There are times in life when you do not get what you expected.... You get something better. This is the feeling I've had since the first day of the „Let’s take care of the planet” European Youth Conference. As a facilitator, you start with many fears and uncertainties. You do not know the participants, their expectations and how active they will be. You do not even know how effective you will be, because a facilitation process is always a two ways street: you and the participants. A thorough preparation and optimism can help you shape a positive image of the final results but reality will always add new colours to this image.
In terms of preparation, the team of facilitators benefited from a two days training course during which they got the chance to know each other, learn from the different experiences they each shared, meet experts in the field of sustainable development, try new teaching and learning methods and plan the activities of the conference. In terms of optimism, funny energizers, songs, smiles and hugs brought a naturally positive atmosphere and confidence. In just a few words, the training course for the facilitators was a story of creating a team. A team that gave their best to answer to the participants’ needs and achieve the planned objectives while encouraging everybody to have fun, to work with passion and enthusiasm. A team that went beyond their formal responsibilities, which ignored tiredness and which never forgot to smile.
Now, on the last day of the conference we all agree that it was worth it. The young delegates shared the facilitators’ enthusiasm and positive attitude. They contributed actively to each session and amazed everybody with how competent, well informed and committed they were. They worked every day with the true belief that their opinions, ideas and actions can save the environment and that together they can take care of the planet.
A reflection of one of the participants that will stay with me for a long time is this: “You must be crazy in order to save the environment”. Indeed you must. You must be crazy enough to do things differently than the majority of people, crazy enough to start creating new paths instead of walking on the old ones and ultimately, crazy enough to believe that you have the power to change this world, you in your small town, in your school, in your home.
At the end of this long beautiful road on which we did not walk, but ran together these three days, my only hope is that we, as facilitators, were not the stones in the road that made the young delegates stumble, but the ones that were there to quietly show them the way. I hope they too got more than what they had expected.
Florina PAVEL
APSD-Agenda 21, Romania
Espectacular, realmente, espectacular el texto de Florina. En el se resume toda la esencia y los objetivos de una educación ambiental hacia la sostenibilidad y el éxito de una manera de trabajar. La de la Confint. Felicidades y gracias.// Spectacular, really, spectacular the text of Florina. In summarizing all the essence and goals of environmental education for sustainability and success of a way to work. That of the Confint. Congratulations and thank you.
ReplyDelete