CISV’s Core E d u c a t i o n a l...

CISV InternationalInfo FileSection T

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Approved in principle by the Board ofTrustees ( 9835 )[ Replaces 9814 ]

CISV’s CoreE d u c a t i o n a lContent

CISV InternationalInfo File

Section T - 2Core Educational Content

This edition compiled 10 April andrevised 25 August 1998Replaces ( 9708 and 9814 )

Copyright 1998 CISV International

CISV International,MEA House,Ellison Place,Newcastle upon TyneNE1 8XSEngland

Tel: + [ 44 191 ] 232 4998Fax: + [ 44 191 ] 261 4710E mail: [email protected]

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On 11 August 1946 Dr. Doris Allen sat on a park bench in NewYork City and read the New York Times Magazine article by Dr. Alexander Meiklejohn, “To Teach the World How to Be Free.”The article discussed the formation of UNESCO and specificallyDr. Meiklejohn's proposal for the founding of an institute, alliedto the UN, to unite the politicians and philosophers. He wrote,“. . . it is in this field of adult learning and adult teaching thatthe battle for peaceful world organization will be won or lost.”Dr. Meiklejohn's concept produced a strong reaction in Dr. Allen,who as a child psychologist, took a diametrically opposed viewthat,

“We must start with the children.”

Thus the idea for CISV was born.

Later, writing in 1983, Dr. Allen reiterated her views:“. . . as a psychologist who had specialized in growth anddevelopment, I knew we should invert our perspective and lookat children as potential agents of social change. I knew theextent to which they, when adults, would make decisions basedupon attitudes and emotions learned in their pre - adolescentyears. . . . I knew that the ultimate source for peace, longrange, lay with the children.”

C H I L D R E N ’ S I N T E R N A T I O N A L S U M M E R V I L L A G E SA N I N D E P E N D E N T , N O N - P O L I T I C A L , V O L U N T E E R O R G A N I Z A T I O NP R O M O T I N G P E A C E E D U C A T I O N A N D C R O S S - C U L T U R A L F R I E N D S H I P

Dedication

In compiling this work on CISV’s Core Educational Content, wehave read and referred back to to papers written by Dr. DorisAllen, founder of CISV. Her consultations with fellow membersof the American Psychological Association and funding fromUNESCO facilitated research at the first CISV Village.Educational development and research have remained vital tothe success of CISV. Significantly, Doris Allen’s initial ideasretain their validity, even after fifty years. They remain central toCISV’s educational work and are reflected in this contemporarysummary of CISV’s Core Educational Content.

Doris Allen had the support of internationally respectedpsychologists, anthropologists and educators from severalcountries in her CISV work, but the awareness which shestimulated has been an inspiration to all of the CISVers whohave followed her.

Thank you, Doris!

Jennifer Watson, EDR Chair

CISV Educational Development

Info File Section T: Core EducationalContent is issued as part of the processof Educational Development whichstarted with a wide ranging EDR projectto establish consensus on the goals ofCISV ( Interspectives 1990 ) andcontinued with an external assessmentof CISV’s educational content by Dr.Alvino Fantini, School for InternationalTraining, USA. This current document is arevision of drafts circulated for comment( August 1997 and May 1998 ) and hastaken into account the responsesreceived. It was approved, in principle, atthe International Board Meeting of 1998as a document which brings togetherDoris Allen’s original ideas, the modernconcept of intercultural competence,theories of experiential learning,programme design, ethics andresponsibilities, ideas on qualityassurance, etc., and relates them to thegoals of CISV.

No document of this nature could beexhaustive and it should be clear thatthis is the “Core” from which furthereducational development will necessarilyproceed. The process of educationaldevelopment will be continued throughthe incorporation of the Core EducationalContent into Leadership Training and allrelevant CISV Guides for implementationand practical application.

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Printed and distributed with the partial support of the General Budget of theEuropean Communities. The information contained in this publication does notnecessarily reflect the opinion or the position of the European Commission.

Contents

Statement of Educational Purpose

Part 1:Overview and Introduction

1.1 Understanding CISV’s Statement of Educational Purpose

1.2 The Development of CISVProgrammes

1.2.1 Fifty Years of Growth1.2.2 Educational Basis of the Village

Programme1.2.3 Educational Content of Follow - up

Programmes

Part 2CISV’s Educational Approach

2.1 General Goals of CISV 2.2 Specific Educational Goals2.3 Non Formal Education Processes2.3.1 Experiential Education2.3.2 The Importance of Trained Leadership2.3.3 Role of the Facilitator2.4 Educational Content2.4.1. Multiple Dimensions of Intercultural

Competence 2.4.2 Programme Themes2.4.3 Programme Content 2.4.4 Programme Activities

Part3:Educational ProgrammeConsiderations3.1 Statement Of Ethics: Principles of

Responsibility in CISV3.1.1 Responsibilities to

Participants/ Delegates 3.1.2 Responsibilities to Families3.1.3 Responsibilities to Chapters and NAs3.1.4 Responsibility to CISV International3.1.5 More on Ethical Responsibilities3.2 Working with Diversity3.3 Communication: Three Dimensions3.4 Cultural Expectations3.5 Levels of Tolerance and Conflict

Resolution3.6 Appropriate Use of Educational Play

Activities

Part 4:Planning an Educational Programme

4.1 The Gemstone Cycle4.1.1 Needs Assessment4.1.2 Explicit Educational Assumptions4.1.3 Goals and Objectives4.1.4 Programme Theme(s)4.1.5 Participants and Facilitators4.1.6 Programme Design4.1.7 Training and Orientation4.1.8 Resources4.1.9 Implementation4.1.10 Evaluation & Re - entry4.2 Looking at the Whole

Part 5:Ensuring Quality

5.1 The Importance of Quality in CISV5.2 Difficult Questions Raised by the

Pursuit of Quality 5.3 Assuring Quality 5.4 Questions for Chapters to think about 5.5 The Next Step

References

Part 6:Summary of Educational Processes

Supplementary Material ( supplied independently )

Appendix 1:Programme Descriptions / Structureof CISV / Fact Sheet

Appendix 2:Activity Resources and Databases

Appendix 3: CISV Policies on Selection and Discrimination

Appendix 4:Educational Evaluation Forms

Appendix 5:Workshop Plan for use of CoreEducational Content ( Section T ) in Training

Appendix 6:Further Reading

Appendix 7:Risk Management

Acknowledgements

In this columnthroughout thedocument, key words areidentified by ´, and, insome cases, a referenceor definition is supplied.

Ínfo FileCISV’s handbook of bye - laws, policies and procedures


Section T - 2 (9835) Replaces (9708/9814)

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Statement ofEducationalPurposeCISV’s purpose is to prepare individualsto become active and contributingmembers of a peaceful society. CISVendeavours to stimulate the lifelongdevelopment of amicable relationships,effective communication skills,cooperative abilities, and appropriateleadership towards a just and fair world.

CISV volunteer programmes andactivities are planned to promotepersonal, cultural, intercultural andinternational learning. This enablesindividuals to develop awareness of,and positive attitudes towards others,and the skills and knowledge to live,work and play with them, irrespective ofcultural background. Throughparticipation, individuals come to betterunderstand themselves and their ownculture as well as others and theircultures.

CISV offers opportunities forinterested children, young people,adults and families to explore relevantthemes through independent, shor tterm, non - formal educational activitiesorganized in international, national andlocal contexts. These may beresidential or non - residential settingsand are offered to qualified participantsirrespective of gender, race, religion,ethnicity, political affiliation, socio -economic background, or distinction ofany other kind.

´qualified participants

“CISV is Education – notwelfare.” Allen, 1961, p 14. – seealso Info File Sections, R - 5, Discrimination,andR - 6, Selection ( inAppendix 03 ).

Part 1:Overview and Introduction

This section addresses the educational natureof CISV programmes in terms of both contentand process. After further elaborating on theStatement of Educational Purpose , thefollowing parts explore its implications indesigning and implementing CISV programmes.

1.1 Understanding CISV’s Statement ofEducational Purpose

“CISV’s purpose is to prepare individuals tobecome active and contributing members of apeaceful society.”

This sentence reminds us that we arepreparing qualified participants´ to becomeaware of certain issues and to apply thatawareness both locally and globally. In short,we seek to develop our participants so they willmake positive contributions within the socialcontexts in which they live and work.

CISV endeavours to stimulate the lifelong development of amicable relationships, effective communication skills, cooperative abilities, and appropriate leadership towards a just and fair world.

This involves being able to make and sustainfriendships that are both “broad and deep” ( Allen, 1961, p 12 ). Rather than seekfriendships only with those who are “like” us,we attempt to broaden our range of friendshipsto include those who are also different. Thelatter type of friendship only works if we lookbeneath our apparent differences andappreciate other aspects we share as humanbeings. For this to occur, participants mustlearn to communicate with various people, in avariety of ways, offering the best of themselvesand seeking the best in others. They mustalso be able to work together towards theachievement of common purposes and thesatisfaction of common needs.

CISV volunteer programmes and activities are planned to promote personal, cultural, intercultural and international learning. This enables individuals to develop awareness of and positive attitudes towards others, and theskills and knowledge to live, work and play withthem irrespective of cultural background. Through participation, individuals come to better understand themselves and their own culture as well as others and their cultures.

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Programmes are designed to focus onparticular types of education: personaldevelopment´ education, human relationséducation and intercultural´ education.Although other educational themes may alsobe featured in any particular programme, thefirst three will constitute major areas of work inall programmes.

CISV offers opportunities for interested children, young people, adults and families toexplore relevant themes through independent,short term, non - formal educational activitiesorganised in international, national and local contexts. These may be residential or non - residential´ settings and are offered to qualified participants irrespective of gender, race, religion, ethnicity, political affiliation, socio - economic background, or distinction of any other kind.

This last statement sets out a range of waysfor involvement in CISV – from residentialinternational programmes to ( often ) non -residential Local Work and Junior Branchactivities. It also emphasises CISV’s desire forinclusiveness, expanding on the founder’searlier statement that “CISV is non partisan.Its policy is to work with all peoples withoutreference to race, nationality, religion, politicsand socio - economic level” ( Allen, 1961, p 13- 14 ).

1.2 The Development of CISV Programmes

1.2.1 Fifty Years of Growth

CISV has grown from the original idea of aone month summer Village for children ofeleven years into a complex, multi - strandedorganization´, offering a variety ofprogrammes through which young people candevelop friendships, intercultural understandingand communication abilities, and cooperation /leadership skills. The first Village, held nearCincinnati, Ohio, USA, in 1951, had about 60participants. CISV has grown over the yearsthrough the enthusiasm of these andsubsequent participants. Some 17 years afterthe first Village, CISV celebrated its 100thVillage, and by the mid 1990’s, CISV Chaptershosted about 60 Villages each year. As thenumbers of past Villagers grew, the potentialand perceived need for follow - up programmesand activities became clearer, leading to theestablishment of the first Junior Branch in1957 and Interchange in 1962. Reunion

Camps, originally organized for past Villagers,eventually accepted CISVers who had beenactive in their home Chapters, even if they hadnot been to a Village, and evolved into theSeminar Camp Programme ( 1959 ). SeminarCamps now provide the first residential CISVexperience for a significant proportion ofparticipants. Summer Camps – for those 13 to15 years old – and the shorter InternationalYouth Meetings became more firmly establishedduring the 1990s, providing furtheropportunities for international, intercultural,residential experiences. In 1984 Local Workwas approved as a CISV programme whichwould provide long term and continuouseducational experiences at the local level.

1.2.2 Educational Basis of the Village Programme

The concept of the Village for young peopleof eleven years was based on philosophical,anthropological and psychological ideasadvanced by Dr. Doris Allen, CISVs founder:

. . . as a psychologist who had specialized ingrowth and development, I knew we should invert our perspective and look at childrenas potential agents of social change.I knew the extent to which they, when adults, would make decisions based upon attitudes and emotions learned in pre - adolescent years. . . . I knew that the ultimate source of leadership for peace, long range, lay in the children ( Allen, 1983, p 13 ).

This original concept was furthered by adultsinvited to the 1951 Village in their educationalprogramme of the “Adult Institute,” conductedconcurrently with the children’s Villageprogramme. The Children’s Village was basedon activities which encouraged interaction andcooperation while providing opportunities toshare cultural information through activitiessuch as song, dance, drama and games.Great value was given to hearing the languagesused by other delegates for daily routines,notices, and the translation of instructions.Allen noted the ability of eleven year oldchildren to communicate despite the absenceof a common language and explained how CISVencouraged communication while appreciatingindividuality and diversity.´

´personal development education – developingknowledge of oneself through interaction with others.

´human relations education

íntercultural education

´Residential – group living facilities with overnight accommodation.

´multi stranded organization – an organization with a variety of programmes and points of entry.

Detail of the AdultInstitute is given in W. P.Matthews Jr’s “Here inthis Village,” CISV 1991.

´diversity – differences in race, culture and language.


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CISV was founded to influence the permeability of the boundaries between persons and groups and between psychological systems and the self. CISV offers opportunity for children, youth, and adults to grow in their facility for communication. The eleven year old childrenat their action age before adolescence naturally fall into gesture and other means ofcommunication which defy analysis ( Allen, 1983, p 17 ).

1.2.3 Educational Content of CISV Follow - up Programmes

Expansion from some 60 original participantsin 1951 to about 8,000 annual internationalparticipants ( plus thousands more in LocalWork ) during the mid - 1990s, led inevitably todiversification in the organization of programmecontent.

Activities for past Villagers, now teenagers,were expanded to broaden the range andscope of CISV participation; however, these didnot always necessarily reflect the initialphilosophical and psychological bases for theVillage programme. As programmes increasedin number, a variety of educational themes,activities and methods appropriate to the agegroup and bi - cultural or multi - culturalsituations were developed. Many of theseactivities were compiled into CISV’s ActivityData Base. Research revealed thatparticipants perceived their CISV experiencesto be most related to Intercultural Education,Personal Development Education and HumanRelations Education ( Dickhoff, 1994, p 28 ),happily reinforcing the founder’s original aims:

• development of cross - cultural friendships

• communication among members of differing cultures

• leadership for peace ( i.e., development of leadership / co-operation skills to benefitsociety ).

These aims also correspond closely to thethree dimensions of “InterculturalCompetence,”´ a notion which subsequentlydeveloped from the field of InterculturalCommunication ( see part 2.3, below ).

The need to clarify CISV’s educationalgoals,´ almost 50 years after the foundationof the organization, may be reinforced through apopular story ( adapted from Mager, 1962, p vii ):

One day a young seahorse set out to findhis fortune, taking with him the few coins he

possessed. It was not long before he met ayoung eel who asked where he was going.When the seahorse explained, the eeloffered to sell him a set of flippers so theseahorse could get there more quickly.

A little while later, the seahorse cameupon a sponge, who, also intrigued, asked asimilar question. When the seahorse toldhim, the sponge offered to sell him ascooter so that he could travel twice as fast.The seahorse purchased the scooter andzoomed away.

Finally, the seahorse came upon a sharkwho, again, asked where the seahorse wasgoing. At this, the shark suggested a shortcut which would get him there even faster,pointing to his open mouth. The seahorsethanked him and swam off into the gapingmouth of the shark through a long tunnel,never to be seen again.

The moral of this story reminds us that if wedon’t know where we are headed, we won’tknow when we’ve arrived. We need to be veryclear about our aims to ensure that the resultsobtained are what were planned. Successfuleducational processes are built on makingeducational purposes explicit. We must beclear about what we wish to accomplish beforewe start to design and implement programmes.This section is about clarifying goals anddesigning and implementing qualityprogrammes to achieve them.

Part 2:

CISV’s Educational Approach2.1 General Goals of CISV´

“Peace is possible only as individuals andgroups learn to live as friends with oneanother” ( Allen, 1961, p 12 ).

The goals of Children’s International SummerVillages are:(1) To give individuals opportunity to learn to

live peacefully with many nationalities. CISVseeks to achieve this goal by conducting educational programmes and activities. These programmes and activities are designed to achieve one or more of the following specific goals:

(A) That individuals will make close friendships around the world, that is, that countries will become known to them in terms of close friends rather than as abstract places on a map, or as stereotypes built from ignorance or limited experience.

(B) That individuals will become aware of basic likenesses of all humans, and at the same

éducational goals

´See Info File C - 1, Constitution of International Association of CISV, Article 2, Goals.

Íntercultural Competence – see text and further reading


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time that they will come to know and appreciate differences.

(C) That individuals will acquire an active desire for world peace and a desire to work for it.

(D) That individuals will acquire skills of communication with individuals and with groups, even when many languages are represented and when no common languagee x i s t s .

(E) That individuals will acquire skills of administration and organization.

(F) That individuals will develop personalities that are essentially free from barriers, for example, essentially free from the barrier of prejudice.

(2) To contribute, through research, to a science of international relations.

(3) To cooperate with other groups having similar purposes” ( Constitution, 1996 ).

CISV’s goals have been stated andreconsidered over many years. A surveyconducted in 1988 - 89 revealed that CISVerscontinued to support the organization’s originalgoals. A high degree of consensus wasobtained that reinforced the importance ofCISV principles, programme themes´, andmethods ( Banks, Banks and Dickhoff, 1990, p 15 - 32 ).

2.2 Specific Educational Goals

This segment addresses the specificeducational goals of all programmes. The term“programme” refers to programmes and otherofficial CISV activities. Later segments discusshow to work towards these goals, and programmedescriptions are provided in Appendix 1.

Goals of the Village Programme:

• to help participants to learn to understandand appreciate people of different cultures;

• to provide an experience in activeco - existence´ by creating a model societywhere participants can learn to consider andcooperate with their fellow Villagers invarious activities and practical work; and

• to provide the opportunity to participatecreatively in decision making.

Goals of the Interchange Programme:

• to encourage understanding of persons ofanother culture by living as a family member;

• to incorporate these experiences into thedaily lives of participants and their families;

• to develop individual and group attitudes andactions consistent with the CISV philosophythrough group activities.

Goals of the Seminar Camp Programme:

• to help participants discover and form

opinions about international andintercultural problems by exposing them to their peers from other cultures;

• to help youth examine their own motives,gain insight into their own behaviour and that of others, and appreciate responsibilities involved in group living;

• to teach participants to accept conflict as apart of daily life and give them practice inrecognizing and resolving conflict;

• to foster interest in the world as a whole and develop a sense of responsibility for itspreservation as a basis for human survival;

• to increase participants’ participation inshaping their own lives.

Goals of the Local Work Programme:

• to provide a long term peace educationéxperience at the local level;

• to relate CISV aims to local reality andpersonal attitudes;

• to educate and involve people of all ages;• to involve local citizens who are interested

in implementing the CISV philosophy within their community / family lives;

• to explore more deeply themes initiated in CISV international programmes.

Goals of the Summer Camp Programme:

• to promote understanding of people fromother cultures through participation in aninternational camp;

• to help participants learn the value ofconsideration for and cooperation with theirfellow campers;

• to encourage youth to take initiative towards leadership and programme responsibility;

• to overcome prejudices´, build selfconfidence, and stimulate critical thinking.

Goals of International Youth Meetings:

• to promote continued CISV participation bycreating an environment for educationalactivities´ that respect the special needs of different age groups;

• to encourage local CISV members andparticipating delegates to conduct activitiesthat increase involvement in planningprogramme content, practical organization /administration and leadership skills;

• to further CISV goals by providing an intenseand active schedule tailored to its length;

• to apply educational themes in aregional / international environment as ameans of deepening insights on “real lifeissues” and exchanging ideas with youthfrom other countries.

´peace education – Education is at the heart of any strategy for peace building. It is through education that the broadest possible introduction can be provided to the values, skills and knowledge which form the basis of respect for human rights and democratic principles, the rejection of violence and a spirit oftolerance, understanding and mutual appreciation among individuals, groups and nations.( UNESCO, 1996 ). See also reports on UNESCO International Conferences on Education.

´programme theme – see Part 2.4.2

áctive co - existence – see text

´prejudices – pre - conceived opinion or bias.

éducational activities – see Part 2.4.4 and Appendix 2, Activity Resources and Databases


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Junior Branch

Junior Branch members are active at alllevels of CISV. Whilst Junior Branch is not aprogramme, it has specific educational goals:

• to stimulate awareness in internationalmatters among its members;

• to organize activities designed to give asimilar understanding of its own society;

• to learn about oneself and the globalenvironment;

• to be the link between the different levels of CISV programmes and activities;

• to share work in the national / local CISVorganization;

• to work with like - minded organizations.

2.3 Non Formal Education Processes

We start this segment with some importantassumptions´ which reflect how CISVprogrammes are commonly conducted. Forexample, CISV programmes are normally:

• interactive´• participatory• action oriented• participant - centered• fun• experiential´• sensitive to cultural variation.

We can add to this list other assumptionswhich contribute to achieving CISV’s goals.Our completed list can then help the teamresponsible for planning a programme. Thefinal list of assumptions should prescribe anddescribe the educational processes of aspecific programme. The above list, for

example, suggests a programme that is highlyinteractive, engaging and involving of bothindividuals and groups, values the opinions andideas of the participants, is fun, and utilizes“experiential” activities. If these are oureducational assumptions, we would expect tofind them expressed in how we conduct theprogramme. This is described further in thesegment that follows.

2.3.1 Experiential Education

CISV programmes provide marvelousopportunities for experiential educationalactivities; that is, opportunities to learn fromdirect experience rather than from readingbooks or listening to lectures. What isexperiential education? How does it differ fromconventional educational practice? Thefollowing chart (adapted from Fantini, 1984, p.72) contrasts both, although in some cases,differences may be a question of degree oremphasis:

Note that an experiential approach toactivities involves four phases:

1) Typically, participants are engaged in anexercise or activity such as a game, asimulation´, etc.

2) The activity is followed by reflection, oftenthrough discussion in pairs or small groups.

3) The next phase involves formulatinggeneralizations about the learning which has taken place.

4) Generalizations are then tested in new andfuture experiences in an on-going andcyclical manner through the programme.

ínteractive – see text

éxperiential – see Figure 1

ássumption – understand / accept as being true for purpose of action or discussion. See text at 4.1.2.

´simulation – deliberate construction of a model of a particular process without incurring the cost of a real - life situation ( Barrow and Milburn, 1990 ).

Experiential Education Stresses:

getting involved and doing

learning from other participants andon your own

participant and facilitator share responsibilityfor learning

shared decision - making

learning how to learn

identifying problems and solutions

recognizing importance of participants’experience and knowledge

guiding and assisting in learning on one’s own

understanding learners’ motivation for whatneeds to be learned

applying practical, immediate approaches

Figure 1

Conventional Education Stresses:

watching and listening

teachers have all the answers

teachers are responsible for the learning

teachers make decisions

learning facts and knowledge

memorizing and acquiring information

minimizing learners’ experience and knowledge

telling, prescribing, ordering

reinforcing others’ ideas of what needs to belearned

learning information for future use


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´facilitator – one who provides guidance ( without undue or obvious interference ) during planned activities.

íce breaker – activity designed to break down formality in groups of new participants.

´Gemstone Model – see Part 4

2.3.2 The Importance of Trained Leadership

Programme success depends to a largedegree on the preparation of the staff, despiteprevious background in education or training.Although CISV facilitators´ often representboth areas, a distinction may be madebetween “educators” and “trainers.”Educators, for example, normally have a cleargrasp of educational theory and processes,from start to finish. This includes settingobjectives, programme design, implementation,and evaluation ( see Gemstone Model´,Part 4 ). Traditional educators, however, oftenlack a repertoire of creative activities thatinvolve their students’ hearts and hands inaddition to their minds. Trainers, on the otherhand, may know a variety of activities, games,and exercises - a wonderful “bag of tricks” -but they are sometimes unclear about thetheory behind them. Many CISV volunteers aremore akin to trainers than to educators. Theyhave mastered many exciting and fun activities,but may not be clear about the purposesbehind them. Some tend to repeat activitieslearned in other programmes, even when theymay not be suited to the new situation.Certain activities may even be culturallyoffensive if used in the wrong context. Whenthe purposes behind an activity are wellunderstood, we can better adapt the activity orselect a more appropriate one. The fact thatwe have known and loved a particular activity isnot sufficient reason to insist on its use insubsequent programmes in other contexts.One needs to ask: What am I trying toaccomplish? Is the chosen activity effective forthis purpose? Is it appropriate in this contextand with this age group and these cultures?

2.3.3 Role of the Facilitator

To ensure programme success, staff anddelegation leaders need facilitation skills. Thisis especially true because experiential educationshifts the emphasis from directing and telling toparticipant involvement and doing, guided by thefacilitators. Ideas for planning group sessionsand facilitating group activities usually includethe following ( Fantini, 1984, p 77 - 8 ):

Facilities and Equipment. Plan in advance,making sure that facilities ( lighting, ventilation,seating, bathrooms, etc. ) are adequate. Haveequipment ready and be sure it is functioningand you know how to use it.

Teamwork. Be sure everyone knows eachother. Use “ice breakers”´ to help people getacquainted; allow opportunities for informalexchange, possibly over refreshments orgames.

Choosing Activities. Be sure they areappropriate for the purpose and the group.Remember people learn in different ways andvariations increase across cultures. What maybe appropriate for one group in a particularsituation may not work with a different agegroup or in a different situation. Be sure tohave alternatives ready when participants oractivities don’t work. Activities / methods foradult training will often vary from those usedwith youth!

Delivery. Be clear and concise. Haveparticipants restate instructions to insure theircomprehension. Use visual aids and writtenhandouts, if appropriate.

Equal Participation. Be sure all membersparticipate and keep individuals from dominating.Provide opportunities for passive or silentmembers to contribute. Solicit comments and

Finally, the following “experiential learning cycle” ( K. Lewin in Kolb, 1984, p 21 ) will help inconducting activities in an experiential way:

Concrete experience

Observations andReflection

Application

GeneralizationsFigure 2


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observations from different group members andencourage them to ask each other questions.Affirm their right to have different opinions orperspectives.

Keep on Track. If the subject is compelling,help participants focus on the task. On theother hand, be sensitive to interestingexchanges which evolve and sometimes maybe more interesting to participants than theoriginal topic. Come back to the original topicanother time.

Clarification and Interpretation. Participatepersonally as much as is appropriate Avoidoverly influencing the group. Rephrase - or askothers to rephrase - when useful to clarifypoints made.

Summarize. At breaks or at the end of asession, try to pull together the various partsof the discussion and sum them up. Statewhat progress has been made and where youthink the group is going.

Pacing. Move on when a topic has beenadequately covered. Have an additional activityin reserve. If people are restless, they mayneed a break, or may be tired. When silencesoccur, do they seem comfortable or not? Arepeople bored, uneasy, shy? Ask the groupwhat is going on if there is an uncomfortableair to the session.

Processing. Keep communication open.Encourage a variety of responses to a singlequestion. Ask for individual feedback (e.g.:John, how do you feel about . . . ? ), or groupfeedback ( e.g.: Does anyone have a differentview of this incident? ) Provide suggestions ( Itseems to me that . . . Let’s take a break andcome back for a fresh start ). Avoid givingdefinitive answers. Try ( What do you think?Can someone else suggest . . . ? ).

Thinking as a Group. This can help to definemultiple factors affecting a situation andfinding diverse solutions; for example:

Brainstorming.´ Record suggestions fromgroup members with no restrictions orcomments. Over imaginative ideas may sparkmore practical ones.

Group Technique. Give members 5 - 10minutes to write down individual ideas. Goaround the circle, each reading one idea untilall are shared. A recorder may collect the ideas.

Leader Style and Role. Be aware of your ownverbal and nonverbal communication. Speak clearlyand slowly for members who don’t share yourlanguage. Allow time for interpretation if needed.Remember you serve as a model for the group.

Getting Support. Staff, delegation leaders,and others with appropriate expertise canassist in planning and problem solving.

2.4 Educational Content´

CISV programmes offer an exciting andunique intercultural and internationaleducational experience. Bringing CISVerstogether from various parts of the world into aVillage, Interchange, Seminar Camp, SummerCamp or Youth Meeting, or developing aneffective Local Work / Junior Branchprogramme, offers opportunities to explorecultural similarities and differences. The goalis to make participants “interculturallycompetent;” that is, to develop their ability toparticipate effectively and appropriately withothers from varied linguistic and culturalbackgrounds differing from one’s own.Intercultural competence is a term now widelyused in the field of InterculturalCommunication. It is another way ofexpressing CISV’s Statement of EducationalPurpose. It involves three main dimensions:

1) the ability to establish relationships ( or“friendships” );

2) the ability to communicate with minimal loss or distortion ( similar to CISV’s concernwith communication ); and

3) the ability to work together toward acommon task ( paralleling CISV’s notion ofcooperation as a form of “leadership” ).

Clarity of these goals is the first step indetermining the educational content of aprogramme. Programme content, then, isbased on CISV’s Statement of EducationalPurpose, programme theme(s), the context´ inwhich the programme is conducted, and thespecific delegations and participants involved:

CISV’s Statement of Educational Purpose

Specific Programme Goals

Programme Theme(s)

Context

Delegations & Participants

Programme Content

Figure 3

Éducational Content –see text

ćontext – local situation, facilities,participants and resources – see alsoPart 4.

´Brainstorming – the unrestrained offering of suggestions by participants to generate ideas or solve problems.


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Because the Statement of Educational Purposeapplies to all CISV activities, all programmesshare some common content. Additionalcontent areas, however, are determined by theTheme(s), Context and Delegations /Participants of the specific programme.

2.4.1 Multiple Dimensions of InterculturalCompetence

When determining programme content, asecondary concern is to develop theparticipants’ competence to deal acrosscultures. This involves four areas: developingawareness, fostering positive attitudes,increasing skills and acquiring knowledge.These may be abbreviated as:

A + A S K´

Conventional educational approaches focusprimarily on knowledge ( i.e., learning aboutthings, knowing facts, etc. ). Some may alsoinclude skills ( i.e., learning how to do things,such as learning how to type or use acomputer, carpentry, home economics, etc. ).Intercultural competence, however, alsorequires attention to attitude ( or affect, i.e.,one’s feelings, emotions, and dispositions ),and most of all, awareness. Of these fourdimensions, awareness is at the core – it bothaffects the other three and develops throughthem. Let’s examine this notion further.

Figure 4

Awareness´ involves thinking about the selfand one’s relation to other people andcontexts. It has to do with reflection andintrospection.´ Its importance is cited byeducators throughout the ages in statements

A A+

S

K

like: “An unreflected life is hardly a life worthliving” ( Socrates ); “How shall I talk of the seato the frog if he has never left his pond”? ( Chung Tsu ); “Know thyself” ( The Bible ). Anintercultural experience is provocative preciselybecause in looking outward ( at something newand different ), it causes us to look inward orinside ourselves. This introspection producesawareness, an important dimension of theintercultural educational experience. A changein awareness ( a paradigm shift´ ) isfrequently the result of an interculturalexperience. As we come to know others, welearn about ourselves.

2.4.2 Programme Themes

When the work and activities in a CISVprogramme are planned using a coordinatedtheme, it is easier to set specific educationalobjectives. Different themes will be useful withthe different age groups in CISV programmes,but key considerations in selecting a themeshould include:

• Its relevance to CISV’s Statement of Educational Purpose

• The opportunities it will provide for experiential learning

• The opportunities it will provide for the development of Awareness, Attitudes, Skills and Knowledge

• The interests of the age group involved in theprogramme.

Some suggested themes might be:

• Building Bridges

• Communication

• Dreams for the Future

• Similarities

• Working Together

• You and Me

• Sharing Values

In a programme which lasts three or fourweeks there should be opportunities to explorea variety of educational ideas linked to theselected theme. One model developed withinCISV to help with this exploration is theEducation Circle.

á paradigm shift ( Kuhn, 1962 )– change in a way of thinking about or seeing facts, conceptsor people, which are frequently culturally,generationally, or professionally determined.

Á + ASK – see text

Áwareness – see text

íntrospection – to look into one’s own mind, feeling, etc.


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2.4.3 Programme Content

Selecting one or more areas of the CISVEducation Circle ( de Castro Reis, 1991, p 46 )to develop the content of a programme can behelpful in planning. It is inevitable that therewill be overlap between some of the areas;indeed, this model shows how so many areasare interconnected. Other organizations mayfocus on particular segments of the Circle ( e.g. environmental education, human rightseducation ), but CISVers perceive theirexperiences to be most related to InterculturalEducation, Personal Development Educationand Human Relations Education ( see Part1.2.3 above ). Within CISV we can use topicsfrom all areas of the Circle to develop theseareas, which, in turn, link closely with theoriginal goals of CISV. The CISV Statement ofEducational Purpose, specific programme

goals, the selected programme themes (s), thecontext available ( site and facilities, hostculture, resources available ), and theparticipants themselves all have to be takeninto account when planning appropriateprogramme content. The inter - relationshipsof these factors is explored more thoroughly inPart 4, Planning an Educational Programme;but, we need to keep them in mind along withthe A+ASK dimensions when identifyingprogramme content areas. One way of doingthis is to brainstorm ideas related to thechosen theme which are appropriate to eacharea of A+ASK. These can then be organizedonto the A+ASK model in a way whichemphasizes their links. For example, the basicmodel, Figure 4, might be developed for aprogramme based on an Intercultural Educationtheme, e.g. “Similarities” or “Getting to knowyou” ( see Figure 6 ).

Figure 5 ( See Appendix 2 for full size version )


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ćultural sensitivity – see Info File R - 7, Behaviour and Cultural Sensitivity ( Appendix 3 ).

évaluation – see 4.1.10

AA

S

K

Awareness

of other cultures

of the value of consideration for and cooperation with other participants

of taking initiatives towards leadership and responsibility

of prejudices

of one’s own critical thinking

of one’s own self confidence

of one’s own learning

of global thinking / world view

of ethical considerations

Knowledge

of this CISV programme

of camp terminology/jargon

of information from pre - camp

of one’s own culture

of attributes of other cultures in the programme

of activity participation / facilitation / evaluation´

Attitudeshaving an open mind

behaving flexibly

being culturally sensitive´

showing respect

taking initiative

accepting responsibility

being willing to plan, leadand participate

being willing to include all members of

the group

Skills

listening to and respecting ideas of others

thinking for one’s self

learning from and beingresponsible for one’s

own decisions

responding to the needs of others

Using the A + A S K model as an example

+

Figure 6

When the educational content of theprogramme has been identified in this way,methods of developing content withparticipants can be considered and appropriateactivities selected.

2.4.4 Programme Activities

The previous segment identified programmecontent ( the “what” ) based on anunderstanding of educational purpose,programme theme(s), context and participants.Once content areas are listed, you can begin toidentify, select and sequence actual activities ( the “how” ). Programme activities are variedand include all of the things done from thestart of the programme to the end. Activitiesare items you write into the daily and weeklyschedule. Activities may be very varied innature - welcome speeches, icebreakers,exercises, role plays, games, and so forth. It isimportant, however, that the purpose of eachactivity be clearly understood and designed toaddress programme content ( which in turnaddresses goals ). CISV facilitators often havealready developed a fine repertoire of activities.Others may be borrowed from programmesconducted elsewhere. It is important, however,

to remember that activities be selected andutilized by keeping in mind the followingquestions:

1. Does it promote CISV’s educationalpurposes?

2. Is the activity appropriate for this age groupand all participants ( noting their culturalbackgrounds )?

3. Is it relevant to the programme theme(s)?

4. Which area(s) of A+ASK does it best address?

5. Does it address specific programmecontent?

6. Is the activity appropriate to this phase of the programme’s development?

7. How might / should the activity be modifiedgiven all of the above?

8. Finally, is there another activity bettersuited for the purposes?

Many activities which are useful in CISV havebeen collected together in an electronicdatabase. These have been evolved tocorrespond to areas of the CISV EducationCircle and a variety of other selection criteria.A selection of books and activity ideas fromother sources is given in Appendix 3.


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Part 3:

Educational ProgrammeConsiderations

3.1 Ethics: Principles of Responsibility

This part deals with a fundamental aspect ofinvolvement in CISV activities - the ethics´ ofparticipation in an organization founded on aclear set of values. Essentially, the actions ofeveryone involved ought to be guided by a setof principles which provide a framework forthinking about ethical issues:

Each group has responsibility to the othersFigure 7

For the sake of clarity, ethical implicationsare discussed below in terms ofresponsibilities to participants, families,Chapters and NAs, and to CISV International.

3.1.1. Responsibility to Participants

A CISV educator must be candid, fair, non -exploitative´, and committed to the welfareand educational progress of all programmeparticipants and delegates. Honesty is theessential quality of a good educator/teacher;neutrality is not. In addition to honestteaching, the CISV educator has responsibilitiesin selection, instruction in ethics, orientation,educational supervision, evaluation, etc:

• Selection of qualified participants mustavoid discrimination on the basis of gender,race, ethnicity, religion, political affiliation, socio - economic background, and othercategories of people indistinguishable by theiremotional´ and intellectual potential.

• The educator must be receptive andseriously responsive to participants’ needs,interests, opinions and desires in all aspects oftheir learning process, including quiet / resttime, and first language needs.

• S/he´ must conscientiously supervise,encourage and support participants throughoutthe entire programme and during re - entry´.• S/he must inform participants what is

expected of them in the course of their CISVexperience. S/he must be fair in the evaluationof their performance/educational progress andcommunicate evaluations to the participantsconcerned in a responsible manner.• S/he must strive to improve both the

teaching methods and educational content ofthe CISV programme before, during, and afterthe experience.• S/he should understand that CISV

programmes and their educational contenthave been planned primarily for cross - culturallearning of children and youth.• S/he should understand and accept the

goals of CISV and the CISV programme inwhich s/he is involved.

3.1.2 Responsibilities to Families

In general, CISV programme facilitators andstaff are responsible, above all, for thephysical and emotional health, safety andwelfare of younger participants. They are alsoresponsible for implementing the educationalgoals of their programme, which should alsohave been explained and accepted by theparticipants’ families.

Facilitators should remember that the youngpeople in their care are members of their ownfamilies, to which they will return after theirCISV programme. Working with other people’schildren is a big responsibility! Facilitators areresponsible for the physical safety of allparticipants in all CISV activities. This isreflected in having qualified lifeguards,experienced bus drivers, qualified medicalpersonnel, etc. and in observing local rules onsite and safety procedures as well as CISVpolicies ( See Info File, N - 4 [ 9723 ] ).

CISV facilitators are also responsible for theemotional well being of CISV participants andthe concerns of parents of all childrenparticipating in a CISV activity. They need tobe sensitive to the emotional needs ofparticipants with whom they work and adelegation leader should be sufficiently familiarwith each participant’s family to be able to givebasic support, if needed.

Facilitators may sometimes need to decidewhether or not a particular activity / decisionwould be acceptable to the parents of youngpeople in their care. For example, if the youthin their care find a particular activity ( e.g. akissing game ) offensive or difficult to

´S/he = she or he

´re - entry – see Pena, 1997

éthics – a fundamental consensus on binding values, irrevocable standards, and personal attitudes

Ńational Affiliate (NA) / Local Chapter– see Appendix 2

ńon - exploitative – notmanipulating or taking advantage; being ethical and educationally or socially responsible.

émotional intelligence and intellectual potential – see Further Reading


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cope with socially or culturally, the facilitatormay need to consider whether the parentswould expect their child to take part in suchan activity, and if not, then the activity shouldnot be used. Facilitators must critically analyseactivities and their implications and shouldremember that they remain accountable to theparents and CISV. Any planned activity mustbe discussed and approved by all facilitatorsprior to implementation.

Families will have expectations of theeducational impact of participation in a CISVprogramme. CISV is more than a “holidaycamp” experience and families are attracted toparticipate in CISV because of theopportunities to live in a multi - culturalenvironment. Delegation leaders have theresponsibility to maximise the potential impactof the experience for participants’ families by:

• involving them in preparation for theprogramme;

• maintaining contact with the family fromtime to time during the programme;

• ensuring that participants fulfil reasonablerequests for family contact by mail during the programme,

• discussing participants’ responses ( e.g.during delegation time ) to recent activitiesand to the whole programme so that theycan note important points and recount tothe family;

• encouraging families to accept theparticipant’s reactions upon return, ( e.g. missing new friends, reluctance to “tell all,” desire to be back in the CISV programme, need to write to all the new friends, etc );

• encouraging families to be involved inChapter activities, re - entry, Junior Branch and Local Work so that other family members can enjoy the benefits of CISV experiences;

• respecting privacy concerns ( e.g. address publication via E mail / WWW sites may notalways be permitted´ ).

3.1.3. Responsibilities to Chapters and National Associations ( NAs )

Chapters and NAs fulfil CISV’s educationalpurpose by organizing programmes and sendingparticipants to other programmes. Threegroups of people bear particularresponsibilities to their home Chapter / NA:

1) host staff´;2) delegation leaders; and, 3) individuals selected to represent

Chapters / NAs.

Chapters usually nominate specificcommittee members and appoint host staff todeal with the practical and educational aspectsof organizing a programme. Responsibility tothe Chapter includes: • observation of relevant national / local laws

and regulations; e.g. lifeguard, first aid training / supplies, fire watch, ( where required );

• respect for normal procedures / rules withinthe host site; e.g. meal times, kitchenrules, sanitation etc.;

• respect for members of site staff / localresidents who may be affected by theprogramme; and,

• working within the budget set by the Chapter.

Host staff are responsible for overseeing theeducational structure of the programme. Theprogramme may be coordinated in negotiationwith the Chapter ( e.g. practical arrangementssuch as arrivals / preliminary hosting,dedication day, homestays, excursions, datesfor Chapter visits, etc. ), but host staff arelikely to be responsible for developing theprogramme in accordance with CISV’sStatement of Educational Purpose . Within thisthey will need to show:

• responsible use of the facilities andresources´ available;

• awareness of the structure of a programmein terms of the development of groupdynamics; and,

• the use of appropriate activities at differentstages of the programme for enhancing theeducational purpose ( e.g.: name gamesand ice breakers while important at thebeginning may be irrelevant later, whereastrust games, some simulations, etc., requireconfidence to work within the group andmight be better later ).

The responsibility of delegation leaders totheir home Chapter / NAs is both in taking partin practical arrangements for participants intheir care and in ensuring that they haveeducational experiences consistent with theCISV Statement of Educational Purpose. Withinthis responsibility, delegation leaders need toconsider any requirements of their homeChapter, while also appreciating the facilitiesoffered by the host Chapter and any restraintson their use. Leaders have the responsibility to:

• be perceived as effective, courteousrepresentatives of their home Chapter;

• be conscientious in caring for the physicaland emotional health of delegates;

• represent their home culture effectively inintercultural activities;

• value the opinions/cultural differences of

´resources – see 4.1.8

´WWW, Internet – see Info File R - 11, notes on CISV restrictions on use of E - mail and WWW sites.

´host staff – local volunteers facilitating the educational programme and providing administrativesupport; as opposed tosite staff who perform kitchen / maintenance duties, etc.


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other participants; • help delegates to understand the impact of

local cultural expectations on the functioning of the programme ( e.g.: concepts of time – in some countriespromptness is valued and it is considered rude to be late; in other countries time commitments are more flexible and to rush is to be impolite );

• ensure that participants in their care takeadvantage of the educational opportunities / activities in the programme,as expected by their home Chapter; and,

• encourage delegates to continue as fullyparticipating members of their home Chapter in Junior Branch or Local Work.

Individual participants who haveresponsibilities to their home Chapter / NAinclude Junior Counsellors, Seminar Campparticipants, Youth Meeting participants, etc.They may be the sole representatives of theChapter / NA in a programme and areresponsible for representing their local /national culture. Expectations held by theirhome Chapter will be similar to those held of afacilitator or delegation leader:

• be perceived as an effective, courteousrepresentative of their home Chapter / NA;

• be aware of the need to care for the physicaland emotional health of other participants;

• represent their home culture and language in multicultural situations;

• value the opinions / cultural differences ofother participants; and,

• be willing to share their experience with otherChapter members when they return home.

Individual participants are also responsibleto their hosting Chapter, particularly forenhancing the quality of the educationalexperience of other participants, by:

• respecting national / local / site rules withregard to safety, appropriate behaviour, etc.;

• supporting Host Staff in developing theeducational activities within the programme;

• appreciating factors in the local culturewhich may impact on programmeorganization, e.g. concepts of time, availability of resources, cost, etc.;

• taking active part in educational activitiesplanned by others; and,

• participating fully in the preparation,conduct, and debriefing´ of activities.

3.1.4. Responsibility to CISV International

All participants, ( adult and youth ), haveresponsibility for the “good name” of CISV.

Participants have the responsibility to followprogramme rules and procedures by:

• sending requested information by the duedate;

• completing relevant health, legal, insurance,documentation; and,

• observing CISV policies on:- D i s c r i m i n a t i o n ( Info File R - 5 )- Selection ( Info File R - 6 )- Behaviour and Cultural Sensitivity

( Info File R - 7 ).

In participating in a CISV programme, eachperson accepts responsibility for workingtowards the goals of CISV. Preparation for aprogramme should include discussion ( at alevel appropriate to the age of the participant )of CISV’s Statement of Educational Purpose sothat youth participants understand “why” theyare involved in various activities and that thisparticular programme is only part of the longerterm development of:

• friendships; • intercultural understanding; and, • the ability to work effectively with others.

3.1.5 More on Ethical Responsibilities

In the final analysis, education in CISV is ahumane undertaking, dependent upon manychoices for which the individual bears ethicaland judicial responsibility. That responsibilityis a human, not a superhuman, responsibility.To err is human, to forgive is humane, but toneglect is to risk the emotional and physicalwell being of the individuals being served. Thisstatement of principles of responsibility in CISVis not designed to punish, but to provideguidelines that can minimize the occasions onwhich there is a need to forgive. When a CISVeducator, by his / her actions, jeopardisesparticipants, their families, his / her colleaguesin the programme, CISV International orNational Associations or others, or if s / heotherwise betrays educational commitments,CISV may inquire into the propriety of thoseactions and take action that lies within itslegitimate powers.

3.2 Working With Diversity

CISV participants will represent manydifferences, some more obvious than others.There will clearly be representatives of severaldifferent cultures at all international events.Members of different cultural backgrounds willthink about and value different things. They

´debriefing – opportunity to examinethe consequences of the activity.( Yalowitz, 1996 ) – see also Appendix 2


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may well “see” the same situation differentlybecause of the way their own particular culturehelps them to make sense of that situation.Appropriate behaviour in one culture may betotally inappropriate in another. You have onlyto observe eleven year olds at mealtimes atthe beginning of a Village to see evidence ofthis.

Those who design the activities in any CISVevent must keep the notion of cultural diversityin their minds. Indeed, Akio Kurokawa ( 1996,p 32 ) provides a vivid account of the stressthat a “String Game” and a “Kissing Game”created for Japanese children at a Village. Theproblem he suggests is not just an issue forhis culture alone. Most of us who have beenactive in CISV programmes can provideexamples of other incidents where an activityhas proved inappropriate for participants fromparticular cultures. Paul Grol expresses thisdilemma in the following way ( 1996, p 35 ):

The understanding needed has two parts:cultural awareness, ( how another person’sculture affects his or her behaviour ); andself - awareness, ( how our own cultureaffects our behaviour ). It is not sufficient to understand how others differ, if we do notunderstand how we also differ.

This statement is a reminder of oureducational focus described earlier ( Part 1.1 ).We participate in CISV in order to learn justsuch things. It is almost inevitable that firstencounters with another culture mayemphasise difference, but not necessarily in apositive way. The challenge in a CISV activityis to turn this encounter into a positiveinterpersonal´ and intrapersonal´ culturallearning experience.

Diversity remains important even whenengaging in Local Work activities. Childrenrespond in different ways to the sameeducational experience. One of the challengesis to acknowledge the variation that occurs inboth their responses to activities and thelearning that results. Today much is writtenabout variations in learning styles; e.g. some ofus learn best by doing, others learn best byreading or being, and so on. Work on m u l t i p l ei n t e l l i g e n c e s´ ( Anderson, 1997, p 12 ) andLewin’s learning cycle ( Part 2.4.1 ) remindsus of learning preferences and of the need toprovide various ways of learning for participantswhile also helping participants to developfurther those aspects of the cycle that presentdifficulties for them. Organizers of learningactivities should bear in mind the importance

of going through the entire cycle to maximisethe learning potential of any particular activity.

3.3 Communication: Three Dimensions

All people are products of their nativelanguage and culture. From birth on, they havebeen in the process of developing their native“communicative competence.”´ Individualsfrom other language and cultural backgroundshave been doing likewise, but it is naturallydifferent. For this reason, CISVers participatingin international programmes and in Local Workactivities involving different cultures, findthemselves dealing across communicativecompetences and are called upon to developnew abilities beyond those normally needed.This ability may be called “interculturalcommunicative competence” since using one’snative competence is obviously no longeradequate. Communication competenceinvolves the use of both one’s language andculture, and knowing how to use themappropriately in many different situations. Aperson does not just speak French, or Chinese,but one knows how to modify speech andbehaviour for different situations - e.g., speakingwith children, older people, strangers, familymembers, and so forth. This communicationcompetence has several dimensions ( Fantini,1984, [b], p 5 - 6 ):

• a language and para - language´ c o m p o n e n t ;• a non - verbal component; and, • a socio - linguistic´ component.

Language includes the sounds, words, andgrammar of language, while the para -language component refers to volume, pitch,tone and other “affective”´ aspects ofspeech. We convey and receive muchimportant information through the language and para - language component. The non -verbal component refers to behaviours wedisplay while speaking; behaviours which alsocommunicate.

Socio - linguistic Context

ćommunicative competence

CISV programmes aremulti - lingual. DorisAllen emphasized theimportance ofannouncements /instructions being givenin all languages so thatall participants hadopportunities to hearother languages in use.

´para - language – see text

´socio - linguistic

ínterpersonal – between persons or involving relations between persons

íntrapersonal – within oneself

´semantics – meaning of speech forms within the given context

´multiple intelligences – see further reading

áffect – feeling or emotion attached to an idea or group of ideas

´

Speakers

Speakers

MeaningLanguage

Meaning(Semantics)

Language(Symbolic Systems)

WorldView 1

WorldView 2

Figure 8


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Non - verbal behaviour includes:

• touching patterns;

• eye contact;

• use of space;

• body movements and gestures;

• responses to body and other odors; and,

• patterns of timing used in conversational

exchanges.

As with language, these patterns are alsolearned and form part of how we communicate.And because they are learned and are specificto our own language - culture system, wecannot transfer non - verbal´ systems acrosscultures and infer the same intent andmeanings. In fact, speaking another languageis not simply saying different words, but alsointeracting in different ways. These areimportant points to keep in mind inprogrammes which involve delegations andparticipants from many backgrounds sincedifferent non - verbal behaviours often result inmis - interpretations and mis - understandings.

The third component – the sociolinguistic –acknowledges that we also adjust languageand behaviours to different situations asappropriate. For example, each culture andlanguage determines how we should speak andbehave in different contexts – in private, inpublic, in a religious setting, at work, and soforth; as well as how we speak to elders, toteachers, strangers, to family and friends, tochildren, etc. Situational factors whichcommonly affect speech and behaviourpatterns include:

• where the conversation takes place; • who is involved ( the speakers and his / her

attributes, such as age, sex, role,relationship );

• the topic of conversation ( gossip,homework, a formal topic, etc. ); and,

• the form ( a public speech, a privateconversation, storytelling, etc. ).

As part of these differences incommunicative competence across cultures wemust be alert to variations in language andpara - language, non - verbal, and socio - linguisticcomponents ( i.e., intercultural communicativecompetence ). Being aware of suchdifferences, we may avoid some of the mis - interpretations of intent and meaning. Forexample, different participants may use speechstyles appropriate in their own culture, butwhich cause upsetting reactions when usedwith people from other backgrounds.

3.4 Cultural Expectations

Participants in a CISV programme may wellhave varying expectations about adjustment,i.e., who should adjust to whom ( to whatdegree must I adjust and / or to what degreeshould others adjust to me? ). There is nosimple answer to this question; however,building intercultural relationships normallyrequires varying degrees of negotiation andadjustment on both sides. The problem is thatwhat one considers to be “normal and natural”is only normal or natural from one’s ownperspective ( and of those who share the samebackground ). Up to this point, participants mayhave viewed the world from an “ethnocentric”´point of view; i.e., understanding andinterpreting things exclusively from one’s owncultural vantage point. In an interculturalsetting, we are all challenged to reconsider andto learn that there are multiple ( and alternative )ways of understanding and interpreting events ( a paradigm shift – see 2.4.1 ).

Intercultural contact, then, requires variouslevels of adjustment ( see figure 7 ). Someadjustments are easier than others. Theinvolvement process commonly proceedsthrough several phases: For example, euphoria( or the “honeymoon” stage ) when everythingseems wonderful: ( Isn’t this beautiful? Isn’tthis picturesque or quaint? ). Over time, thismay change into a period of conflict or shock ( Why don’t they speak my language? Why do t h e y

ńon - verbal

éthnocentric – see text

Anxiety

Observation

Expectation

Figure 9

Phases of Intercultural Adjustment ( based on ICL Model, Graphic Guides Inc., USA, 1993 )


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keep touching me so? How I wish I could havemy own food! ). A next stage often involvescomparison and evaluation ( Why, this isn’treally so bad. This is actually better than whatwe have back home! ). At a later stage, theremay be acceptance of aspects of the newculture on its own terms and judgements areless likely to be made based on how things areback home. Ironically, successful adjustmentmay mean that returning to one’s home culturemay also require adjusting, often termed “re - entry.”

3.5 Levels of Tolerance and ConflictResolution

How far one goes in adjusting to othercultures depends on many things, on both thepart of the sojourner´ and the hosts. Asidefrom cultural expectations, the development ofintercultural competence is key. Somecommonly cited traits which help itsdevelopment are: patience, empathy,´ asense of humor, tolerance for ambiguity,flexibility, and so forth. Some cultures ( called“high context” cultures ) may have lesstolerance for differences. Such cultures havewidely shared norms and patterns of behavior ( Japanese culture is often cited as an example ).Other cultures ( “low context” cultures ) whichare quite heterogeneous and consist of manydiverse ethnic and racial groups, may be moreaccepting because they are accustomed todiversity ( Brazil and USA are examples ). Ithelps to be aware of whether a host culture ishigh or low context, and the degrees ofconformity and levels of tolerance which mightbe expected. Whether the host culture has ahigh or low level of tolerance for differences,establishing cultural rapport, for the most part,is up to the sojourner. That is, yourawareness, attitude, skills and knowledge willaid you in learning about and developingcultural rapport. Each individual is faced withchoices about what and how far s/he willadjust, but one’s choices often result ingreater or lesser acceptance by the hosts.Here are some common patterns which reflectdifferent choices ( Fantini, 1984 [ b ], p 15 ):

• rejection of the host culture ( usually causingrejection of the sojourner in turn );

• adaptation to some extent; i.e., surfaceadjustment to the host culture whileretaining one’s own clear identity;

• integration or assimilation´ to the host culture ( sometimes causing temporary abandonment of one’s own cultural norms );and,

• becoming bi - cultural and possibly bi - lingual( this assumes successful adherence to eachof two cultures and languages ), gainingacceptance by members of both.

Finally, it is important to note that becauseintercultural programmes bring togetherparticipants and delegations of variedbackgrounds, misunderstandings and conflictare inevitable. They are, in fact, what theexperience is all about. What is important,then, is how we help participants through theprocess in a positive manner, resolvingconflicts, and developing “intercultural”communicative competence in the process.The expectations that cultures have of theirmembers, together with the differences thatexist between cultures, are often revealed inapparently trivial ways. For example, accordingto Akio Kurokawa ( 1996, p 33 ), Japanesechildren might not be expected to make theirbeds in their own culture, but will be expectedto do so in a Village. Similarly, Interchangeparticipants may find their own expectationsnot fulfilled in their partner and may need adultsupport to realize that this is a cultural ratherthan a personal issue. For that reason, conflictsmust surface, be acknowledged, discussed,understood and resolved appropriately.

3.6 Appropriate Use of Educational Activities

CISV programmes invariably use a variety ofsimulations, games, and other activities tocarry out their educational purpose. In sodoing, advanced planning is required to ensurethat participants maximize their learning fromthese techniques. The process of helpingparticipants to understand how they interactand what they learn is called “debriefing.”Because debriefing often involves peoplesharing feelings, the activity facilitator must besensitive in the way they help others toexamine activity experiences. Before selectingan activity, the facilitator must first be clearabout the purposes of the activity; rules,instructions, and strategies; and ways todebrief it afterwards. Debriefing requiresthinking about the questions to be discussedthat will help the participants understand thenature of the activity, strategies used, andwhat they learned about themselves and othersduring the activity. Advanced preparation alsohelps the facilitator develop confidence in his /her ability to lead the activity successfully.

´sojourner – one wholives somewhere temporarily during purposeful travel

émpathy – ability to share in another’s emotions or feelings in order to understand him / her better

ássimilation – absorbinto one’s self attributesof another’s culture.


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Other important considerations include:• the skill level required of participants;• communication and language skills

( including speaking and listening );• the level of challenge the participants are

ready for;• the amount of time needed for introduction,

enactment and debriefing;• the physical space needed ( both outdoors

and indoors if weather is bad );• the kind of equipment and materials needed;

and, • the preferred number of participants needed

to help the activity go well.

Once the activity leader has considered –and perhaps written down – responses to all ofthese factors, s / he is ready for theintroduction, enactment and debriefing parts ofthe experience. The facilitator’s confidence will“rub off” on the participants, and all are morelikely to enjoy the time together and benefitfrom the experience.

Editors of activity resource books orsimulation games frequently provide valuableinformation for their successful use.

Facilitators should follow instructions carefullyto make the best use of such activities ( seeCISV Activity Database, Appendix 2 ). Caremust also be taken to respect copyright andlicensing rules regarding published activities.

Part 4:

Planning an EducationalProgramme

As with any educational venture, designingand implementing a CISV programme requiresthoughtful consideration of variouscomponents. Moreover, these componentsmust be balanced and interrelated, one withanother. Together, they form the programme’sinfrastructure and are at the heart of oureducational effort.

4.1 The Gemstone Cycle

The process of programme design may belikened to the cutting of a gem or a diamond inthe rough. Before cutting the diamond, onethinks about how it will be mounted into a ring.Once the ring mount is considered, the

The Gemstone Cycle wasintroduced to interculturalists involvedin curriculum design atthe Third InternationalEducation Conference,Cincinatti, USA, 1997( Banks, J. G., 1997 ).

Figure 10


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diamond must be cut, shaped, and polished. Ifdone well, the gem reflects a brilliance andluster which enhance its beauty. When thedesign is harmonised with its setting, its valueis increased. Programme designs, like thegemstone, also need to be shaped andbalanced. And like the ring mount, their valueis maximised when they harmonise with theirsetting. CISV’s gemstone, a programmeplanning model, includes the following facets:

4.1.1 Needs Assessment´

The first stage in programme design is toassess programme needs. This is done byinvestigating the various factors on which bothprogramme design and implementation willeventually be based. For example, one needsto assemble information about:

• participants and delegates (numbers, ages,countries, languages, etc.);

• staffing requirements (numbers, ages, rolesand responsibilities, etc.); and,

• host country needs ( constraints andresources ).

This information is normally gathered fromreports, applications and documents; however,you may also need to devise other ways ofobtaining the data you need. The importantpoint is that you compile relevant informationabout participants, staff, and context beforeembarking on designing the actual programme.

4.1.2 Explicit Educational Assumptions

Next, it is important to clarify any underlyingeducational principles or assumptions whichstaff and participants hold. This is especiallytrue when working across cultures. Discussionof educational assumptions will help surfaceany hidden expectations. To this discussion,one might add expectations about educationalapproaches derived from previous experienceswithin CISV programmes. Examples ofeducational assumptions might include:

• directive or deductive approaches ( i.e., telling versus having participants discover forthemselves the content of learning );

• democratic versus hierarchical procedures ( involving everyone in decision making versus making decisions by those in charge );

• experiential learning versus traditionallearning ( using the experiential model versus traditional models; see Part 2.4.1 above ); and,

• stressing A+ASK ( awareness, attitude, skillsand knowledge ) versus mostly knowledge.

Other assumptions might be added to this.If the list is long, it will help to prioritize the listsince the longer the list, the more difficult it isto explicitly attend to all assumptions indesigning the programme. You may need toattend explicitly to only the first three. Theassumptions favoured, however, willnecessarily affect how the programme isdesigned and implemented.

4.1.3 Programme Goals and Objectives

A next stage in the Gemstone Cycle is toidentify the Programme Goals´ and Objectives.Goals and objectives may be distinguished byconsidering that goals are usually long - termand point to aims which go beyond theprogramme’s duration; for this reason, they arenot easily measureable. Objectives´,conversely, are usually short - term and theyare attainable within the scope of theprogramme itself; also, they are measureableachievements. Examples of goals may be thevery aims of CISV itself:

1) to develop leadership in participants;

2) to enhance their ability to communicateacross cultures; and

3) to develop long - term friendships withindividuals of different cultural backgrounds.

Additional goals may be more specific yetstill long - term, such as:

1) to become active participants inenvironmental concerns;

2) to become effective leaders in Local Work,Chapters, etc.

Examples of objectives are more specificwithin the programme timeframe:

1) to develop friendships;

2) to participate effectively and appropriately inthe programme;

3) to learn about the cultures and language of other delegates.

Again, objectives are measureable andshould be evaluated at the end of theprogramme to ascertain whether they havebeen achieved. Together, they showmovement toward the goals which cannot beevaluated within the scope of the programme.

Ńeeds Assessment – see text

´Programme Goals – see Part 2.1

Óbjectives – see text


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4.1.4 Programme Theme(s)

It is customary for CISV programme plannersto select one or more themes for a particularprogramme. Themes from the CISV EducationCircle commonly form the basis for thisselection ( e.g., Peace and Conflict Resolution,Leadership, Intercultural Issues, Population,Environment, etc. ). These and other ideascan serve as programme themes. The themeschosen, however, will clearly affect programmedesign and content.

4.1.5 Participants and Facilitators

Participants and facilitators may be includedwithin Needs Assessment for the initialplanning, but in CISV they also take an activepart in planning the programme. The skills,experience and social / personal resourceswhich they bring with them are crucial to theintercultural experiences provided for allparticipants. Cultural and personal preferencesfor active or passive leadership styles, skills inart, dance, physical activities, etc., will vary.Opportunities should be created for allparticipants and facilitators to share theseabilities with others, while not allowing a vocalminority to dominate all planning.

4.1.6 Programme Design

Once you have completed the previous foursteps, you are now ready to begin designingyour programme. The design will be informedby the needs assessment, your expliciteducational assumptions, the themes selected,and the goals and objectives. Keep all ofthese aspects in mind as you now proceed todesign the actual programme content. Beginby making a large calendar which includes notonly all the days of the programme, but anylead and closure time needed before and afterthe programme itself. List on a day by daybasis what needs to be accomplished duringlead and closure time by the staff. Then beginwriting in the various sub - objectives to beaccomplished each day of the the programme.Together, sub - objectives add up toaccomplishing programme objectives, just asthe programme objectives point toward thegoals. Various types of programme designmodels exist. For example:

1) developmental; i.e., activities areprogressively sequenced to moveparticipants from one level to another towards established objectives;

2) spiral; i.e., objectives are introduced one ata time, over a period; however, as each newobjective is presented, previous work onearlier objectives is included and repeatedcummulatively, thereby reinforcing themthrough varied repetitions;

3) thematic´; i.e., objectives are organized inmodular units around successive themes;

4) o r g a n i c´; i.e., although a plan is elaborated inadvance of the programme, each day’s workis reviewed and future work adjusted inaccordance with how the programme is going and with the participants’ mood.

These and other principles underlyingprogramme design will influence how youcomplete the programme calendar. You mayalso consider using a combination ofprinciples; e.g., thematic and organic, so thatthe themes determine content sequencingwhile also being sensitive to how theprogramme unfolds, so you can adjust contentaccordingly. As you fill in sub - objectives foreach day, you might also begin to jot downinitial ideas for each day’s activities andschedule. At this point, you will need tocomplete the general plan for each day of theprogramme. The first few days and activitiesinvolving the host community should beplanned in detail, while other days can beagreed with the participants. The activitiesplanned to deliver educational content shouldbe interspersed with recreational / funactivities and quieter times for reflection andinternalization.

4.1.7 Training and Orientation

CISV requires all facilitators to undergotraining before they are involved in a programmefor younger participants. Training may be on alocal, national or international basis, dependingon the programme. It should cover a range ofrisk management´ procedures as well asorientation and preparation for the specificprogramme. More detail is given in the relevantprogramme and leadership training Guides.Orientation will involve facilitators, participantsand their families in the necessarypreparations for the educational experiences oftheir programme: i.e. development of newfriendships, communication with others ( sometimes without a common language ),and working together to achieve specific goals.Orientation will also include practicalarrangements such as national costume ( ifapplicable ), travel planning, parents developingconfidence in the leader who will take care oftheir child, etc.

´thematic – see text

órganic – see text

´risk management – a pro - active process to minimize the possibility of injury to participants, volunteers and CISV. Risk management is accomplished through careful planning, selection and training; provision of insurance;and, observance of appropriate legal, site and safety / hygiene requirements ( see Info File N - 4 Health, Legal and Safety issues within CISV, and Appendix 7 ).


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4.1.10 Evaluation and Re - entry

Finally, evaluation or assessment, is anintegral part of the curriculum design andimplementation process. Evaluation may beboth short and long - term. Short - termevaluations are those conducted within theprogramme; they may occur during as well asat the end. Evaluation during the programmeprovides feedback and insights which help tomake needed adjustments and programmerevisions. Evaluation at the end of theprogramme evaluates, first of all, whether theparticipants accomplished the programmeobjectives. For this reason, programmeplanners need to continually refer back to theirstated objectives to help in monitoringprogramme implementation. This will also beimportant when they eventually report back totheir hosting Chapter or NA and essential whenthey complete the educational evaluation formsfor CISV International.

Evaluation can be both direct and indirect, aswell as both discrete´ and global´ in nature.These four aspects of evaluation processescan be placed on an intersecting continuum:

For example, direct evaluation´ may be bymeans of a questionnaire or holding adiscussion of specific issues you wish to learnabout. Indirect evaluation´ may beaccomplished by observing participants whilethey are performing a specific activity andnoting their involvement, attitudes, and otherbehaviors. Discrete evaluation refers tolooking at a very specific performance criterion,such as: how participants are interacting orcommunicating. Global evaluation is moreholistic´ and may attempt to measureparticipants’ developing interculturalcompetence based on a set of criteria. It isquite normal to use combinations of thesevarious approaches to evaluation. W h a t e v e rthe case, evaluation is extremely important tolearn about how participants have developedthroughout the experience as well as theirattainment of the programme’s objectives. Inaddition to evaluating participants, we are alsoconcerned with evaluating the programme itself– how well did it go, what were some of theproblems, how were they resolved, what mightwe do differently the next time, and what wasespecially successful!

Discrete



4.1.8 Resources

Before moving on to considering how theprogramme will be implemented, it is importantto consider the resources available to you.These include both human and materialresources. Human resources include the staff,the delegation leaders, and the participantsthemselves – their special talents, abilities,and other attributes. For example: who aregood facilitators, who is good at sports, whomay know how to lead drama, music or dance,who knows handicrafts, etc. In addition tothose at the programme site, what otherhuman resources are available in the hostcommunity? What can they contribute tospecial events or thematic sessions?

Other resources include the availability orlack of material resources. For example, whattypes of resources are needed to carry outspecial activities ( e.g., a large playing area,audio - visual equipment, paper and crayons,etc.? ) Aside from resources you may bringinto the programme, what resources areavailable outside the programme context ( e.g., a public swimming pool; historic andother nearby sites; a nearby circus, mime,entertainer; etc.? ) Considering resources bothwithin and outside the programme site helps toenrich the possibilities available, aids theconducting of planned activities and / orsuggesting new activities not previouslyconsidered. Naturally, each programme contextis different and the available resources will varyfrom country to country and between Chapters.

4.1.9 Implementation

Once clear about your programme designand the available resources, you are now readyto think in more detail about how to implementthe programme activities. Drawing from themaster calendar, you can now consider eachday’s plan. This includes not only the scheduleof events and the sequence of activities, butvery importantly, “how” each activity will beconducted and “who” will implement it. Bothmay be discussed among the staff, delegateleaders, and the participants themselves, asappropriate. Discussion of both who and howare critical to the success of each activity,always keeping in mind the specific purpose ofeach activity. It is often useful to talk or walkthrough procedures for the properimplementation of each activity ( see also Part3.6, Appropriate Use of Educational Activities ).

´discrete – see text

´global – see text

´direct evaluation – see text

Índirect evaluation – see text

´holistic – considering the person or organization as a whole, complete system, rather than a collection or grouping of parts

Direct Indirect

GlobalFigure 11


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Finally, long - term assessment is oftendesirable as well. This may be conducted bythe local Chapter, NA or CISV International.Long - term evaluation is often conducted aftersome time and distance pass between theconduct of the programme since participantsand staff often differ in perspective at the endof a programme and three months or morelater. Another form of longitudinal research´ m a ybe one carried out three or five years after anexperience to determine the long - term impacton CISV participants. This type of assessmenttries to assess whether the goals ( and CISV’seducational purposes ) are being accomplished.

While evaluation is planned to guage theeffectiveness of a CISV programme in achievingits objectives, re - entry concerns the way inwhich a participant copes with “coming home.”When participants have been well prepared andtrained for a programme, they can make gooduse of the opportunities it offers.

Consideration should also be given topreparing participants to return to life with theirfamilies and friends who have not directlyshared the intense, intercultural experiences oftheir CISV programme. Family members shouldbe made aware that returning participants mayfeel a sense of loss, having left many newfriends, whom they may not see again. Theym a y also initially over - emphasize culturaldifferences. Informal and more structuredmeetings with other CISVers from their Chaptercan help participants share their experiencesand relate them to others. Involvement in JuniorBranch and Local Work activities can helpreturning participants to further developfriendships, communication skills andcooperative abilities.

4. 2 Looking at the Whole

To reiterate, the gemstone – or curriculumdesign – process helps identify and clarify thevarious components of programme design, howthey interrelate, and how to implement andevaluate them. The lines connecting eachcomponent around the gemstone illustrate howeach component is related to all others. Whenall facets are properly integrated and placed intheir proper setting, the programme’s quality´,like the diamond, is assured. Conducting thisprocess with all the programme facilitators,and encouraging contributions from all, willclearly benefit both programme design andimplementation. We teach and learn from eachother. A comment from Einstein serves as areminder in this respect: “No problem can besolved from the same consciousness thatcreated it.” In other words, we need each

other to ensure the programme quality of eachprogramme - and that is the topic of Part 5which follows.

Part 5:

Ensuring Quality

“The parents trust us to choose high qualitydelegation leaders . . .”

“Reducing the length of time that participantsspend in a CISV Village is bound to reducequality because . . .”

“Do Villages provide a better quality CISVexperience than Interchanges?”

These fragments of conversations heardwithin CISV are all about some aspect ofquality; no doubt, you can add others from yourown experience. We start with them becausethey emphasise clearly that quality is a wordoften used but seldom defined. This is as truein everyday life generally as it is in relation toCISV. Indeed, what we really mean by qualityis usually left implicit and is often judgedthrough apparently trivial manifestationsencountered in the things that people say anddo. We might talk about the quality ofsomething, say a car, but what we really meanis that we think that whatever it is that we aretalking about possesses a useful attributerelevant for a particular purpose. The car, forexample, might be small and easy to park,making it ideal for driving in a town, but thatdoes not mean that it may be very suitable fortaking the family on a camping holiday. Forsuch an entirely different purpose as that, wewould probably value other attributes –perhaps comfort on long journeys and luggagespace. In other words, quality does not existindependently of the purpose that we have forthose things. Clearly, it is easier to talk aboutobjects such as cars than about the activitiesof organizations such as CISV. This part isabout what is meant by quality in CISVactivities, especially in relation to oureducational values as an organization.

5.1 The Importance Of Quality

Village programmes for eleven year oldsrepresent one of the most common activitieswithin CISV. Their success depends upon thecommitment of people in local Chapters. Thiscommitment is not just in terms of CISV idealsand values, but also in terms of time. Withoutthis, Villages and other programmes would not

´longitudinal research– see text

´quality – see text


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have the well prepared delegations, facilitators,effective staff nor appropriate local support.For this reason, CISV’s future lies in the qualityof work within the Chapters, since this reachesout to and involves far more individuals thanmight ever participate in internationalprogrammes. This argument may be extendedeven further. Inter - ethnic strife andxenophobia´ in the late twentieth century is aproblem within nation states as much, if notmore so, than between them. Many societiesare becoming more diverse and more complex;many communities are becoming increasinglyfragmented or xenophobic. CISV, with itsexperience in developing a positiveunderstanding of differences, can makeimportant contributions through Junior Branchand Local Work to influence societies and theireducation systems.

However, quality, as noted earlier, is more avalue judgement than a fact. People differ inviews of quality because they stress differentcriteria for judging quality in CISV activities.Furthermore, the meaning of quality oftendepends on the context and aspect of eachCISV activity under consideration. An activityused when selecting delegates for a Village, forexample, might be high quality in that settingbut not so when used with a group of veryexperienced CISVers. This is one reason whyour notions of what constitutes typical CISVactivities are so interesting – because theycombine views both of quality and of theexpectations of an activity’s fulfilment of thatquality.

5.2 Difficult Questions Raised By The Pursuit Of Quality

In one sense, quality might be seen asmeaning “fitness for purpose” ( the quality ofan object or an activity depending on itsappropriateness for an intended purpose ).This is both a useful and a challengingdefinition as it raises difficult questions abouttwo aspects of CISV work:

1. the “purposes” of our CISV activities. Do we know what those purposes are or what they should be?

2. the realization or otherwise of those purposes ( in the sense that quality only exists if we achieve our purpose in practice ).How do we know the extent to which our purposes are realized in CISV programmes? What kind of evidence might help us know?

Answering these questions might mean thatan even more difficult question is then posedfor the Chapter. This is because what we findout about the quality of our work might meanthat we have to take some action to improve it.Linked to this is the fact that conducting CISVprogrammes is not merely a technical exercisebut also an intentional value - drivenenterprise. The basis of those values,therefore, matter. As an organization, CISV’sexplicit educational purpose is to prepareindividuals to become active and contributingmembers of a peaceful society. We are not,therefore, entirely free to determine our ownpurposes for CISV activities. If those activitiesare to be part of CISV, they must reflect theeducational focus of CISV work. Criteria existby which we can determine the value of ouractivities and, hence, their quality.

5.3 Assuring Quality In CISV Programmes

Such issues lead us to think about how wemight assure quality in our CISV activities. Forthis, it is important to distinguish between“quality control”´ and “quality assurance.”The former usually relies on some form ofinspection to check quality. This, however,does not assure quality but only try toeliminate defects. “Quality assurance”´ hasto go further than this. It must encourageeveryone, at all levels of the organization, toregularly think about, question and challengethe quality of the practices and activities inwhich they engage. Making quality everyone’sconcern is the only way to ensure developmentand improvement – even more so in a diverseorganization such as CISV. The crucial factoris to develop a “quality culture” in the Chapterso that there is a commitment to pursuing,through discussion and questioning, quality asa way of life. Simple monitoring and assessingactivities become as important as conductingthe activities themselves, so that action tocorrect any undesirable effects can be taken atthe first sign of things not working the way theywere planned / expected.

5.4 Questions for Chapters to Consider

To develop a quality assurance approach towork in your CISV Chapter, its members needto agree on a view of what constitutes qualityin each aspect of their work and decide how itmight then be pursued. One way of doing thisis for Chapter members to consider thefollowing questions:

´quality control – see text

´xenophobia – fear or hatred of strangers, foreigners or anyone different

´Quality assurance– see text


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• Given CISV’s clear educational aims, what dowe expect participants to achieve in theprogramme we are planning?

• Do members of this CISV Chapter share aclear understanding of quality in oureducational activities ( i.e. the main purposesof and the values shaping those activities )consistent with Trustee policy?

• If we know what we mean by quality, is thismeaning shared by:

(a) individuals and groups within our CISV Chapter who organize and facilitate CISV activities; and,

(b) other key stakeholders such as parents, the young people who participated in our activities, or those who provide funds for us?

• Is this sense of quality communicated toothers?

• The search for quality involves looking at the actual experiences of participants in particular activities. How are these experiences currently monitored in our Chapter?

• What criteria do those who monitor quality use? Are these shared and understood by all those involved? Are they consistently applied? How do we know?

5.5 The Next Step

So where do you go from here? There isonly one sure way by which a Chapter comes toimprove itself and the quality of its work: whenpeople in the Chapter become committed toquality assurance and devise ways of turningcommitment into effective action. Tounderstand this is to be part of the way there.However, the pursuit of quality education inCISV will always be a continuing journey.

References

Allen, D.T. ( 1961 ). A Handbook of procedurefor Children’s International Summer Villages.CISV International, Norway / USA.

Allen, D.T. ( 1983 ). Children as the ultimatesource for social change. Research andDevelopment Vol. 11, No. 1, p 13 - 17, CISVInternational.

Anderson, P. J. ( 1997 ). A multiple intelligencecross - cultural perspective for teachers ofEnglish to speakers of other languages.Interspectives Vol. 15, p 12 - 15.

Banks, J. G. ( 1997 ). A curriculum designprocess for exchange programs: CISV’s searchfor quality. Interspectives Vol. 15, p 36.

Banks, R., Banks, J. G. & Dickhoff, W. ( 1990 ).Report of the CISV Delphi study. InterspectivesVol. 9, p 15 - 32.Barrow, R. & Milburn, G. ( 1990 ). A criticaldictionary of educational concepts, 2nd Edition.New York: Teachers’ College Press, ColumbiaUniversity.Constitution of the International Association ofChildren’s International Summer Villages. CISV Info File C - 1 ( 9641 ).

de Castro Reis, P. ( 1991 ). Peace education –A synoptic chart. Interspectives Vol. 10, p 46.

Dickhoff, W. ( 1994 ). Evaluation of CISVInternational programmes. I n t e r s p e c t i v e s Vol. 12,p 24 - 29.

Fantini, A. E. ( Ed. ) ( 1984 [a] ). Cross - culturalorientation: A guide for leaders and educators.Intercultural Exchange Series. Brattleboro, VT,USA: The Experiment in International Living.

Fantini, A. E. ( Ed. ) ( 1984 [b] ). Getting the wholepicture: A student’s field guide to languageacquisition and culture exploration, Appendix 1:About language and culture. Brattleboro, VT,USA: The Experiment in International Living. Fantini, A. ( 1995 ). At the heart of things: CISV’sEducational Purpose. I n t e r s p e c t i v e s, Vol. 13, p 9.

Grol, P. C. ( 1996 ). International encounters: acultural adventure. I n t e r s p e c t i v e s Vol. 14, p 35 -3 8 .

ICL ( 1993 ). Intercultural Learning Model.Graphic Guides Inc, USA.

Kolb, D. A. ( 1984 ). Experiential learning:Experience as the source of learning anddevelopment, p 21 - 22 . Englewood Cliffs, NJ,USA: Prentice Hall.Kuhn, T. ( 1962 ). The structure of scientificrevolutions. Illinois, USA: University of ChicagoPress.Kurokawa, A. ( 1996 ). Exchanging culturalperspectives: Understanding Japanesechildren. Interspectives Vol. 14, p 32 - 34.Lewin, K. ( 1951 ). Field theory in socialsciences. New York, USA: Harper & Row.Mager, R. F. ( 1962 ). Preparing instructionalobjectives. Palo Alto, California, USA: FearonPublishers.Matthews, W. P. Jr. ( 1991 ). Here in thisvillage. Newcastle upon Tyne, England: CISVInternational.Pena, D. ( 1997 ). How are CISV Local Workand re - entry shock related. Interspectives Vol.15. p 31.UNESCO, Document 28 C/4 Approved: Medium- Term Strategy 1996 - 2001. p 38, para 154.Paris: UNESCO.Yalowitz, D. ( 1996 ). Ethical considerations indebriefing experiential activities. InterspectivesVol. 14, p 23 - 28.


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Statement ofEducational Purpose

CISV’s purpose is toprepare individuals tobecome active andcontributing members ofa peaceful society. CISVendeavours to s t i m u l a t ethe lifelong developmentof a m i c a b l e r e l a t i o n s h i p s,e f f e c t i v e c o m m u n i c a t i o ns k i l l s , cooperativeabilities, and appropriateleadership towards ajust and fair world.

CISV volunteerprogrammes andactivities are planned t opromote personal,cultural, intercultural andinternational l e a r n i n g . T h i se n a b l e s individuals tod e v e l o p awareness of,and positive attitudestowards others, and theskills and knowledge tolive, work and play withthem, irrespective ofcultural background.Through participation,individuals come tobetter understandthemselves and theirown culture as well asothers and theircultures.

CISV offersopportunities forinterested children,young people, adultsand families to explorerelevant themes throughindependent, short term,non - formal educationalactivities organized ininternational, nationaland local contexts.These may be residentialor non - residentialsettings and are offeredto qualified participantsirrespective of gender,race, religion, ethnicity,political affiliation, socio - economicbackground, or distinctionof any other kind.

Figure 12 The Educational Process in CISV

P O T E N T I A L E F F E C T S O F P A R T I C I P A T I O N

Development of self in a social contextIntrapersonal Intracultural

Interpersonal Intercultural

E D U C A T I O N A L C O N T E N T ( “ W H A T W E D O ” )

Other content areas ( to develop / support core ):International Education, Human Rights Education, Global Awareness

Development Education, Environmental Education

L O C A T I O N ( “ W H E R E ” & “ W H E N ” )

CISV Programmes and Activities, including:

Village, Summer Camp, Interchange, Seminar Camp, Local Work, International YouthMeetings, Junior Branch, Leadership Training, International People’s Projects,

Workshops, International Board Meetings, etc.

H O W ( E X P E R I E N T I A L E D U C A T I O N )

Resources:Core Educational Content, Programme Guides, Planners, Activity Database,

Resources Reviews, Local Knowledge, Facilitators, Leaders, Leadership Training,Participants, etc.

O R G A N I Z A T I O N A L G O A L S

FriendshipCommunication

Cooperative Leadership

– Ability to establish relations– Communication– Achieve or attain a level of compliance

among those involved

A A+

S

K

Awareness + Attitudes, Skills,

Knowledge

Original Core Goals of CISV ( 1950 ) Components of Intercultural Competence ( 1990s)

Core Content:Intercultural Education, Personal Development Education, Human Relations Education




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Part 6Summary of Educational Processes

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