It was another absolutely beautiful day on the mountain today!
Even after such a long day (and night) yesterday, everyone seems awake and ready to work. We started the day as always with our Opening Circle, which today consisted of the participants' reactions to the Global Village slide (below). It is an eye-opener for most people and it generated a lot of rich conversation here as well.
Following the opening, the first group of the three we created yesterday lead us in an Icebreaker. Today, it was a version of Simon Sez and they did a terrific job of linking it directly to our conversations about leadership.
Next up, our special guest trainer today was Srećko Šekeljić (from ISC Serbia), who will also be with us through the end of the Academy. Today, Srećko was leading discussions about the Basics of Youth Advocacy and Understanding Power in the context of leadership and activism. The group was able to see how some of the things they care about might be turned into campaigns for change; and they did a really great job linking the lecture and theory to the practical aspects of their project work from last night.
After a short break, we came back into a room we had transformed for a quick Team-Building Competition. The idea is to break the full group into two teams and line them up shoulder-to-shoulder and foot-to-foot. Each group must then figure how to move as one block to the center goal line, without ever losing touch with each other's shoulders or feet. This one is really hard and though we had a winner eventually, we also had a lot of visible frustration.
The Debriefing Discussion that followed was very rich with a lot of emphasis on the role of leadership when it comes to giving instructions, motivating a team, and addressing the members of a group who are not as strong as others. This conversation flowed well into the second half of Srećko's workshop.
Also at this point, we were also joined by Suzanne Reed and Armend Bekaj , the Chief and Deputy Chief of Party for ISC in Kosovo, as well as the newest staffer at ISC, Teuta. The participants introduced themselves and shared their favorite moment in the Academy thus far.
Following another terrific lunch, the entire Academy spent a relaxing afternoon in Prevallë, enjoying the views from the beautiful Sharri Mountains. A few hours of relaxing conversation, a little bit of sport, and some hiking, were just what this crew needed.
At the end of the day, I had scheduled one of my favorite training activities: Lifestories. This high-risk activity has a number of intended outcomes, including building a powerful sense of community among training participants. It is always a highlight of a program like the Academy.
Prior to the beginning of the training, we sent this email to all of the students:
Hi Everyone!
As you are packing for your trip to the Kosovo Summer Youth Leadership Acedemy, please take a few moments to think about an object or item that means a great deal to you. It should be something that represents your life story so far. Perhaps it is a photograph of someone close to you who is gone now; or maybe it is a book you read as a child that changed your life. Perhaps it is poem you know by heart or a piece of clothing, or a stuffed toy, or a musical instrument, or a piece of sports equipment . . . It can be anything that tells us more about who you are in the world. We'd like you to bring this object and we will use it in an activity that helps us all get to know each other better. Please bring something that is very important to you.
Thanks and see you at the Academy!
During the activity we work hard to create a safe and sacred space where people can talk about what they brought with them, explaining what it represents about who they are and how they walk in the world. It is always a tremendously powerful experience.
Tonight was no exception.
After three hours of talking and listening, the participants started a lobbying campaign for a later curfew. They worked so hard and after an activity like this one, hanging out and talking together makes a lot of sense. We all headed off to bed about 1am.
