Workshop for Dialogue Resource Persons

Nepal Forum for Restorative Justice organized a two-day refresher workshop for Dialogue resource persons on 18 and 19 March, 2023 in Pokhara.

The objective of the workshop was about identifying and discussing the underlying problem, issues, and challenges for the Dialogue resource person and preparing for further Dialogue workshop

The workshop began with a review of the experiences of the resource persons who delivered sessions at provincial and district workshops in various provinces and districts. Throughout the discussion session, the resource person trainees shared the challenges they faced. The refresher workshop discovered that the resource person trainees are comfortable with their courses since they have prior experience with Dialogue facilitation and are knowledgeable about the Dialogue method. Despite this, they claimed that they were unable to execute as expected due to a lack of a reference workbook, guidelines, and master trainer’s guide. They also stated that they needed technical assistance, a shared understanding of the issue among the resource persons, a clear agenda for the workshop, and critical skill trainings to improve their capacity to present the content they are well-versed in.

The program included discussions and interactions on various conflict resolution and transformation strategies, such as the conflict escalation model and conflict tree analysis. There was also discussion about the many forms of dialogue practices in Nepal and the differences between the dialogue techniques practiced by The Asia Foundation. Dialogue resource person trainees practiced the 8 steps of the Dialogue process in detail during the refresher training and established a common understanding between them. There were also practical sessions on listening skills, recognizing common values of dialogue, features of Dialogue facilitator, and Dialogue facilitator skills.

In the refresher workshop, there was discussed and presentation to enhance the technical ideas of resource person to explore the needed materials from internet browsers and reference sites for preparation for the workshop and trainings.

In conclusion, the resource person trainees benefited from the two-day refresher workshop. Resource person trainees discussed their experiences and pledged to improve their skills as a resource person. They also asked for the creation of a mutual workbook, master guideline, and reference materials to assist the Dialogue resource person to achieve common understanding on Dialogue.