Building Content

From Peacebuilding

Content Processing Activity – Building Content

Contents 1 Aims: 2 Time: 3 Participants: 4 Materials: 5 Procedure:

Aims:

• To process content through stories or examples

• To help participants draw lessons from stories or examples

Time:

At least 45 minutes, depending on how you structure the content

Participants:

Any number

Materials:

• Flip chart paper

• Markers

• Handouts with the story/example used

Procedure:

I) Before the workshop, think about the content you are planning to introduce. Come up with a story or example that illustrates the content and draw up questions for reflection and learning. Write it down and print copies for participants.

II) Introduce your story/example to participants and distribute the handout.

III) Get the participants to divide into working groups of 5-6 persons. Give them the task of considering the story/example introduced and answering the questions at the bottom of the handout. In doing so, they should try to draw general lessons from the story (moving from “what actually happened?” to “what generally tends to happen, and why?”).

Example:

Anne, the facilitator, is planning to introduce content on “positional bargaining” and “principled negotiation”. Instead of preparing a lecture, she creates a dialogue between an imaginary customer and shopkeeper for participants to read. The dialogue illustrates typical positional bargaining.

It goes like this:

Sasa (customer): This silver dish is very beautiful. It looks old.

Elma (shopkeeper): Yes indeed, it’s very old. I’m glad you noticed it. It’s one of the best pieces we have.

S.: How old is it?

E.: We reckon it was made at the beginning of the 19th century.

S.: How much does it cost?

E.: Well, sir… it’s a great rarity. I don’t know if we can sell it.

S.: What do you mean? Isn’t this a shop?

E.: Yes, but this is an extremely rare – and I would say unique – artefact.

S.: So how much does it cost?

E.v: Well, if we could sell it (and I’d have to call the owner,) we’d never let it go for less than 2,000 dollars.

S.: 2,000 dollars for a dish? That’s unbelievable! Who do you take me for? One of those rich expatriates working for international organisations?

E.: Sir, as I told you, it’s something very special. I couldn’t consider anything under 2,000 dollars.

S.: If I were to buy it, I wouldn’t give you more than 200 dollars.

E.: Then you won’t buy it. It’s a beautiful antique, as you can see.

S.: Yes, yes… but it’s scratched in a few places, and the silver is tarnished. If it’s as rare and expensive as you say, you don’t seem to take much care of it.

E.: It’s just old. Listen sir, I might consider a serious offer, but 200 dollars is absolutely ridiculous.

S.: OK. I could go up to 500 dollars. That’s the maximum I’ll pay. Not one dollar more.

E.: That’s impossible! This dish is worth thousands of dollars. You could sell it for much more. I won’t accept anything less than 1,800 dollars.

S.: Come on! I know the game you are playing. Here’s 700 dollars, and the deal’s done.

E.: I’m sorry. That’s unrealistic. 1,600 dollars is my final offer. Take it or leave it. And I’m still not sure the owner’s willing to sell the piece. He probably wants to keep it in the shop.

S.: You’re giving me a hard time. I just want to give my wife a beautiful present for her birthday and you carry on asking for these ridiculous prices.

......(and so it goes on)

Anne then gives the participants the following list of questions:

• What’s happening here?

• What might happen?

• What are the main characteristics of this interaction?

• How would you define what Sasa and Elma are doing?

• How effective is this kind of bargaining in achieving a sensible agreement?

• How efficient is it?

• What happens to the relationship between people who negotiate like this?

• What tends to happen in situations like this?

• How would you act differently if you were to play Sasa’s (or Elma’s) role?

• In this kind of interaction, what can be done to maximise the potential for reaching a sensible agreement and improving the relationship between the parties?

IV) After group work, return to the plenary and ask the groups to share their findings. Instead of having each group reporting on all their findings, start by asking the first question in the handout and invite members from all groups to answer. Repeat the procedure with the other questions. Your aim is to help participants draw general lessons from the story/example. At this stage, you can introduce elements of content to encourage discussion amongst the participants.