My social tree

Objectives

to express emotions
raise awareness and give information on social issues
and to promote personal and social responsibility

Description

The facilitator asks each participant to draw on a piece of paper a tree with 5 branches. On each branch, the participants note their answers to the following questions:

· What is something that I admire in people around me (family, friends etc.)?

· What is something that people around me (family, friends etc.) do that annoys me?

· What is the most pressing and difficult social problem in my neighbourhood or in the municipality where I live?

· Is there something that people are doing to solve this social problem?

· Is there something that I can do to help address this issue?

Whoever wishes to do so, may present their answers to the circle. Some of the questions that could form part of the discussion are the following:

Did our own or our peers’ answers provoke any feelings in us?
Can we describe those feelings and where they come from?
Are any of the issues that were mentioned as a common concern?
Could we work together and take action to solve or help with the social problems mentioned by the group?
Do the existing initiatives bring social change, and in what ways?
Do we know any other peaceful ways that can bring social change?

Thoughts and ideas are shared in the group.

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