"Wow, to Think That Our Job as Facilitators is to Empower Others!": AVP Update

Facilitators have been trained in 3 cities, and several teams have learned the skills needed to present content and run a Basic or Advanced workshop --- the mechanics and logistics of planning, organizing and setting up a gathering of 12 to 20 people for a three-day workshop.

The Bolivian facilitators and Jens Braun developed a strategy whereby local teams will organize about 10 simultaneous workshops in June in five to eight locations.  Jorge Arauz from Philadelphia Yearly Meeting will be on-hand afterwards for a gathering of all facilitators to evaluate, share, and learn from each other.  There are other requests for workshops between now and June, and Bolivan facilitators will be leading these independent of North American logistical support.

Other feedback has included:

I liked that we actually reached some realistic peaceful resolutions to tough conflicts in our role plays.

The "I Messages" exercise has already been very useful in my life.

I really liked the assertiveness exercises.  I didn't know there was another option to either giving violence or taking it in conflict situations.

I was impressed with how responsibly the facilitators gave feedback to our practice groups.  Usually I am not happy to get criticized.  I liked learning that it is good to make mistakes because they can teach us so much--if we focus on the mistake and not on the person making it.

I have seen that there is another way to live and that there are people in the world living that way, not just talking about it.  I hope PAV spreads all over Latin America.

The days were very long and we really worked very hard.  I am exhausted, but I wish the workshop lasted more days.