In peace building, reflective practice means that we are constantly testing our theories of change, and making sure that our designs, our implementation plans, and our actions in the field are grounded in the needs, limitations, and complexities of the contexts we are working in. Reflective practice is the process of exploring our actions and thinking patterns, reflecting on the reasons behind our actions, and making changes when necessary. This approach is known as Reflective Practice. Therefore, the creation of simple yet intentional ways to make sure learning and reflection is continually happening is crucial. With such a high volume of work in complicated, dynamic contexts, these volunteers benefit from constant reflection at every stage of the programme. Not only are they deeply involved in programme design and implementation, they also lead their own participatory monitoring and evaluation processes to assess their programmes. This is an issue that GFP volunteers grapple with constantly. Why are “Aha! Moments” so important to peace building? With tight project timelines and often limited funding, peace-building practitioners often find little time to reflect on their work. In our volunteer’s example above, the light bulb was the simple realisation that language differences are an opportunity rather than a hindering barrier! This urged the volunteers to incorporate more creative activities that allow children to use their body language and expressive forms of interacting and collaborating, beyond the limitations of language.
Like a light bulb popping up above your head! An Aha! Moment is often transformative – it is a thought you cannot ignore, but rather feel compelled to act on. It inspires you to shift your attitude towards an issue you are facing or change your approach. Language, to their surprise, was not necessarily a barrier – instead, it was an invitation for students to explore more creative forms of expression.Ī GFP Volunteer discusses experiences with other volunteers from around the world – an Aha! Moment in the making!Īn “Aha! Moment” is a critical moment when an idea or a connection that was not obvious before suddenly becomes crystal clear, changing your understanding of something or introducing a solution to a problem that you had not considered previously. However, they gradually started noticing that the children were spontaneously experimenting with different forms of nonverbal communication. She shared how her team at first thought translation would be crucial to the success of the programme.
She described an “Aha! Moment” for her team while implementing Sport For Peace activities with Macedonian and Albanian children who, while studying in the same school, are taught in different languages, are subject to different curricula, and are never given the opportunity to interact. One of the highlights of the training, which is an annual event at GFP, was when a volunteer from the Republic of Macedonia told a story from her work in Tetovo. But as I listened to our organisation’s volunteers talk about their work in the field during the Generations For Peace’s (GFP) Advanced Training 2017, I realised that this seemingly simple idea of “Aha! Moments” carries a distinctive value for a group of grassroots peace builders trying to bring change and nurture resilience in highly dynamic contexts.
In my line of work with peace-building practitioners and researchers, I have both experienced this myself and witnessed it in others time and time again. We have all heard stories of an epiphany or an eye-opening realisation that had a significant impact on someone’s perspective or their approach to how they do things. It was not as if the concept was new to me. By Aseel Zahran, Outreach Officer at Generations For Peace
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