Pieces of the Truth

From Peacebuilding

Contents 1 Aims: 2 Time: 3 Participants: 4 Materials: 5 Procedure: 6 Debriefing: 7 Note: 8 Source:

Aims:

• To explore one of Gandhi’s key principles for nonviolence

• To provide an opportunity for participants to imagine an issue from different perspectives

Time:

At least 50 minutes

Participants:

At least six participants, or more (see note below)

Materials:

• Index cards

• Markers

Procedure:

I) Introduce the activity with a short presentation: “One of Mohandas K. Gandhi’s key principles is that no one possesses the entire truth. Rather, each of us possesses a piece of the truth and the un-truth. Nonviolent struggle seeks to reveal the pieces of the truth of both parties so that solutions can be constructed that incorporate them. This means that we need to acknowledge the truth of the opponent, even if we don’t agree with it. The following activity will help us explore this principle.”

II) Write this question on a flip chart: What are the most divisive issues in your community? Depending on the composition of the group, you can substitute the word “community” with “nation”, “region” or “world”.

III) Facilitate a brainstorming session and note down participants’ contributions on a flip chart.

IV) Ask participants to choose one issue.

V) Ask participants to identify different actors involved in this issue. Facilitate a brainstorming session and take notes on a flip chart.

Example:

• policy makers

• those who suffer because of the policy

• those who oppose it

• those who benefit from it

• those who openly support it

• bystanders

• those who enforce the policy

• the media

• etc.

VI) Ask participants to choose six actors. Write these on a flip chart.

VII) Ask participants to divide into sub-groups of six people (this number can be adjusted if necessary). Ask each group to choose one person as a secretary. Hand out six index cards and ask the secretary to write one of the six actors on each card using a marker.

VIII) Ask the members of each sub-group to form a circle, pick one card and place it on the floor facing into the circle.

IX) Explain that each person will role-play the person/actor identified on the card for 30 seconds. Allow some time for people to get into their roles.

X) Start role-playing. One person for 30 seconds, then a second person/role for 30 seconds, and so on until all six have played their roles.

XI) When the first round is over, ask everyone in each circle to move one place to the right. Each person now has a new role. Allow some time for people to get into their new roles. Then have everyone play their role.

XII) Continue these rounds until everyone has had a chance to play all the roles. Ask members of the sub-groups to try to reach a solution for the issue at stake.

Debriefing:

The following questions are only suggestions. Omit, supplement and change them as you see fit.

• How do you feel about this activity?

• How did you feel about the other actors before stepping into their shoes? And after that?

• What changed when you could see the issue from different perspectives?

• What were your insights?

• Where does the truth in the issue at stake lie?

• What did you learn?

• How can you apply this learning in your life and in the world?

• How can you see things from other people’s perspectives when in conflict?

• How important is seeing things from other people’s perspectives for solving social and political issues?

Note:

If you have fewer than six participants, you can ask participants to choose fewer actors – as many as the number of participants (step VI of the procedure).

With larger groups the number of actors to be chosen – and consequently groups – can be adjusted accordingly.

Source:

This activity was originally designed by Ken Butigan, from Pace e Bene Nonviolent Service. See http://www.paceebene.org/pace/nvns/essays-on-nonviolence/pieces-of-the-truth-exercise. The idea for this activity is also similar to an exercise called “Six Hats”, originally designed by Edward De Bono.