How to talk about war. Facilitating learning in the face of crisis

“How to talk about war” is about how to face crisis situations and make it a topic in non-formal education events, especially if you work with interculturally mixed and transnational groups. Together with Dagna Gmitrowicz and Marta Brzezińska-Hubert we tried out and put together various ways to bring the topic of war to non-formal education and search mutually for ways to handle it within our workshops, seminars and training courses. This small publication is a work-in-progress and an attempt to find first answers and practical ways to talk about war in a non-formal setting.

“Connection is the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgement; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.”

Brené Brown

Facilitating learning in the face of crisis

Download: How to talk about war. Facilitating learning in the face of crisis

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War February 24th 2022. When the Russian army crossed the border and invaded Ukraine we were in the middle of an On-Arrival Training for volunteers in Poland. In our group were participants from all over Europe, including Ukraine and Russia. We had our programme in the context of a terrifying war, and a refugee crisis, that was just about to unfold. Since then, we have been involved in various events with interculturally mixed groups, always challenged by the impact of this war and the question of how to find a balance between individual needs, the group process, the content within a crisis that was escalating more every day. 

The War in Ukraine suddenly brought the war to our doorsteps. It opened our eyes to other wars that are currently happening in the world, wars that are happening far from our borders. Wars we tend to ignore and look in a different direction. 

Since then, we have tried out various ways to bring the topic of a war to non-formal education and search mutually for ways to handle it within our workshops, seminars and training courses. This is a work-in-progress like this article, an attempt to ask the right questions and an attempt to find first answers and practical ways to talk about war in a non-formal setting. 

Alternative downloads: SALTO Toolbox and EPALE (registered members only) or the website of Polish National Agency of the European Solidarity Programme.

Connect: Dagna Gmitrowicz, instagram, Marta Brzezińska-Hubert, linkedin and Michael Kimmig, linkedin

Selected Resources (not included in the publication)

Talk about the war

How to Talk with Children About the Conflict in Ukraine via savethechildren.org 

Teachers can offer a safe space for students to talk about the war in Ukraine and help them take action via theconversation.com 

Teaching about Ukraine. Information sites and news about Ukraine by Erik Ofgang  via techlearning.com

Fact-Checking Sites for Students by David Kapuler via techlearning.com 

Crisis Intervention

How to recognize signs of distress in children. Common reactions to stress in children. via unicef.org 

Look – Listen – Link.  Psychological First Aid. BlogPost by Michael Kimmig

Psychological first aid: Guide for field workers by World Health Organization, War Trauma Foundation and World Vision International, 2011

Crisis Intervention Resources. Supporting volunteers and volunteering organisations via Mentoring under Construction [padlet]

Self-care and well-being

Five Steps of EmotionAid.  Practical toolkit for managing emotions and reactions during times of crisis (in English, French, German, Hebrew, Arabic, Polish, Chinese, Farsi, Turkish, Russian, Spanish, Italian). via emotionaid.com 

256 Cards of feelings and needs – Cards of feelings and needs in four different painting styles by ARTE EGO Foundation in Poland and GrenzKultur / Cabuwazi in Germany

Well-being of ESC volunteers and coordinators by Marta Brzezińska-Hubert [padlet]

Ideas for small actions

Real ways you can help Ukraine as a foreigner via supportukrainenow.org

28 Meaningful Ways You Can Help Ukraine via globalcitizen.org

Links last visited 20.03.2022