Stand Up – Ready-made Activities for your JB and Chapter

by Mercedes Fogarassy and Björn Kåberger

Three Stand Up activities have been released in 2015 and over 700 people around the world have participated in them.

Having JB activities throughout the year is a great way to engage local youth and adults when there is not a CISV program taking place. They are also a great way to motivate people to experience CISV and learn about a very important educational content area – Conflict and Resolution.

The Stand Up activities that have been released so far have touched on topics of communication in conflict, the “Hit, Run, Stand” model, and on ways in which conflict causes us to act towards, and with our peers. Educational content in CISV is integral to our mission and Stand Up aims to create a fun atmosphere while still keeping the high quality of learning involved.

With many Junior Branches and international programs having run these activities, the responses have been incredible. For example, JB Poland enjoyed doing Step 1 – How do you define conflict? as they were able to use the different techniques in the “Do” part to get the educational message across. Step 2 – Hit-Run-Stand was particularly effective at exploring one’s own style of dealing with conflict. This enabled JBers to benefit local chapters by teaching themselves how to better work together and resolve conflicts. And in JB Finland, Local Junior Representatives explained how incorporating fun into meetings was essential, and it is exactly what Step 3 – I don’t like this, I don’t like youwas able to do, while still remaining educational.

Different JBs struggle with different challenges. Some are desperate to recruit new members, some feel they are not given the respect they deserve from the organisation as a whole, and some just really want to make great activities. Using Stand Up (2015), Branch Out (2014) and Right On (2013) activities, all of this is possible.

Activities from these projects have been run with as few as 6 and as many as 120 participants, from a basement in the Mölndal, Sweden to a conference centre in Queretaro, Mexico.

As a participant in a Stand Up activity, you are truly a part of a global movement, because the experience you have is shared with hundreds of other people, all over the world.

So the next time you meet someone from another chapter, ask them if they’ve participated in our activities, and compare your experiences and conclusions. Who knows, maybe you’ll hear a completely new perspective?