Peer-to-Peer Activity: Discussion on Intent
Overview
Questions guide participants in considering how speech can have unintended effects.
Competencies
- Participants activate their understanding of the effects of speech by thinking about the questions and writing their responses.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Discussion Questions
Resources
Facilitator Tips
Faith Quotes
Step-by-Step Instructions
INTRODUCTION
Stress the aim of Commitment VII to preserve democracy, dignity, and peace and security.
If desired, reference the statement on the back cover of the Camden Principles on Freedom of Expression and Equality, found under the Resources tab.
- The Slides (under Resources tab) may be used to guide the discussion.
DISCUSSION
- Participants discuss how religious or belief-based speech may be misunderstood, even if that is not a faith actor’s intent. Questions under the Discussion Questions tab may be used to stimulate discussion.
CONCLUSION
- Participants can consider their responses silently or write their responses before choosing to share their responses with the group. They may record their responses in their Faith for Rights notebooks, if provided.
Discussion Questions
- Are there religious or cultural minorities within your community who experience discrimination or exclusion in the name of religion?
- What role does culture or family play in this area?
- How might a religious or belief statement be misinterpreted by a person from another belief background or culture?
Resources
- PDF: Module 7 Discussion on Intent Slides
- Editable PowerPoint file: Discussion on Intent
- Camden Principles on Freedom of Expression and Equality, reference to the Introductory Statement and back cover of the document
Facilitator Tips
- The #Faith4Rights modules are flexible and require adaptation by the facilitators before their use. Case studies related to peer-to-peer exercises in the 18 modules need to be selected by the facilitators from within the environment where the learning takes place. The #Faith4Rights toolkit is a prototype methodology that requires contextualization, based on the text of the 18 commitments, context, and additional supporting documents.
- Not all issues raised need to be resolved. This would be an impossible and even a counterproductive target. The aim is rather to enhance critical thinking and communication skills, admitting that some questions could receive many answers, depending on numerous factors.
- Tensions may occur during discussions related to “faith” and “rights.” Most of these tensions are due to human interpretations. Learning sessions are spaces for constructive dialogue in a dynamic process where tensions can be reduced with the help of clear methodologies, including pre-emptive situation analysis and evidence of positive results in areas of intersectionality between faith and rights.
- When preparing the sessions, facilitators need to factor in the profile, age, and backgrounds of participants. Focused attention on the learning objectives can transform tensions into constructive exploration of new ideas.
- Meaningful engagement requires democratically pre-established rules. Facilitators should dedicate time with participants to elaborate these rules together at the outset and act all along the training as their custodians.
- The time frames suggested in this #Faith4Rights toolkit are merely indicative. Facilitators may adapt them freely to suit the needs of their group of participants. The key balance is between respecting the overall time frame while not cutting short a positive exchange momentum.
- To ensure optimal and sustainable benefit, facilitators may create a “training notebook” for participants during their peer-to-peer learning sessions. It would contain a compilation of templates to help participants keep track of what they have learned throughout the program and eventually use this notebook as their personalized follow-up tool.
- When technically feasible, facilitators are also advised to project the module under discussion on screen in order to alternate between discussions thereon and showing the audio-visual materials listed in each module or any other items selected by the facilitator.
Faith Quotes
- “Now this is the command: Do to the doer to make him do.” (Ancient Egyptian Middle Kingdom)
- “Repay injury with justice and kindness with kindness.” (Confucius)
- “What is hateful to you, don’t do to your friend.” (Talmud, Shabat, 31,a)
- “Whatever words we utter should be chosen with care for people will hear them and be influenced by them for good or ill.” (Buddha)
- “By self-control and by making dharma (right conduct) your main focus, treat others as you treat yourself.” (Mahābhārata)
- “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against your kinsfolk. Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Leviticus 19:18)
- “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 7:12)
- “Ascribe not to any soul that which thou wouldst not have ascribed to thee, and say not that which thou doest not.” (Baha’u’llah)