates into the two generational groups in which they worked when

they did the life-path exercise. One trainer sits with each group.

Explain that they will do this exercise the same way with the Dialogue participants in

Dialogue session 4. Ask the group which represents the younger generation to discuss the

next two questions as if they were the younger participants in the Generation Dialogue:

What have you learned from the older generation and what do you appreciate about

them?

Which of the customs and traditions they spoke about would you like to keep alive in

your community?

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Ask the group which represents the older generation to discuss these two questions as if

they were the older participants in the Generation Dialogue:

What have you learned from the younger generation and what do you appreciate

about them?

Which of the hopes and visions they spoke about would you like to support in your

community?

On the basis of their discussions, ask both groups to agree what they want to pledge to the

other generation in order to maintain the good relations between them which the Dialogue

sessions have started:

What are you, the younger/older generation, prepared to do to help strengthen good

relations and dialogue between younger and older men/women in your community?

What are you, the younger generation, prepared to do to keep valuable customs and

traditions alive?

What are you, the older generation, prepared to do to support the young generation’s

hopes and visions?

Find a volunteer in each group who is prepared to present his or her generation’s pledges to

the group representing the other generation. Remind the volunteers to think about the way

they present these pledges. Here, too, it is important to address the other group respectfully,

to speak clearly and to phrase the pledge politely.


13. Presentation: How to join the men’s and the women’s Dialogues (30 minutes)

Start by explaining the reason for joining the two Dialogues. Over the past four weeks, both

the women and the men have been working on the same topics in their Dialogue sessions.

The two generations have begun to grow together in this process and this has made them

stronger. Now it is time to bring the women’s and the men’s Dialogues together so that they,

too, can join forces and present their arguments to the community in a strong and convincing

manner.

The joint session between the female and male Dialogue participants should take place in a

room that is large enough to accommodate all of them (48 Dialogue participants and eight

facilitators) and which can be divided by a partition.

Ask all facilitator candidates to open their facilitator manuals to page 30 and take them

through the exercises of Dialogue session 4. Ask one facilitator candidate to read the first

and second exercise out loud, then check whether it has been understood and provide

additional explanations if needed. Continue in the same way for all other exercises of

Dialogue Session 4.

14. End-of-the-day-exercise (15 minutes)

Ask the facilitator candidates to stand with you in a large circle. Have a ball with you. Ask

who would like to begin with a brief feedback on today’s training day and explain that the

feedback should not be longer than one statement. Throw the ball to that person and ask him

or her to throw it to the next person when they have finished, continuing in this way until

everyone has had their say. Thank everyone and close the training day.

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Note for trainers:

In the evening of this fourth day, prepare your assessment of each of the participating

facilitator candidates on the basis of the assessment form for facilitator candidates in Annex

4.

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Day 5

Goals of the day

At the end of this fifth day, the facilitator candidates understand:

1. The aims of the Public Meeting and how to organise it.

2. The aims of the follow-up period and Mini-Dialogues and how to organise them.

3. Their tasks and responsibilities as supervisors during the follow-up period.

4. How to organise the second Public Meeting and the Community Consultations.

5. How to monitor Dialogue sessions and the follow-up period.

Required materials


Flip chart with steps of the Generation Dialogue process

Flip chart on supervision in the follow-up period

Flip charts with the dates for the next steps

Copies of monitoring sheets for Dialogue sessions and follow-up supervision meetings

Exercises


a. Song or prayer

b. Warm welcome by the trainers

c. Give an overview of the objectives of this fifth day of the training

2. Review of the Generation Dialogue process up to the first Public Meeting (10

minutes)

With the help of the flip chart where the steps of the Generation Dialogue process are listed,

review with the facilitator candidates what you have covered over the past few days: the

preparatory talks with the community leaders, the initial Community Consultations and

Dialogue sessions 1-4. Remind the participants that in the fourth Dialogue session, which

was covered in yesterday’s training session, the female and male participants of the

Generation Dialogues are brought together. They jointly agree what they want to pledge and

which special requests they want to put to the different Community Partners, who should play

a role in overcoming the harmful effects associated with son preference and unsafe

childbearing practices.

After the fourth Dialogue session, the Generation Dialogue process continues with the

following steps:

The first Public Meeting

The fifth Dialogue session

The follow-up period with Mini-Dialogues

The second Public Meeting

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The second Community Consultations

By the end of this fifth and final training day, the facilitator candidates will understand each of

these steps and know what their roles and responsibilities are in relation to each of them. In

the next exercise, you will start with the first Public Meeting.

3. Explain the reasons for the Public Meetings (10 minutes)

Explain that the main aim of the Public Meeting is to share the spirit and the results of the

Dialogue sessions with the whole community in order to motivate as many community

members as possible to support the proposals for positive change that the Generation

Dialogue participants present to them.

The community as a whole, including its leaders, are invited to the Meeting to be informed

about the Dialogue process that has been going on in their midst. They see how the

participants, who are now known as Dialogue Champions, have overcome the silence and

lack of interest and respect between the generations. They hear what these Dialogue

Champions are committed to doing in order to improve the way younger and older people in

their community get on, respect and talk with one another. They also learn what the Dialogue

Champions are prepared to do to find ways of respecting the community’s traditions while

overcoming the harmful effects associated with son preference and unsafe childbearing

practices.

Representatives of the Community Partners that were discussed in the third and fourth

Dialogue sessions are also invited to this meeting so that they can hear the special requests

that the Dialogue Champions put to them. If they wish, they can publicly respond to them

right there at the meeting.

At the end of the meeting, it is announced that over the next three months, the Dialogue

Champions will continue their Dialogue activities in the community and that everyone is

invited to join in.

It is also announced that there will be a second Public Meeting in three months’ time to

review the developments that have taken place in the meantime.

At the end of this presentation, ask the facilitator candidates whether they have any

questions about the reasons for and context of the Public Meeting.

4. Group work: Agreeing on a time and place for the meeting and whom to invite

(25 minutes)

Divide the facilitator candidates into two groups, so that those who come from the same

community are in the same group. A trainer sits with each of the two groups. Ask the groups

to appoint someone who will present the results of their discussion to the big group. Then

discuss:

The venue and how to prepare it (a suitable venue will be proposed by the trainers,

but the facilitator candidates need to agree how the room should be set up and

decorated to serve the Public Meeting’s purpose).

On which day of the week and at what time the Public Meeting should best be held (it

is important to find a time at which both younger and older members of the

community are available to attend).

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Who should be invited as representatives of the different community groups and

leaders (it is important to think of actual people here, with names and positions, and

to calculate numbers, including the 48 Dialogue Champions, the eight facilitators and

the two trainers).

After 20 minutes of group discussion, let the representatives of each group present their

results.

5. Jointly reading and discussing: The programme of the first Public Meeting (10

minutes)

Ask the facilitator candidates to open their manuals to page 40 and to read with you through

the section “What should happen at the Public Meetings.” Then discuss with the big group:

Which other activities (e.g. music, poems, role-plays, poetry recitals) could be added

to the programme of the meeting to make it attractive for the community to attend?

Thank the facilitator candidates for their ideas and ask them to remember these for the

Public Meetings that they will have to organise in their communities in about two months.

6. Presentation on Mini-Dialogues (10 minutes)

Explain that during the three-month follow-up period, the Dialogue Champions should try to

maintain and spread the spirit of dialogue in their community. Alone or in pairs of one

younger and one older participant, they should visit households, schools, mosques, youth

clubs, women’s and men’s clubs, and private homes in order to involve more and more

community members in the Dialogue process. The settings which are chosen should be

culturally appropriate and may be different for men and women.

In these meetings, they should start discussions about:

The importance of relationships between the younger and the older people in this

community, how they listen to one another, and their experience of entering into

dialogue with members of the other generation.

The importance of customs and traditions: which of them still seem useful and which

of them can have harmful consequences.

The reasons and the harmful consequences of son preference and unsafe

childbearing practices.

The specific pledges and special requests that were made at the Public Meeting.

These conversations are called Mini-Dialogues.

All participants of the Dialogue sessions should hold at least one mini-dialogue per week.

When they meet a group of community members for the first time, the main aim is to interest

the family in the Dialogue process and to establish trust. It is not a good moment to start

talking about more sensitive topics like son preference. Once trust has been established, the

facilitators can meet the same group again and then perhaps start to speak about this issue.

Generally, it is a good idea to start Mini-Dialogues on the topic of the relationships and

mutual listening between younger and older members of the community and the positive

experiences that the Dialogue Champions themselves have had in this respect.

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7. Role-play by the trainers: Demonstrating an initial Mini-Dialogue (15 minutes)

Explain that you will now show them how to conduct a first Mini-Dialogue with one family.

As trainers, you will play a younger and an older Dialogue Champion who jointly visit the

household of the younger Dialogue Champion in a rural community. Use some chairs to set

up a typical family scene in a rural compound and ask two or three participants to join you in

the role-play, taking the following roles:

Elder female member of the family, such as a mother-in-law or grandmother-in-law

Younger female member of the family, such as a sister-in-law or daughter-in-law

Ask all other facilitator candidates to follow the Mini-Dialogue as observers. Then start the

role-play:

a. Introduce yourselves as participants of the Generation Dialogue initiative.

b. Ask everyone how they are today in order to create a good atmosphere before you

start to talk about the topics of the Generation Dialogue.

c. Explain that many people in this community said in the Community Consultations that

there should be more respect and listening between younger and older people. Both

younger and older people often feel that they are not listened to by members of the

other generation. How do they see this? In their families, do the younger and the

older people listen to each other?

d. Share your own experience of spending time and engaging in discussions with the

other generation over the course of the Dialogue sessions. Also, tell them about the

pledges and the special requests that were made at the Public Meeting for more

respect and listening between the generations. What do they think about these

pledges and requests? Is this something they can do in this family?

After some discussion with the household members, interrupt the role-play. Ask the

observers what they saw you do. These three steps are important to point out:

1. Introductions and friendly ‘warm-up conversation.’

2. Asking what family members think about the fact that both generations often feel that

the other generation is not listening to them.

3. Sharing their own experience of discussing with and listening to the other generation

and sharing the pledges and special requests that were made at the Public Meeting.


8. Practicing initial Mini-Dialogues (40 minutes)

Now ask two facilitator candidates to conduct a Mini-Dialogue in which they demonstrate the

three steps you pointed out to them before the tea break. Ask two or three other facilitator

candidates to role-play the family members in the house they have come to visit.

After 5-7 minutes, interrupt the role-play and let the facilitator candidates give their feedback

(observing the guidelines for constructive feedback.)

Be sure that all facilitator candidates have understood the three steps of an initial Mini-

Dialogue.

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9. Presenting and practicing follow-up Mini-Dialogues (30 minutes)

Now explain that after such a first Mini-Dialogue, when a good contact has been established

with the members of the household, the same two Dialogue Champions can come back to

engage them in a discussion of the tradition of son preference, or the tradition of unsafe

childbearing practises, and of the harmful effects that these can have on family welfare and

on women’s health.

You, the trainers, now show such a follow-up Mini Dialogue about son preference with the

same facilitator candidates role-playing the members of the household. In the role-play be

sure to show the following three steps:

1. Introductions and friendly ‘warm-up conversation.’

2. Explaining that, during the Dialogue session, one important topic was the tradition of

son preference. What do they think are the reasons for this tradition? What harmful

effects can this tradition have on the health and wellbeing of women and families?

3. Sharing the pledges and requests regarding son preference that were made at the

public meeting and asking what they think about these.

At the end of the role-play, ask two facilitator candidates to also conduct such a follow-up

Mini-Dialogue. Tell them that they can decide if they would like to bring up the issue of son

preference or the issue of unsafe childbearing practices. Allow them a few minutes to agree

how they want to approach the conversation, then start the role-play.

At the end of the role-play, ask the observers for feedback (according to the guidelines for

constructive feedback). Be sure that they discuss the three steps for follow-up Mini-

Dialogues that are outlined above and that everyone has understood these and the

difference between initial and follow-up Mini-Dialogues.

Finally, explain that in Dialogue session 5, they will practice such initial and follow-up Mini

Dialogues with the Dialogue participants, too. Ask them to open their facilitator manuals to

pages 36-37 and show them the Exercises 4 and 5 which cover these topics.


10. Discussion: Supervision meetings in the follow-up period (30 minutes)

Explain that during the three-month follow-up period, the facilitators will meet the Dialogue

Champions once a month to provide supervision and support.

Invite all of them to imagine a first meeting with the 24 Dialogue participants one month after

the final Dialogue session. Most of the Dialogue Champions will have done four Mini-

Dialogues in the meantime. What do they think should happen at the supervision meeting?

Let the facilitator candidates brainstorm some ideas.

The following are important points they should name:

Exchanging views on how the Mini-Dialogues are working: What is going well? What

is difficult?

Providing support and advice on how to deal with difficulties.

Providing praise for the work that has been done.

Monitoring the work that has been done (checking the record books and filling in the

supervision record sheet).

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Planning the Dialogue Champions’ activities for the next month.

Once all these points have been addressed, present a possible programme for such a

supervision meeting and note the bold words below on a flip chart:

1. Welcome: Warmly welcome all Dialogue Champions.

2. Four groups: Divide the large group into four smaller groups of both generations, so

that each facilitator candidate sits in a circle with three younger and three older

participants.

3. Number and type of Mini-Dialogues: Going around the circle, invite each participant

to briefly report from their record books how many Mini-Dialogues they held and with

whom. Take note of this on your record sheet for supervision meetings (Annex 7).

4. Results and achievements: Next, going around the circle, invite each participant to

report on results and achievements of these Mini-Dialogues and in relation to the

pledges and special requests. Take note of this on your record sheet. Praise them for

their achievements!

5. Difficulties and challenges: Go around the circle a third time, asking what kind of

challenges and difficulties they have encountered. Take note on your record sheet.

Together with the rest of the group, try to find a way forward. Where difficulties are

more serious, say that you will discuss them with the other facilitators during the

break.

6. Support with challenges and difficulties: While the Dialogue Champions take a

ten-minute break, meet with the other three facilitators and jointly discuss the more

difficult challenges and what you want to recommend to the Dialogue Champions who

encountered them. After the break, share what the other facilitators have suggested

as way forward.

7. Planning for the next month: Discuss with your group what they are planning to do

in the coming month. Before closing the supervision session, praise them once more

for their commitment.

8. Completion of record sheets for supervision meeting: After the meeting, one of

the facilitators completes a record sheet for the supervision meeting.

Ask all facilitator candidates to open the facilitator manual to page 43 and ask one volunteer

to read the section on “What to do in the monthly supervision meetings.”

Afterwards, ask if there are any questions and respond to them. Explain that you will present

the monitoring sheets in the next exercise; for the moment the facilitator candidates should

focus on how to do the supervision.

11. Group work: Understanding record sheets for process monitoring (45 minutes)

Ask the facilitator candidates to go to the annex section at the end of their manuals. Point out

that there are specific record sheets for the documentation of the successive steps of the

Generation Dialogue process, i.e. for Dialogue sessions (Annex 5), Public Meetings (Annex

6), and for the supervision meetings in the follow-up period (Annex 7).

Divide the facilitator candidates into three working groups. Assign one type of record sheet to

each working group.

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Ask the groups to jointly read their record sheet and to discuss amongst themselves whether

it is clear:

What information needs to be recorded.

When and by whom it should be filled in.

To whom it should then be submitted (see front page of each record sheet).

Invite them to ask you for help if they are not sure about any part of the record sheet.

Move between the working groups and make sure that they have all understood their

respective sheets.

After 10-15 minutes, or when all groups appear to have gone through their record sheets,

ask them to explain their record sheet to the rest of the group.

Allow some time for questions and answers regarding the record sheets.

12. Next steps and dates (5 minutes)

On a flip chart, note the dates for the next steps in the Generation Dialogue process:

The preparatory talks with community leaders

The initial Community Consultations

The first Dialogue session

Ask all facilitator candidates to note these down. Also explain when and where the individual

assessments will take place at which the core facilitator teams and the back-up facilitators

will be appointed.

13. Summary and final feedback round (45 minutes)

Explain that you have now come to the end of the theoretical part of the training for facilitator

candidates. It has been an intense week with many interesting discussions and useful

contributions from all of them. Review one last time the many different things the facilitator

candidates learned over the course of the week (use the flipchart with the programme

presented on day 1).

Ask all of them to contribute to a last round of feedback: At the end of this week, what would

they like to share with the trainers and with the other facilitator candidates?

As trainers, you have the last word in the feedback round. Thank everybody for their hard

work and their commitment to the development of their communities.

Before ending the session, give each facilitator candidate a copy of an evaluation form

(Annex 8) and request that they complete the form before leaving. As trainers, you are

responsible to ensure that all forms are completed and turned in. The forms should then be

submitted to the Project Coordinator at the implementing organisation.

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Assessment of facilitator candidates and selection of core teams

The selection of the four male facilitator candidates and the four female facilitator candidates

who will form the two core facilitator teams, and the two facilitators who will be back-up

facilitators in each community, should happen after the five-day facilitator training workshop.

A representative of the implementing organisation and the trainer should meet individually,

for about 20 minutes, with each candidate and present their assessment of the candidate’s

skills and capacities. At this time they also tell each candidate whether he or she will be in

the core team, a back-up facilitator or neither of the two for the time being.

This can happen directly at the end of the fifth training day or at a later date, according to

everyone’s availability. If it happens directly after the training, the trainer needs to have

already filled in the assessment forms (Annex 4) on the evening of the fourth training day and

to have discussed his or her impressions with the representative of the implementing

organisation.

In the assessment session, the trainer can start by asking the facilitator candidate to suggest

the score that they would give themselves for the skill or capacity in question and then share

his or her own assessment. Comparing the candidate’s assessment with the trainer’s

assessment will allow the trainer and the representative of the implementing organisation to

find out how realistic the candidate is in his or her self-assessment and how open he or she

is to constructive criticism.

On the assessment form, every skill or capacity should be given a score that indicates the

extent to which it was shown:

0 = never shown

1 = rarely shown

2 = sometimes shown

3 = often shown

4 = consistently shown

The skills and capacities to be scored are:

1. Understands concepts and exercises quickly

2. Takes responsibility and leads in group work

3. Is respected and listened to by other facilitator candidates

4. Listens to other facilitator candidates

5. Is able to facilitate group discussions

6. Ensures that everyone in the group is heard

7. Supports others

8. Speaks to the big group in a loud and clear voice

9. Is able to explain the Dialogue approach, its methods and principles

10. Is able to listen actively and to teach others how to do so

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11. Shows good dialogue skills and can teach them to others

12. Relates respectfully and appreciatively to the other generation

13. Is committed to implementing Generation Dialogues

14. Is available for the implementation of Generation Dialogues

15. Listens to feedback and learns from it

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Standard elements of Dialogue sessions

As you guide and supervise facilitator teams who conduct Dialogue sessions for the first

time, make sure that they remember and implement the following standard elements.

Who facilitates the Dialogue sessions?

Four Generation Dialogue facilitators are required to facilitate a Dialogue session. A trainer

supervises them during each Dialogue session when they implement their first Generation

Dialogue. Facilitators who have successfully conducted all Dialogue sessions under

supervision can conduct Dialogue sessions independently, i.e. with periodic supervision only,

in further communities.

If one of the facilitators has another urgent commitment or is sick, one of the two back-up

facilitators can step in and replace him or her.

What needs to be prepared before every Dialogue session?

On the day of the Dialogue session, 45 minutes before the participants arrive, facilitator

teams should:

Make sure that all materials needed for the session and copies of the session record

sheet (Annex 5) are prepared and ready.

Make sure that the room is tidy and clean. Organise cushions, chairs or charpois on

which participants can sit comfortably.

Arrange for lunch to be prepared and served for participants.

Read the goal and the description of the session in the trainer’s manual and go

through all the exercises in the manual to make sure that the members of the

facilitation team remember how to facilitate them.

Agree who will take the lead for which exercise and what the other three facilitators

will do to support him or her.

Agree who will take notes on the Generation Dialogue session record sheet.

What are the standard elements of every Dialogue session?

At the start of the session, facilitator candidates should:

Warmly welcome the participants as they enter the room.

If participants bring “guests’, kindly explain to them that only the selected Dialogue

participants can take part in these sessions and make sure that the guests leave

again.

When all have arrived, start the session with a song or a prayer.

In all but the first Generation Dialogue session, ask one or two participants to give a

short summary of what happened in the previous session. Make sure to ask a

different participant each time.

Check feedback from the community: After the weekly sessions, the participants

should share what they heard and did with their families and friends. In all but the first

Generation Dialogue session, ask the participants whether they have shared last

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week’s discussions with their families and friends in the community and what these

people have said to them. Did any of them have some new ideas? Or some strong

reactions?

At the end of each session, facilitator candidates should:

Ask the participants to give their evaluation of the session:

o If there is enough time left, ask all participants to say one thing they learned in

this session, with the first participant standing up and saying something, the

next one joining him/her and holding his/her hand, and so on until they all

stand in one circle holding hands.

o After sessions that were especially long, simply ask two volunteers from each

generation to say what they thought was the most interesting thing they

learned in this session.

o As another variation, ask one younger participant to ask two or three older

participants for their feedback on the day, and one older participant to

interview two or three younger participants in the same way. The young

participant and the older participant who did the “interviews” should then stand

in front of the group and present what they just found out from the other

generation.

Before the participants leave, remind them to tell other community members about

the Generation Dialogue session and to get their views on the issues that were

discussed.

When the participants have left, sit down together with the other facilitators and

evaluate each exercise of the session. The member of the team acting as M&E

facilitator should fill in the Generation Dialogue session record sheet.

Tidy up the room and collect and pack up all the things you will need again in next

week’s session.

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Why and how to conduct Public Meetings

Why are the Public Meetings held?

The aim of the first Public Meeting is to share the spirit and the results of the Dialogue

sessions with the whole community, and to motivate as many individuals as possible to

support their goals.

At this meeting, the Dialogue participants act as role models for the other community

members. They show them that it is not only possible, but also rewarding for both

generations to enter into dialogue and to work jointly on the challenges they face.

The Public Meeting is also the moment to present pledges and special requests to the

community at large and to Community Partners with a specific responsibility, such as local

authorities, religious leaders, teachers and health workers. The more people hear the

pledges and special requests, the more they will follow whether these are put into practice,

and the more likely they will be to attend the second Public Meeting.

Both the first and the second Public Meeting should not last longer than two hours. They

should be scheduled at a time and place that will allow as many community members as

possible to attend. The Public Meetings can be held in the same place as session 4 of the

Dialogue process, when the male and female participants were all together in a large room

with a partition.

Who should be invited to the Public Meetings

1. The community at large, including both sexes and all generations.

2. Representatives of the local government, religious leaders, teachers and school

directors, and representatives of the health services.

3. Representatives of youth groups, women’s and men’s associations.

4. Respected elders.

What should happen at the Public Meetings

The first Public Meeting

A local government official who supports the Generation Dialogue and a representative of the

implementing organisation can welcome everyone and present the objectives of the Meeting:

Sharing what the participants learned from each other in the Dialogue sessions.

Through their Dialogue, the participants learned to appreciate many of their

communities’ customs and traditions, but they also agreed that some of these

traditions should be adapted to today’s world.

Presenting what the younger and the older participants commit themselves to doing

differently as a consequence of the Generation Dialogue process.

Presenting how they believe others could contribute to positive changes in the

community.

Following this opening, the speakers nominated by the Dialogue participants present what

they learned from each other and how they want to continue this constructive dialogue

process:

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1. What we learned from the other generation

2. Older generation: How we want to support the younger generation’s hopes and

visions

3. Younger generation: How we want to keep important traditions alive

4. Both generations: What we pledge to do to maintain the constructive dialogue with

the other generation

Next, the speakers present the pledges and special requests related to son preference. One

speaker from each Dialogue group should present:

5. What they pledge to do to help overcome the harmful consequences of son

preference

Between them, the speakers should also present:

6. What they are asking the four Community Partners to do so that the harmful

consequences of son preference can be overcome

Finally, the speakers present the pledges and special requests related to unsafe childbearing

practices. One speaker from each Dialogue group should present:

7. What they pledge to do to help overcome the harmful consequences of unsafe

childbearing practices

To end the presentation, the speakers should also present:

8. What they are asking the four Community Partners to do so that the harmful

consequences of unsafe childbearing practices can be overcome.

To make the presentation more lively and colourful, the following can be included:

Suitable proverbs and poems

Short role-plays

Local music and songs

Representatives of local government, mosques, health services and schools to whom the

participants made requests can be invited to respond to these right there at the meeting.

Towards the end of the meeting, a representative of the implementing organisation can

remind everyone of the shared vision of positive change to which all of them can contribute

and also remind them that:

They have a good chance to achieve this change in the coming three months.

The Dialogue participants will be in contact with them during this time.

There will be a second Public Meeting in a few months so that they can jointly assess

whether the pledges and special requests have been put into practice.

After the meeting, one of the facilitators should fill in the record sheet for Public Meetings

(Annex 6), noting down, amongst other points, which Community Partners attended and how

they responded to the requests.

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The second Public Meeting

The second Public Meeting is ideally held in the same place at the same time of day. The

same people should be invited to attend.

Representatives of the different Community Partners (e.g. local government, health services,

schools) can be invited beforehand to speak at the meeting, so that they can report on how

they have responded to what was asked of them at the first Public Meeting.

The Dialogue Champions should report on the changes and positive developments that they

have seen in the community over the past three months. They can talk about conversations

they had with families and they can report on actions taken by leaders and community

members.

They should also present how they have done the things they pledged to do at the first Public

Meeting.

At the end of the Meeting, the Dialogue Champions and motivated leaders can announce

any new initiatives that have emerged from the Generation Dialogue process, and invite

community members to join these initiatives.

63

Annex 1. The steps of the Generation Dialogue approach as graphics

Graph 1: Starting a Generation Dialogue project: training and first two Dialogues

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Graph 2: Process for 2nd and 3rd Dialogues

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Annex 2. Discussion guides for Community Consultations

Initial Community Consultation

This is a sample discussion guide for initial Community Consultations in a Generation

Dialogue process focused on childbearing and family planning. The sections of the text

marked in yellow are topic-specific and can to be modified for use in Generation Dialogues

focused on other issues.

Introductory remarks

Today we would like to learn from you about the relations between younger and older people

in your community: what works well in these relationships and whether there are issues that

you are concerned about.

We would also like to learn from you about the customs and traditions that your community

values and how these are passed on from generation to generation. We are particularly

interested in customs and traditions related to childbearing and to planning families.

1. Relations and listening between the older and the younger generation

In this community, how do younger and older people get along with one another?

What is good about their relationship?

What are the concerns about their relationships?

In this community, how do younger and older people listen to one another?

Are younger people interested in what older people have to say and do they listen to

them?

Are older people interested in what younger people have to say and do they listen to

them?

(Only for the older generation) Have these relationships changed since you were young?

How?

What would you like to change about the relationships between the younger and the older

generation?

2. Customs and traditions in the lives of young people approaching adulthood

What are the main customs and traditions which play a role in the lives of young people

approaching adulthood?

Why does the community regard these customs and traditions as important?

Do these customs and traditions have any harmful effects on the lives of young women and

men? Which are these?

What could be done to protect young women/young men against these harmful

effects?

67

(Only for the older generation) Have these customs and traditions changed since you were

young? How?

3. Practices related to starting a family and child spacing

What do people in your community think about when newly-married couples should start a

family and have children?

What are your views about these expectations?

What is good about it?

What is problematic about it?

How would you like to change it?

(Only for the older generation) How have expectations changed since you were

young?

In your families, how is it decided that a couple should start having children?

What are your views about this way of planning a family?




(Only for the older generation) How has this changed since you were young?

In your families, how is it decided how much time should pass after a child is born before

women get pregnant again? About when they should stop having children?

What are your views on this way of planning pregnancies?





What is your view on the services that health workers provide to women or couples who wish

to plan when they have children (family planning)?

What is good about them?

What is problematic about them?

4. Practices related to care for women during pregnancy and delivery

In your community, what kind of healthcare do women traditionally receive when they are

pregnant?

What are your views on this kind of healthcare for pregnant women?



68



Where do women deliver their children and who assists these deliveries?

What are your views on this way of delivering babies?





What is your view on the services that health workers provide to women in your community

during their pregnancies, at deliveries and in the weeks after their deliveries?

What is good about them?

What is problematic about them?


In your view, what would need to happen to ensure that more women seek professional

health care during their pregnancy, when they deliver and after they have delivered?

Closing remarks

At the end of the discussion, thank all participants for sharing their views. Explain to them

that these views will be very helpful for the Generation Dialogue sessions that will be held

over the course of the next six weeks. Also explain that you would like to talk to them again

in a few months to find out whether there views about any of these topics have changed.

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Follow-on Community Consultation

This is a sample discussion guide for a follow-on Community Consultation in a Generation

Dialogue process focused on childbearing and family planning. The sections of the text

marked in yellow are topic-specific and can to be modified for use in Generation Dialogues

focused on other issues.

Introductory remarks

Some months ago we gathered together to discuss the relationship between younger and

older people in your community. We also spoke about the customs and traditions that your

community values, particularly in relation to childbearing and family planning, and about the

way these are passed on from generation to generation.

Today we would like to speak to you about these topics again.

1. Relations and listening between the older and the younger generation

In your families, how do you see the relationships between the different generations, specifically between young people and their parents and grandparents?


Are there any aspects that you are concerned about?

Are the younger people listening to the older people?

Are the older people listening to the younger people?

Has anything changed since we last met?

2. Customs and traditions in the lives of young people approaching adulthood

In your community, which customs and traditions play a role in the lives of young people approaching adulthood?

Why do you think that your community regards these customs and traditions as important?

Do these customs and traditions have any harmful effects on the lives of young women and men? Which?

What could be done to protect young women/young men against these harmful effects?

Since we last met, has anything changed in the way people think about or speak about these customs and traditions?

3. Practices related to starting a family and child spacing

What do people in your community think about when newly-married couples should start a

family and have children?

In families in your community, how is it decided that a couple should start having children?

In families in your community, how is it decided how much time should pass after a child is

born before women get pregnant again? When she should stop having children?

What is your view on the services that health workers provide to women or couples who are

interested in family planning?

Since we last met, has anything changed in the way younger and/or older people think about

or speak about family planning?

70

4. Practices related to pregnancy and delivery

In your community, what kind of healthcare do women traditionally receive when they are

pregnant?

Where do women deliver their children and who assists these deliveries?

What is your view on the services that health workers provide to women in your community

during their pregnancies, at deliveries and in the weeks after their deliveries?

In your view, what would need to happen to ensure that more women seek professional

health care during their pregnancy, when they deliver and after they have delivered?

Since we last met, has anything changed in the way women receive services when pregnant,

during delivery, and after giving birth?

5. Perception of Generation Dialogue and its effects

Have you heard about the Generation Dialogue sessions that have taken place in your community? What have you heard about them?

How have the Generation Dialogue sessions and the discussions between the generations affected your community?

If any positive developments are mentioned: How can it be ensured that these positive developments continue?

Closing remarks

At the end of the discussion, thank all participants for sharing their views.

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Annex 3. List of traditional and modern objects

N.B. The following lists of traditional and modern objects were developed as part of a Generation Dialogue in Pakistan. They are highly specific to the cultural context of Pakistan.

The list of traditional and modern objects must be discussed and adapted anew for each

Generation Dialogue process. It is important that, among the traditional and modern objects

selected, there are objects which relate directly or indirectly to the issue being addressed by

the Generation Dialogue. The objects used in the life-path exercise help to structure the

discussion of men’s and women’s lives in the past and the present, including difficulties faced

by men and women at different stages of their lives.

Men’s Dialogue: List of traditional objects

Honey mixed with green tea (ghutti)

Swaddling cloth (ooray) and band (siznee)

Religious amulet

Ring

Kohl (surma)

Traditional sweets

Musical instruments (e.g. dhol)

Colourful wall hanging (decoration for baby boy)

Slingshot

Marbles

Kite with roll of string

Chewing tobacco (gutka)

Handkerchief

Hookah

Oil for hair

Pistol/gun

Fashionable clothes

Sandals

Agricultural tools

Walking stick

Chewing tobacco (naswar)

Turban/cap

White chaddar (sheet)

72

Men’s Dialogue: List of modern objects

Disposable diapers

Vaccination card

Johnson’s baby products (e.g. powder, baby shampoo)

Stuffed animals

Pushchair (stroller)

Ball

Building blocks

School books

Video games

Modern dress: shorts, t-shirt and nice slippers

Kite with roll of string

Mobile phone with headphones

Eyeglasses

Tablet or laptop computer

Cologne

Tight pants, t-shirt and colourful boots

School books and school bag

Sheesha

Cigarettes

Helmet (motorbike)

Women’s Dialogue: List of traditional objects

Herbal medicine/Ghutti

Mustard oil for infant’s body and head

Kohl/Surma

Pacifier (dummy)

Cloth diapers

Homemade dresses

Traditional cradle

Handmade dolls, toys made of clay, marbles

Islamic books

Henna (mehndi)

Black Burqa (Shuttle cork style)

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Paraat (utensil for kneading flour)

Traditional wedding dress and dupatta

Handmade embroidery on clothes and sheets

Paranda (decoration for braided hair)

Walking stick

Silver ring or bangles

Women’s Dialogue: List of modern objects

Disposable diapers

Vaccination card

Johnson’s baby products (e.g. powder, baby shampoo)

Teddy bear

Pushchair (stroller)

Stylish dresses and shoes

School books

School uniform

Chaddar/Hijab

Mobile phone

Modern clothes

High-heeled shoes

Sunglasses

Accessories, including hair accessories

College or university certificates or papers

74

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ow

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1 =

Ra

rely

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ow

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2 =

Som

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es s

ho

wn

3 =

Oft

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4 =

Consis

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Annex 4. Assessment form for facilitator candidates

Name of facilitator candidate:………………………………………………………………………………….

Name of trainer :……..………………………………………………………………………………………….

Date and place:………………………………………………………………………….…………………………

Indicate the extent to which the facilitator candidate demonstrated each of the following capacities

over the course of the training:

0 = never shown

1 = rarely shown

2 = sometimes shown

3 = often shown

4 = consistently shown

Capacities needed to become an effective facilitator:

1. Quickly understands concepts and exercises……….. ……………………………………….

2. Takes responsibility and leads group exercises ……………………………………………….

3. Is respected and listened to by other facilitator candidates……………………………………

4. Listens to other facilitator candidates…………………………………………………………..

5. Is able to facilitate group exercises……………….…………………………………………….

6. Makes sure that all group members are listened to…..……………………………………….

7. Supports others if needed..………………………………………………………………………

8. Speaks loudly and clearly………………………..………………………………………………

9. Is able to explain the Dialogue approach, its background and its principles……………….

10. Shows listening skills and is able to explain and show them to others.......………………

11. Shows dialogue skills and is able to explain and show them to others ……………………

12. Is able to relate positively and respectfully to members of both generations…………….

13. Is committed to promoting dialogue between the generations….…………………………….

14. Is available for the implementation of the Generation Dialogue…..……………………….

15. Listens to feedback and changes behaviour accordingly…………………………………

Trainer’s signature Facilitator candidate’s signature

Annex 5. Record form for Dialogue sessions

Date: Community:

Facilitators’ names: Number of older participants: Number of younger participants: Participants’ sex: Session number:

Feedback from the community: (At the beginning of the session, what did participants tell you about the reactions of their peers and family members when they talked to them about the topics discussed in the previous Dialogue session?)

76

Report on exercises (Only report on the ‘bigger’ exercises. In the second column, note down how participants responded to the exercise and

anything interesting they said. In the third column, note any difficulties you encountered with an exercise and suggestions for changing it to avoid these difficulties in the future.)

Exercise number

How did the participants respond? Did responses differ by participants’ age?

Were there any difficulties with this exercise? If yes, should it be changed, and how?

77

Exercise number

How did the participants respond? Did responses differ by participants’ age?

Were there any difficulties with this exercise? If yes, should it be changed, and how?

78

Other observations:

a) Atmosphere: How was the overall atmosphere and the spirit of the Dialogue session?

b) Conflicts/tensions: Were there any conflicts or tensions between Dialogue participants? If yes, what were they about?

79

c) Positive interactions: Were there any positive interactions or memorable connections formed between Dialogue participants? If yes, what

were these about?

d) Time management: How was the time management? Was there enough time to do all exercises?

Annex 6. Record form for Public Meetings

Date of the meeting

Community

At what time did the meeting

start?

At what time did the meeting end?

How many people attended?

(Of these, how many were

women and how many were

men? How many were older and

how many younger?)

Which authorities and prominent

guests and leaders attended?

Where was the meeting held?

Describe the site and include

photographs

81

What was the programme of the

meeting?

List all pledges and requests and

who made them

82

What did the authorities and

leaders say in response to the

pledges and requests?

How would you describe the

atmosphere and the audience’s

reactions?

Any other observations?

Annex 7. Record form for supervision meeting

Date: Community: No. of supervision meeting: Facilitators: No. of older participants: No. of younger participants: Participants’ sex:

Report on Mini-Dialogues Number of Mini-Dialogues held in households: Positive results of Mini-Dialogues in households:

Difficulties encountered in Mini-Dialogues in households:

84

Report on pledges and special requests: For each Community Partner’s pledge and special request, note down the developments that Dialogue participants have observed.

Community Partner and their pledge or special request

Developments that participants observed

85

Other observations

86

Annex 8. Questionnaire for facilitator candidates: End of facilitator training

Date: Facilitator Candidate’s Sex:

Community:

Thank you for sharing your opinions about the facilitator training. By completing this short

questionnaire, you will help the organisers of the Generation Dialogue to learn about the

strengths and weaknesses of the training and to improve it in the future.

1. Following your participation in the facilitator training for the Generation Dialogue, how

confident are you that you:

Not at all confident

A little confident

Somewhat confident

Confident Very

confident

a) Understand the principles of the Generation Dialogue?

1 2 3 4 5

b) Understand the steps of the Generation Dialogue process?

1 2 3 4 5

c) Can organise and facilitate Community Consultations?

1 2 3 4 5

d) Can facilitate the five Dialogue Sessions?

1 2 3 4 5

e) Can organise and facilitate the Public Meetings?

1 2 3 4 5

f) Can organise and facilitate the supervision meetings?

1 2 3 4 5

2. What aspect(s) of the facilitation training did you find most useful? Why?

87

3. Did you find any aspect of this training workshop difficult or unclear? Please explain.

4. Thinking back to the week, how satisfied are you with each of the following aspects of

the facilitator’s training?

Not at all satisfied

A little satisfied

Somewhat satisfied

Satisfied Very

satisfied

a) The programme for the workshop? 1 2 3 4 5

b) The trainers’ facilitation style? 1 2 3 4 5

c) The facilitator’s manual? 1 2 3 4 5

d) The logistics (organisational aspects) of the workshop?

1 2 3 4 5

e) The venue? 1 2 3 4 5

5. How could the facilitator training be improved in the future?

6. Do you have any other comments you would like to share with the organisers?

Thank you for your time and participation!

88

Bibliography

The following works are cited in this manual:

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Responsibility: Resources for Sustainable Dialogue. London, Sage Publications.

GIZ (2011). Summary Report on Consultant Mission – Mohan Dhamotharan. Sana’a,

Yemen, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit.

GTZ (2004). Les parents et les jeunes dans les familles, parlent-ils de la sexualité ? L’impact

du Dialogue des Générations sur la communication des familles à l’égard de la morale

sexuelle, l’excision et le VIH-SIDA. Rapport de recherche. Eschborn, Deutsche Gesellschaft

für Technische Zusammenarbeit.

GTZ (2009). Impact evaluation report on the Intergenerational Dialogue approach in

Koulikoro, Mopti and Segou regions. Bamako, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische

Zusammenarbeit.

UNDP (2005). Leadership for Results: UNDP's Response to HIV/AIDS: Community Capacity

Enhancement Handbook: The Answer Lies Within. New York, Bureau for Development

Policy, UNDP. At www.undp.org/hiv/docs/prog_guides/cce_handbook.pdf

Welbourn A (1995). Stepping Stones: A training package in HIV/AIDS, communication and

relationship skills. London, Strategies for Hope. At

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