Using Name Tags

From Peacebuilding

Contents 1 Opener - Using Name Tags 2 Aims: 3 Participants: 4 Time: 5 Materials: 6 Procedure: 7 Note: 8 Source:

Opener - Using Name Tags

Aims:

• To help participants get to know each other

• To explore participants’ motivations for attending the training course

Participants:

6 or more

Time:

20-30 minutes

Materials:

• Paper (optional)

• Pencils (optional)

• Name tags, prepared in advance for each participant

Procedure:

I) When participants arrive at the beginning of the training sessions, they should pick up their name tags.

II) Ask participants to secretly look at the backs of other name tags and silently read the name of another participant. Tell participants that this person is their mystery target.

III) Tell them they’re going to conduct five rounds of short interviews with other participants. During the interviews they’ll share information about themselves and explore other people’s motivations for attending the training course. One of the people they talk to during these five rounds must be their mystery target, but they shouldn’t let the other person know that he/she is their target.

IV) Start the interviews. After two minutes blow the whistle and ask participants to move on to the next person. Repeat the procedure for five rounds.

V) After the fifth round, ask one participant to recall the interview with their mystery target, without saying who he/she is. Ask him/her to say out loud his/her motivations for attending the training course, and other information gathered during the interview. Ask the plenary if anyone recognises him/herself in this description. If not, ask the reporter to identify the person. Repeat the procedure with all participants.

VI) At the end, explain that this activity helped everyone get to know each other and start exploring the topic of the training session.

Note:

This exercise allows participants to be relaxed, as they don’t have to report on themselves. It also allows participants to relate to each other on an equal basis, regardless of position.

Source:

Adapted from Design Your Own Games and Activities by Sivasailam (Thiagi) Thiagarajan with Raja Thiagarajan. Copyright © by John Wiley and Sons, Inc.