Brief Encounters Ice-breaker: an icebreaker for Sharing Success

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Development Means Sharing Happiness

Here are some inspiring extracts from an article about rural and community development using Participatory Rural Appraisal PRA - a philosophy and a toolkit that shares much common ground with active and creative reviewing.

These extracts are presented here with kind permission of the author, Kamal Phuyal, Nepal. You can find the full article at http://www.scn.org/cmp/modules/par-phu.htm

Once one of my colleagues told me that, ''You know, what does development mean? In my experience, it is mainly sharing happiness with others.'' He explained, with various cases he had experienced, and I liked his idea of development.

The women explained about their project during our sharing:

A Didi (sister) came to work in our village. We ignored her for a long time. You know, the villagers told her to go back (as they had some bitter experiences with previous development workers) but, on the other hand, she would think about our problems for the whole night. She was so nice. Eventually, we liked her and worked together and completed many things. Now we have our own co-operatives. We did literacy classes. We did have very nice time to be with her. We were very happy while working together and enjoyed a lot. We completed all our work happily, you know. We get excited even now by remembering those days. We love our project very much and we never let it die even to recall our time with her.

We came to know that her only motto was to share happiness with other people. Both villagers and Didi shared their happiness. The drinking water project was the means for them to share happiness. And, that happiness brought that project into success... During the whole evaluation period, they recalled their happiness repeatedly. That happiness encouraged them to do many other things. Now they have their own co-operative, they have formed a maintenance committee among the women. They have saving groups. ''We are happy to be in a group and we come there, we share our problems and in fact we can share our happiness there,'' they said.

It has been through this process that I have learnt from the experiences I have had so far that PRA helps us to share our happiness with the villagers as well as their happiness with us, and of course especially with those who are vulnerable and marginalized. I believe that reflecting on the positive aspects (of anything) can help us to go forward for development. Reflecting only on the negative aspects encloses us; we cannot go forward through concentrating on the negative alone.

Kamal Phuyal
Nepal

You can read the complete original article at http://www.scn.org/cmp/modules/par-phu.htm

What is one of the most mouth-watering meals you have ever cooked? As a consumer, what's the most successful complaint you have made?	When have you stuck your neck out and were really pleased you did? When have you really surprised yourself and impressed others?
When have you most deserved a prize for your negotiation skills? If you were awarded a medal for bravery, what would it be for?	When were you pleased that you went out of your way to help someone? What is your claim to fame?
What is one of the best things about your job? When have you had to improvise and were delighted with the results?	Have you ever stood up against group pressure and were pleased you did? Have you ever made what you could describe as a 'successful compromise'?
When has working to a plan really paid off for you? Can you describe a success you are proud of outside work?	What is one of your most physical achievements? In what ways do you think of yourself as a creative person?
What things really motivate you? What is one of the best presentations you have given?	What was your most recent success? What was your smallest success ever?
What is your recipe for success? What are some of the most recent skills that you have developed?	How did you learn to ride a bicycle? How did you learn to manage people?
What was one of your first successes as a child that you remember? When have you felt that you achieved the impossible?	How did you learn to dance? How did you learn to find your way around on the internet?
What is the longest applause you have received? What challenging goals are you on the way to achieving?	Can you describe a turning point that led to your success in a new skill? Have you ever communicated with someone without knowing each other's language?
Who inspires you and how are you a bit like them? From your own experience, what advice would you give to young entrepreneurs?	Have you ever been a successful go-between in helping to stop a fight or resolve a dispute? What's the closest you have been to winning an Oscar?
Can you name a fear that has held you back, but no longer gets in the way? How did you learn to talk?	What's the closest you have been to becoming a pop star? What's the closest you have been to becoming prime minister?
What's the closest you have been to becoming an Olympic champion? Have you ever succeeded in getting publicity for a cause you believe in?	How do you make dreams come true? How do you learn from your successes?
How do you help those around you to be successful? How many successes do you have on an average day?	When have you felt that you deserved a big pay rise or an extra holiday? How might you make it into the Guinness Book of Records - based on something you have already done?
What 3 small successes have you already achieved today? What do you see when you picture success?	What 3 things have you already done today to help others succeed? Have you ever been successful without really trying?
What is the quietest success you have ever had? What is the loudest success you have ever had?	What is the longest song, poem or quotation that you can recite? What is one of your favourite sayings or quotations about success?
Have you ever turned a failure into a success? What would you like to be remembered for?	Have you ever had an unexpected success that really surprised you? Have you ever had to work really hard for success?
How do you inspire others? What is good about your time management?	? Add your own success question by writing to: roger@reviewing.co.uk

SHARING SUCCESS
Break the Ice with Brief Encounters

and 'SHARING HAPPINESS' by Kamal Phuyal

'Brief Encounters' - an icebreaker for sharing success

This briefing appears on one side of the Brief Encounters card

Examples of SUCCESS QUESTIONS for the reverse of the card [Plain Text Version] [Easy to Print Version]

Development Means Sharing Happiness

Happiness Quotes

Happiness Research

SHARING SUCCESS Break the Ice with Brief Encounters

and 'SHARING HAPPINESS' by Kamal Phuyal

'Brief Encounters' - an icebreaker for sharing success

This briefing appears on one side of the Brief Encounters card

Examples of SUCCESS QUESTIONS for the reverse of the card [Plain Text Version] [Easy to Print Version]

Development Means Sharing Happiness

Happiness Quotes

Happiness Research

SHARING SUCCESS
Break the Ice with Brief Encounters