Blueprints for a Greener Tomorrow: Crafting Sustainable Community Proposals

General Information

Topic	Group Size	Time
Local Council Environmental Simulation Project Proposal Debate	25 - 40 participants	3 - 4 hours, depending on group size and discussion length

Activity Overview

Overview:	A simulation activity where teams, representing various political parties, create and debate community environmental project proposals.
Themes:	Environmental Advocacy Communication Collaboration Decision-making Negotiation
Objectives:	1. Enhance awareness and understanding of environmental issues within the community, inspiring participants to take action for sustainable development. 2. Develop communication, negotiation, and collaboration skills. 3. Educate participants about the role of local institutions and how to actively engage in community development.
Materials:	Flipchart Markers Nametags Role cards
Preparation:	1. Set up the room to mimic a council chamber. 2. Prepare role cards for council members, including party affiliations and descriptions. 3. Designate spaces for each party/group. 4. Formulate specific project structure guidelines, ensuring they emphasize environmental considerations.

Target Group

Adults and teenagers aged at least 15 years old with an interest in community development, civic engagement, and environmental sustainability. Prior knowledge of local governance can be beneficial but is not mandatory.

Instructions

1. Introduction to the Simulation (10 minutes):

Begin by briefly explaining the premise of the activity: a simulated local council debate on sustainable community projects.

Clarify the objectives of the activity to all participants.

Provide participants with a brief overview of the roles they will play, either as project teams or council members.

2. Team Formations and Role Assignments (15 minutes):

Divide participants into groups: project teams (4-6 participants per team) and council members (2-3 participants per party).

Distribute role cards detailing the specific roles and their affiliated political parties or interests.

If there are more participants than roles, ensure that every member has a task, such as media, researcher, or note-taker.

3. Project Proposal Crafting (60 minutes):

Allow project teams to delve into brainstorming and crafting their community proposals, emphasizing environmental sustainability.

Ensure each team follows the specific project structure guidelines shared earlier.

As teams work, encourage them to think critically about the diverse environmental, social, and economic considerations involved in their proposal.

While the other teams draft their project proposals, council members prepare in multiple ways. They get a quick introduction to their essential roles, discuss about the community's current issues and background, practice their designated political roles, set clear guidelines for evaluating projects and come up with questions for the presenting teams, getting ready for the upcoming presentations and discussions.

4. Proposal Presentations (40 minutes):

Facilitate a session where project teams will present their proposals (around 5-7 minutes per proposal).

After each presentation, initiate a brief Q&A session (3 minutes) where council members can ask clarifying questions.

5. Council Debate (35 minutes):

Open the floor for a more extensive debate among council members on the presented proposals.

Encourage a balanced discussion, focusing on the merits, concerns, and environmental considerations of each proposal.

The Chairperson (or facilitator) should guide the debate, ensuring a fair opportunity for all voices to be heard.

During the council debate, the other participants adopt the role of observers. They critically analyze the discussions, taking notes on significant points and formulating potential responses. This observational phase provides them with an opportunity to evaluate their own proposals in light of the council's feedback, understand diverse perspectives, and consider refinements for future interactions.

6. Voting Session (30 minutes):

After the debate, conduct a voting session.

Before the voting starts, allocate a 2-minute slot for each team to present a final statement. During this time, they can share what they noticed, highlight key points from the debate, and offer answers or clarifications.

Council members will evaluate and cast their votes on each proposal following the guidelines set for project evaluation.

Count the votes to determine which proposals are approved and which are not.

Debriefing and Evaluation

1. Reflection on Process

What aspects of the activity did you find most challenging?

How did you feel when presenting your proposal or when listening to others?

Were there moments during the debate that particularly stood out for you? Why?

2. Understanding the Decisions

For council members: What factors significantly influenced your voting decisions?

For proposal teams: Were the votes in line with your expectations? Why or why not?

Were there specific feedback or points raised during the debate that changed your perspective?

3. Communication and Collaboration

How effective was your team's communication throughout the process?

Were there disagreements within your team? How were they resolved?

How did you handle differing viewpoints or feedback from the council or other teams?

4. Learning and Insights

What did you learn about the complexities of community decision-making and project planning?

How can you apply the negotiation, collaboration, and communication skills you developed in other contexts?

Were there any surprising takeaways or insights from the session?

5. Feedback on the Activity

How could this activity be improved for better understanding or smoother execution?

Was the time allocated sufficient for each section of the activity?

Were the guidelines and criteria clear for project evaluation?

Tips for facilitators

Keep Time: Ensure that each phase of the activity stays within the designated time limit. Having a visible timer can help keep everyone on track.

Encourage Participation: Some participants may be more reserved than others. Actively engage them by asking open-ended questions or seeking their opinion.

Be Adaptable: Be prepared for unexpected challenges or deviations from the planned activity. Flexibility will help keep the momentum going.

Set the Tone: Establish a positive, respectful environment from the start. Encourage constructive feedback and discourage any negative or dismissive remarks.

Stay Neutral: As a facilitator, it's crucial to remain impartial, especially during debates and voting. Your role is to guide the process, not influence outcomes.

Prepare Ahead: Familiarize yourself with all materials and the flow of the activity. Being well-prepared instills confidence in participants.

Facilitate Reflection: Ensure that debriefing isn't rushed. This phase provides valuable insights and learning for participants.

Seek Feedback: After the activity, ask for feedback on how it went. This will help improve the exercise for future sessions.

Variations

The activity can be adapted to address various social issues relevant to your community.

The simulation can be extended over multiple sessions, allowing for deeper research and more detailed project proposals.

Expand council roles by giving each council member a specific background or bias, which they must consider during the debate and voting.

Give council members unequal seats in the council to reflect the political realities of actual representation.

Handouts

Copyright

This activity was developed during the "Eco-Youth Empowerment Through Education and Action" Training Course, coordinated by ARYAS NGO together with its partners: Asociatia Euroactive NGO - Romania, EUROACTIVE BULGARIA, Euroactive NGO Alapítvány - Hungary, Amazing Youth - Greece, ORIEL APS - Italy, Instytut Rozdzienskiego - Poland, Kasif Genclik ve Spor Kulubu Denergi - Turkey, and Yaygin Egitim ve Genclik Calismalari Dernegi - Turkey. This initiative was co-financed by the European Commission through the Erasmus+ program.

Everyone is free to use and adapt this resource for educational and non-commercial purposes. However, its commercial use or reproduction for profit is strictly prohibited.