Accompaniment Role-Plays

Goals:

• – Ability to generate options under pressure;
• – Internal flexibility in a situation;
• – Clarification about the role of the accompanier and presentation of TPNI and the organization’s work;
• – Understanding security implications of accompaniment.

Key question:

• What information is inappropriate to share?
  Roles:Role A: You are an international journalist who wants to get the goods on what is happening in the community on the ground, you are naturally trying to find out about the communities organizations, what problems have developed. Who visits the community? What is the role of internationals there? What connections do internationals bring to the community?Role B: You are accompaniers who have been with the community for about 3 months.

  [from Project Accompaniment]

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  SOLIDER BERATING FIELDWORKER AT A CHECKPOINT (SMALL GROUPS)

  Goals:

  • – Ability to generate options under pressure;
  • – Internal flexibility in a situation;
  • – Deeper understanding of how accompaniment operates in the interpersonal interactions (e.g., with military);
  • handling fear;

  Roles:

  Group A (1/2 the group): You are soldiers at a routine checkpoint. You have been told that internationals have created disturbances in the field and may get themselves killed by placing themselves in a dangerous situation. You begin berating the internationals hoping you can force them to leave.

  Group B (1/2 the group): You are fieldworkers who have been doing accompaniment for a few months.

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  HANDLING POLICE INTIMIDATION AT NGO OFFICE (GROUPS OF 6+)

  Goals:

  • – Increase ability of fieldworkers to interact with police
  • – Security issues around negotiations between NGO and military

  Materials:

  Fieldworkers’ ID (may just be a nametag)
  Available papers (to be NGO’s list of members)

  Setting:
  Local NGO office

  Roles:

  • local NGO (2 players);
  • fieldworkers accompanying the NGO at their office (2 players);
  • local police come in wanting copies of the local NGO’s list of members (2 players)

  Brief each of the roles separately. Have them set-up some space (with a table). Then act out.

  [adapted from Peace Brigades International-Canada]

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  CHECKPOINT: MILITARY ATTEMPT AT SEPARATION (GROUPS OF 5-6+)

  Goals:

  • – Handling fear;
  • – Explore feelings of helplessness;
  • – Continue clarification role of accompanier.

  Roles:

  • Local NGO’s (2 players)
  • accompaniers (2 players)
  • Military (2 players) – who are told to separate the NGOs and the accompaniers and question them both

  Situation:

  Accompaniers are with a delegation of a local NGO. The NGO is heading to meet with some of their local clients. While they are traveling, they get stopped at a military checkpoint.

  [adapted from Project Accompaniment]