Programs: Insight Exercises by Diane Perlman, PhD

These exercises can be done in pairs or triads, followed by sharing with the larger group. They may be appropriate as a bedtime activity in the cabin.

I AM THE ENEMY EXERCISE
Think of the following and ask yourself these questions. Depending on the group composition, people can do this in same sex, same religious or ethnic groups, and then discuss with members of an Other group afterwards.

For some individual person, family, religious or ethnic group, gender group, organization, culture, or country on this planet I AM THE ENEMY.

  • What is it like to think of myself as the Enemy? How do I feel about being someone's Enemy?
  • To whom am I the enemy? In what ways do they perceive me as a threat?
  • Am I really a threat to them? How?
  • What have I, or my group done to earn the designation of Enemy?
  • If I were in their shoes, what would I think about me (us)? How would I feel about me (us)?
  • If I were in their shoes, how would I respond to my (groups’) words and actions?
  • Are my (groups’) words and actions successful in bringing about the results I (we) want?
  • What are the real and potential consequences of our traditional ways of interacting with each other?
  • Can I imagine any other way of approaching them?
  • What is it that they don't understand about me (us)?
  • What do I most want them to know about me or my group?
  • What don’t I know about them? What might I possibly learn about them that would allow me to see them in a new light?
  • Am I willing to reevaluate my beliefs and concepts?
  • What would it take for me to be less of a threat? What might I have to give up? What might I gain?
  • What are the potential consequences of increased communication and understanding?
  • Imagine a time in five years from now, that you have transformed your relationship, and it is as good as it can possibly be? What does it look like? How has each side changed? What has each side gained? What steps led to an optimal outcome?

©Diane Perlman, PhD, 1984 ninedots@aol.com


Exercises on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Think about the meaning of Human Rights.

  • What are human rights?
  • Have you ever felt your human rights to be violated?
  • Describe the situation. What did you feel? How did you act? What did you need? What did you want?
    Did anyone do anything to help you?
  • What resources could you use to address the violation?
  • What could have, should have happened?
  • How did you feel afterwards? What did you think? What did you do?
  • Have you personally witnessed someone else’s human rights being violated? What did you do? What did others do? What could have, should have happened?
  • Which human rights issues are most important to you? List the top 10 human rights issues.
  • Have you ever violated anyone else’s Human Rights? How? Why?
    How did you feel afterwards? What did you think? What did you do?
  • Is there any way in which anyone’s human rights are violated in school or camp?
  • Ask your parents whether they are aware of any violations at work. Perhaps they know people whose rights have been violated. Find out more about this.
  • What human rights violations have you observed in your city?

Read UN Declaration on Human Rights study and activity suggestions

1 - In Schools, there are 6 weeks between UN Day, October 24, and Human
Rights day, December 8. There are 30 Articles. Study one Article every
day. In a journal write a few sentences about how it may relate to you,
give political example

2 - Write each article on a card, have each person pick one or more out of a
hat, to learn more about, to think of examples, to present to the group

3 - Progression, theme for each week, example, highlight an activist or
strategy

  • Physical rights
  • Economic rights
  • Religious rights
  • Political rights
  • Sexual equality
  • Racial equality

4 - Videos to watch

  • Norma Rae
  • Mandela
  • Gandhi
  • Cry Freedom (Biko)
  • Killing Fields
  • Welcome to Sarajevo
  • Kundun
  • ANTZ

5 - Each cabin or class choose a particular human rights situation to
explore, discuss, and imagine solutions. After understanding, compare
with another group to find similarities and differences

  • learn background information
  • brainstorm what needs to be done to correct the human rights violation
  • envision solution
  • brainstorm strategy, publicity, tone, consciousness raising, letter writing campaign,
  • assemblies, petitions, creative endeavors, i.e. make a video, art, writing

6 - Study some examples of campaigns that worked. What worked, what
failed, most successful strategies.
See Video series,"A Force More Powerful"

7 - Compile a school registry of human rights activists, make submissions to
the computer with statistics, age of activism, sex, is the struggle racial,
religious, sexual civil rights, environmental, disenfranchised? Was this
person imprisoned? fired? exiled? pathologized? ridiculed? discredited?
censored? lied about?assassinated?

8 - Experiential

  • Teach-ins
  • Mock tribunal
  • Model UN

Imagine an Optimal Future Exercise © Diane Perlman, PhD

This exercise is inspired by and adapted from an individual writing exercise designed by educator Rick Grier-Reynolds, who teaches at Wilmington Friends School.

This can be done in small groups, a good cabin activity:
Imagine what the future could be like if things turn out as well as possible. Go around and describe in detail the what your life could be like in 30 years from now. Make sure your answers are realistic and possible - this is not a
fantasy exercise. Try to work together as a group and come up with a description that you mostly agree upon.

Part 1
Describe your lifestyle.

  • What will you be living in, who will you be living with - meaning what will the social arrangements be?
  • What will you be driving in?
  • What will be your energy source(s)?
  • What will you be eating?
  • What will you be wearing?
  • What materials will be used?
  • What might your work situation be like?
  • What will you do for fun?
  • What might happen with art and music? the environment? technology? entertainment?
  • What will be the relationships between the sexes?
  • How might ideas of masculinity, femininity and sexuality be different?

Part 2
This part may require more imagination and thinking.

  • What will the world be like? What might be the nature of countries and governments?
  • Will the UN still exist, and if so how will t be different or will there be some other form of world government?
  • What will communication and transportation be like? Will there be a military, and if so, what would it look like?
  • Might there be some other kind of force to replace the military?
  • How will conflicts be handled?

Once you have described the best possible future you can imagine, describe how we got there.

  • What happened beginning in 2001 to lead up to these improvements?
  • What part did you play in it?

The Art and Skill of Negotiation Exercise © Diane Perlman, PhD

  • Think of someone with whom you disagree intensely.
  • Remember the most vehement discussion you have had with this person. Or role play one with someone else.
  • How did you feel about yourself before, during, and after this discussion, and what did you think of yourself?
  • How did you feel about the other person before, during, and after the discussion and what did you think of him or her?
  • What were you trying to achieve with this discussion? What were your goals?
  • How effective was your approach in bringing the other person closer to your goals?
  • What was the result of the discussion?
  • What did you expect?
  • How would you have responded to you in that discussion?
  • What did you learn from the discussion? About yourself? The other person? The subject?
  • To what degree did you change your opinion as a result of the discussion? To what degree did you influence the other person?
  • To which of your opponent's statements, gestures and approaches were you most receptive? Most reactive?
  • To which of your statements, gestures, and approaches was your opponent most receptive? Most reactive?
  • Can you imagine ways in which you could get better results?
  • Can you imagine approaching the other person and the subject under discussion in a completely different manner?
  • Imagine reaching your goal with this person, or coming to a place that is mutually acceptable to both of you. What would it take to achieve this?
  • Might it have helped to have a mediator? What else might have helped?


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