Five Pros, Five Cons

From Peacebuilding

Contents 1 Aim: 2 Time: 3 Participants: 4 Materials: 5 Procedure: 6 Debriefing:

Aim:

To focus participants’ attention on nonviolence and get started on the topic

Time:

30 to 45 minutes

Participants:

Any number

Materials:

• A flip chart and markers for each team

• Paper and pencils for each team

• Masking tape

• Post-it® sticky notes

Procedure:

I) Divide the plenary into teams of 5-6 people.

II) Distribute paper, pencils, a flip chart and markers to each team. The facilitator must prepare the flip charts beforehand, dividing them into two parts by drawing a line down the middle. On the top left, write “Nonviolence - Pros”, and on the top right, “Nonviolence - Cons”.

III) Define the task: “Each team has 10 minutes to write down the five most important points in favour of nonviolence, and the five most important points against nonviolence”.

IV) Start group work and allow ten minutes to complete the task.

V) Stop group work and ask the groups to hang their flip charts on the wall.

VI) Give each participant six Post-it® notes. Tell them they have five minutes to read the lists of Pros and Cons on all the flip charts, and then stick their Post-it® notes on what they believe are the most relevant Pros and Cons (demonstrate to make sure they’ve understood). They can use three Post-it® notes for the Pros and three for the Cons.

VII) Count the Post-it® notes and write up a list with the most important Pros and Cons.

Debriefing:

The basic question here is “Why?” Why do you think that this point is important? Why do you think it is more important than this one?, and so on.