How can we make decisions that take into account the needs of all? And how can we develop solutions that everyone is satisfied with? In everyday life, we often find it difficult to bring different interests together. This often causes tensions, conflicts and implicit hierarchies in the group.
Seminar for youth activists
The "Betzavta" programme developed by the ADAM-Institut Jerusalem offered a way to deal with diversity and decision-making and to reflect upon one's own behaviour.
BETZAVTA WHAT?
Betzavta is Hebrew and means "together". It is a seminar programme that promotes democracy and tolerance. It focusses on the question: how can we create a togetherness in which everyone has the same rights? In this seminar we explored that question through practical, experiential activities. Especially through different decision-making processes.
The outcomes of the activities were not predetermined. There was no desired procedure to solve conflicts and no "correct" democratic behaviour was taught. Rather, the aim was to open up different points of view and to reflect upon one's own behaviour in a democracy as a way of life. To achieve this, we looked at the group dynamics and the behaviour of the participants in the activities and looked at the socio-political context.
TOPICS
- Diversity of positions and perspectives
- Challenges to democratic behaviour
- Majority-Minority Relations
- Power structures
- Anti-Racism
- Joint (democratic) decision-making
- Negotiation processes
- Transcultural communication
THE SEMINAR
Participants* got to know the Betzavta programme over the course of a weekend in a small group. The focus was on self-awareness. The participants experienced Betzavta from the their own perspective and explored intensively what a democracy is. They got to know different forms of democracy, their basic values and gained an understanding of the associated power relations.
The central issue was joint decision-making. The participants reflected upon majority voting, when these are appropriate and what it means for different groups. Besides they got to know alternative decision-making opportunities.
About the trainers:
Julian is a trainer in diversity, participation and strengths-based pedagogy. He also works on conflicts and common togetherness. Julian is part of the collective Stuhlkreis Revolte and has been working with different groups for over 10 years. More about Julian at www.mitvielfalt.de or on IG @glittervogel.
Dilan has been doing educational work for more than 10 years and has dealt a lot with democracy and diversity in the last years. As a Betzavta trainer she works with different groups and deals with the issues of our time.
